Blue Shield of California Recognized as One of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the United States

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Second time in three years that Civic 50 honors the nonprofit health plan's commitment to Stand For What's Right

OAKLAND, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California has been named a 2023 honoree of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating people-powered change.

Now in its 11th year, The Civic 50 is a national standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how companies are moving social impact, civic engagement, and community to the core of their business. Blue Shield was also recognized in 2021. 

"Investing in the health and wellbeing of the communities where we live and work is foundational to who we are at Blue Shield of California," said Paul Markovich, President and CEO, Blue Shield of California. "This award reflects our nonprofit commitment and we're honored to receive it."

The Civic 50 honorees are companies with annual U.S. revenues of at least $1 billion. They were selected based on the strengths of their citizenship and social impact program in four areas: investment of resources and volunteerism, integration across business functions, institutionalization through policies and systems, and impact measurement. Blue Shield was recognized for its programs and initiatives that include:  

Investing in youth mental health
Blue Shield of California's signature initiative BlueSky continues to advance social justice by investing in best-in-class youth mental health programs. Launched in 2019, the program strives to incorporate student voices to bridge the gap between stigma and empowerment, especially among youth of color. BlueSky has supported more than 13,000 counseling sessions over three years. In addition, we helped expand participation in youth-led, on-campus clubs at California high schools, raising mental health awareness and reducing stigma.

Engaging California communities
Blue Shield has supported dozens of nonprofit groups across California in 2022, focused on driving positive change to address social inequities and injustices. In addition, employees set an all-time record for the Shield Cares Giving Campaign, donating $1.6 million (including company match) and volunteering more than 38,000 hours last year.

Encouraging climate action
Blue Shield of California, a formally certified CarbonNeutral® company, continues to take additional steps to reduce our emissions including the launch of our Supplier Sustainability Program that surveyed 41 of our vendors who account for 72% of the company's supply chain emissions. Of those, 29 disclosed their environmental impact to CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), an essential first step for decarbonization action.

Read more about Blue Shield of California's citizenship efforts in our 2022 Mission Report.

"Companies play a critical role in creating thriving, participatory communities," said Diane Quest, interim President and CEO, Points of Light. "The Civic 50 2023 honorees, including Blue Shield of California, really set a model for others and are showing just how to best use employee talent, business assets and integration to create meaningful impact."

The Civic 50 survey is administered by True Impact, and the results are analyzed by VeraWorks. The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform the scoring process. The Civic 50 is the only survey and ranking system that exclusively measures corporate community engagement. 

About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with more than 4.8 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $24 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $97 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities.

For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com. 

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About Points of Light
Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million people in 16.7 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it's needed most. For more information, visit pointsoflight.org. 

SOURCE Blue Shield of California