Unum gives $3.7 million to Chattanooga nonprofits

Unum and its employees teamed up to contribute $3.7 million last year to nonprofit organizations in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia, part of more than $12.4 million in charitable support from the company in the United States, Britain and Ireland where it operates.

In its yearly report on charitable activities and funding, Unum said employees at its Chattanooga headquarters volunteered 26,000 hours to their favorite local causes, valued at $618,450.

“We’re proud of the partnerships we’ve built with the nonprofit community and we feel strongly that our employees are committed to making Chattanooga one of the best places to live in the Southeast,” Suzanne Payne, director of corporate social responsibility, said in a statement. “I feel like there is a buzz at Unum, an energy, that compels people to do more.”

Unum continued its multi-year partnership with the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy through technology grants and support of the workplace mentoring program. The company also strengthened its commitment to public education through charitable giving and employee engagement with organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Club of Chattanooga.

Unum is the world’s biggest disability insurance company with nearly 10,000 employees in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Ireland, including more than 2,500 in Chattanooga.