Unum and its employees contributed more than $3 million last year to non-profit organizations in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia, part of more than $13 million in total charitable support from the company in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland.

In addition, employees in Unum’s Chattanooga office volunteered 25,000 hours of time to their favorite local causes.

“The needs in our communities continue to be greater than ever,” said Joe Foley, Unum’s chief marketing officer. “I’m always incredibly proud of our employees and amazed by their generosity. A strong commitment to social responsibility is one of Unum's core values, so it’s rewarding to see that our employees are so dedicated to our tradition of community support.”

The company primarily focuses its charitable efforts on supporting public education initiatives that provide more opportunity for students to learn.

Now in its fifth year, Unum continued its partnership with the Hamilton County Department of Education through grants to support mentorship programs, improve achievement levels and increase the use of technology in classrooms.

In addition to classroom grants, the company supported the Principal Leadership Academy, which was launched in 2010 to prepare aspiring school principals with leadership training and business mentorship from Unum executives. Unum also provided $100,000 to help fund the build-out of Chattanooga’s new STEM school.

The company also strengthened its commitment to public education through charitable giving and employee engagement with organizations such as Big Brother Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, Girls Inc. and Urban League. 

“We continue to invest heavily in these programs, and many more like them,” said Mr. Foley. “They not only improve the educational outlook of children and young adults in our area, they help us build a strong community by developing tomorrow’s leaders.”

The United Way was another big beneficiary of Unum’s corporate giving last year. A sampling of other beneficiaries in 2012 include Chattanooga non-profit organizations that partner with Unum:

• Chattanooga History Center
• Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation
• Junior Achievement
• Hunter Museum of Art Field Trip Program
• Challenger Center for Space Science Education
• Allied Arts

Unum provides financial protection benefits in the workplace such as disability, life, accident and critical illness insurance. Through its Unum and Colonial Life businesses, the company has offices across the U.S., the U.K., and in Carlow, Ireland.