The grants (see chart above) support the Class I’s key areas of giving: safety ($800,000), workforce development ($1.4 million), community spaces ($1.8 million) and environmental sustainability ($400,000). Another $600,000 will support local community needs.
The 2023 Community Ties Giving Program grants back organizations that “prioritize fairness and inclusion” and help pave the way for improved job training and public areas, as well as safer neighborhoods, according to UP, which noted that 14 million residents within underserved communities across its network “are poised to witness positive transformations through these grants.”
The 2023 grantees, which received between $1,000 and $25,000, had to demonstrate alignment with at least one of the following three dimensions:
- Grant Mission: Grant funding will be used to advance the interests of an underrepresented or underserved population or to advance the organization’s own capacity around DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion).
- Target Population: The grant will primarily serve an underrepresented population.
- Grantee Organizational Structure and Culture: The organization is taking actions to instill DEI internally and/or within its programs in the following ways: the organization has a publicly-available anti-discrimination and/or DEI policy; and provides DEI-related training to its staff and/or board; and has demonstrated efforts to ensure its board, leadership and/or staff reflect the diversity of the community served, according to UP.
The annual grant program’s application process opens in April, and is competitive, ensuring a fair opportunity for all eligible entities, UP reported. The Community Ties Giving Program reviews more than 1,700 grant requests per year and distributes approximately $5 million annually through the Local Grants Program.
“Union Pacific understands the role it plays in shaping the future of our communities, and creating a more sustainable, brighter future,” UP President and Union Pacific Foundation President Beth Whited said. “By championing safety, nurturing talent through workforce development, creating enriching community spaces, and paving the way for a sustainable environment, we are investing in a brighter tomorrow.”
In a related development, UP earlier this year released the 2022 Building America Report, an update on its Environment, Sustainability and Governance initiatives.
