Sixty-three percent of Regence workers participate in annual giving effort
PORTLAND, Ore. – Despite a difficult economy, Regence employees donated $1.26 million to a wide variety of charities as part of the company’s annual employee giving campaign. Combined with the company’s approximately 50 percent match, communities in Regence’s four-state region will receive about $1.8 million.
“A commitment to serving those in need is an important cornerstone of our company’s values, one that Regence employees enthusiastically embrace,” said Mark Ganz, Regence president and CEO. “Although the employee giving campaign is an important expression of that dedication, those values come to life each day through the efforts of our employees. I could not be more proud of these results and the collective generosity behind them.”
Sixty-three percent of Regence employees participated in this year’s campaign, with some divisions having participation levels of 100 percent. “That is well above the national trend,” said Nita Kirby, Director of Client Relations for JK Group, one of the world’s largest corporate philanthropic services. “The standard participation rate for a company of Regence’s size in a normal economy is 27 to 30 percent. In a down economy, that rate drops to 20 to 25 percent.”
More than 1,300 charities will benefit from employee pledges. Major recipients in Oregon include Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan Area, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Dougy Center for Grieving Children, Albertina Kerr Centers, Catholic Charities, Oregon Food Bank, Humane Society and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, among others.
Online donation and the ability to select any 501(c)3 organization helped make the campaign popular among employees. It was also bolstered by incentives and departmental rivalries with big stakes. Executives agreed to clean out refrigerators, wash cars and lip-synch to rock music to encourage participation.
About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is a leading health plan in Oregon, with nearly one million members, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, serving more than 2.5 million members as Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Each plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com or www.twitter.com/RegenceOregon.