UP Awards $5.5MM to Local Communities

Union Pacific (UP) is supporting 576 nonprofit organizations with $5.5 million in grants as part of its Community Ties Giving Program in 2021.

On Nov. 9, UP reported that 16 million people in underserved and underrepresented communities across its 23-state rail network “will benefit from the grants awarded based on three of the company’s top philanthropic priorities: safety, workforce development and community spaces.”

Among the honorees are the Casa Grande Regional Fire and Rescue Department and the Boys & Girls Club of Tucson, both in Arizona where 24 local organizations are receiving a total of $250,000; and the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Urban Initiatives Inc. and Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global, all in Illinois where 41 local groups are receiving a total of $480,000.

UP grants typically range from $2,500 to $25,000, and recipients are selected through an open, competitive applications process, the Class I railroad said.

Earlier this year, UP announced that organizations receiving local grants or participating in its key partnerships through the Community Ties Giving Program must demonstrate a commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) principles by 2023. Of this year’s honorees, 83% align with those values.

According to UP, DE&I commitment should be demonstrated in at least one of the following ways:
• “Grant mission: The purpose of the grant is to advance the interests of an underrepresented or underserved population, or the grant will be used to advance the organization’s own capacity around DE&I.
• “Target population: The grant will primarily serve an underrepresented population.
• “Grantee organizational structure and culture: The organization is taking actions to instill DE&I internally and/or within its programs.”

“Union Pacific is proud to partner with local-based organizations that are often doing the unsung, behind-the-scenes work needed to keep our communities safe and economically vibrant,” UP Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Scott Moore said. “These organizations improve the quality of life for millions day-in and day-out, including veterans, disabled individuals and people in underrepresented communities.”