For 25 years, the United Way Spirit of America® awards program has been recognizing exceptional corporate citizens for outstanding employee and community engagement and measurable impact in education, income and health.

Help us celebrate these winning partners below by joining the conversation on Twitter @UnitedWay, hashtag #SpiritofAmerica and #LIVEUNITED.

2012 Spirit of America Award Winner:

P&G

In celebration of its 125th anniversary, United Way Worldwide recognized Procter & Gamble (P&G) with the 2012 Spirit of America award for philanthropy, volunteer efforts and community impact.

P&G's partnership with United Way is rooted in a shared sense of global citizenship and a mutual focus on children’s health and education. United Way’s mission to mobilize and empower communities combined with P&G’s aim to improve life for 300 million children around the world has resulted in numerous early childhood education partnerships, including Born Learning in Panama, Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. In addition to its philanthropic work, P&G leveraged its unique marketing expertise and social media channels through the P&G brandSAVER program, making donations in order to increase viewership and engagement, with over 50 million U.S. households reached.

P&G is the largest financial contributor to the United Way of Greater Cincinnati (UWGC) and runs United Way campaigns at all U.S. plants and most international locations. Globally, P&G invests more than $100 million annually in charitable cash, product and employee donations. Company employees volunteered more than 52,500 hours in 2011, plus senior leaders served on more than 200 prominent local, national and global boards.

P&G has previously won five Summit Awards from United Way Worldwide, three in 2010 and two in 2011 for its work in community impact and volunteer engagement.

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Publix Super Markets, Inc.

Philanthropic Engagement

Community Impact

Publix Super Markets, Inc.’s 2011 United Way campaign raised $45.6 million – a 12% increase over 2010, plus Publix associates volunteered 900,000 hours. Publix leverages its stores and 40 million customers by promoting United Way on 220 million grocery bags plus including Born Learning education tips on store shelf signs and customer newsletters. Publix ranks #1 on the Corporate Social Responsibility Index, plus Publix has been among Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” for 17 years and “100 Best Companies to Work For” for 15 years.

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Bank of America

Community Impact

Volunteer Engagement

Bank of America and its employees raised more than $35 million through the United Way campaign. In addition, bank employees volunteered more than 1.5 million hours nationwide. The bank also stepped up once again to support free income tax assistance, resulting in more than 530,000 completed tax returns and $800 million in total refunds to hardworking individuals and families in 2011 alone. By the conclusion of the 2013 tax season, Bank of America will have invested $6.5 million in Financial Stability grants with United Way and was the first financial institution to nationally support this important work.

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Deloitte

Volunteer Engagement

Community Impact

Deloitte raised $21 million through its annual United Way campaign and has more Tocqueville donors than any other organization in the country. It also taps its people's professional experience to serve nonprofits through skills-based volunteering and has pledged $110 million in pro bono work to leading nonprofits. On IMPACT Day, Deloitte's national day of volunteer service, approximately three-quarters of the organization's professionals volunteer. And, the Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT survey provides key research to spark advances in corporate philanthropy and volunteering. Finally, Deloitte is committed to building a college-going culture in America. It supports several organizations focused on the issue, and more than 200 Deloitte senior executives serve on the boards of nonprofits working to improve education.

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Microsoft Corporation

Community Impact

Microsoft and its employees donated $100.5 million to nonprofits and educational institutions in 2011, with United Way remaining the single largest recipient of employee donations and corporate matching funds since the Community Affairs program began. Microsoft provided a $17/hour match for employee volunteer hours with employees recording more than 426,000 hours -- a 20% increase over 2010. Microsoft’s focus is on providing opportunities for youth, including support of United Way’s Parent-Child Home Program for low-income families plus a host of innovative, technology-focused education programs that tap Microsoft’s unique company and employee expertise. In 2011, Microsoft donated $844 million in software to more than 40,000 global nonprofits.

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General Motors

Community Impact

General Motors showed unprecedented support for United Way in 2011. The GM Foundation made its largest gift ever – a transformational $27.1 million grant to United Way of Southeastern Michigan – to create a “Network of Excellence” within seven area high schools and increase graduation rates from 50% to 80% over five years. To augment the grant, GM’s new teamGM Cares employee volunteer program supports the schools through Champions Councils, mentoring programs and other initiatives. Last year, GM employees contributed more than $6 million through the company’s United Way campaign. In addition, the company’s GMC division teamed up with United Way to build United Way Healthy Kids Zones in nine NFL markets across the country, using a portion of the $264,000 raised from the GMC-United Way Super Bowl package auction along with the support of 3,000 volunteers. Also, Chevrolet donated 13 vehicles valued at $400,000 to United Ways across Alabama to assist in storm recovery efforts.

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Wells Fargo

Volunteer Engagement

Wells Fargo is United Way’s top national campaign raising $56 million annually, plus team members volunteered 1.5 million hours in 2011 – a 10.8% increase over last year. The company also offers a unique Volunteer Leave Program that provides fully paid volunteer leave for up to four months for team members to work on a significant project impacting a nonprofit organization or school. In 2011, Wells Fargo awarded volunteer leave to more than 26 team members representing more than 32.5 months of paid leave. Overall, the company gave $213.5 million to nonprofits.

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Illinois Tool Works (ITW)

Philanthropic Engagement

Illinois Tool Works (ITW) raised $11.4 million for United Way, including a generous dollar for dollar match, plus an enhancement to incent participation and leadership giving. During the pilot phase of its volunteer program, the men and women of ITW volunteered 3,598 hours with United Way and its partners which the company matched with $10/hour. To provide opportunities for young people, ITW’s innovative annual United Way video is created collaboratively by local high school students, area Boys and Girls Club Kids and a nonprofit creative arts foundation.

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About the United Way Spirit of America and Summit Awards

The Spirit of America® and Summit Awards program, celebrating its 25th year, is United Way’s highest national honor for a corporation, recognizing United Way Global Corporate Leaders with the most comprehensive commitments to strengthening communities. Applicants are evaluated by corporate peers and local United Ways. Join the conversation on Twitter using hashtag #SpiritofAmerica or visit unitedway.org/SOA. 

25 Years of Winners: