In 2021, we put care to work for Colorado through our compassionate care for injured workers, grantmaking, scholarships, volunteerism, sustainability efforts, and championing diversity, equity and inclusion. We were honored to be recognized for the third consecutive year as one of Colorado’s 50 most community-minded companies with over $1.5 million in grants, donations and scholarships, and 1,150 hours spent volunteering in the communities where we live and work.
We invest locally. In 2021, we awarded $507,000 in grants to nonprofits that protect the health and safety of workers on the job, help injured Coloradans get back to work, and promote a robust business climate and a prepared workforce statewide. We place particular importance on supporting organizations that serve underrepresented groups.
Many of our local communities faced hardship in 2021. Wanting to help, Pinnacol employees voted to divert some teambuilding budgets to support the Boulder King Soopers shooting victims and Food Bank of the Rockies, providing 16,000 meals to Colorado families in need. Pinnacol also donated $100,000 to the Community Foundation of Boulder County Marshall Fire fund.
Workplace injuries take an enormous toll on families — physically, emotionally and financially. We created the Pinnacol Foundation scholarship program to ensure that the children of workers who were seriously injured or killed on the job have the opportunity to pursue their education. In 2021, the Foundation’s 21st anniversary year, we awarded $347,150 to 75 students — taking our total since the Foundation’s inception to $6 million in scholarships to nearly 650 students.
Through our annual employee giving program, Pinnacol team members donated $137,634 to Colorado nonprofits close to their hearts, from animal shelters to environmental stewardship and food pantries. Pinnacol matched their donations, making a total impact of $272,528 donated to local nonprofits in 2021.
While the pandemic kept us all working from home, it couldn’t stop us from caring for our community. Through our employee-led volunteer program, Pinnacol in Action, we volunteered virtually, and when possible in person, with organizations including Florence Crittenton Services, Denver Health Newborns in Need, Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado, and more. In total, we volunteered 1,150 hours in 2021.
With a commitment to fighting systemic racism and expanding opportunities for all, our DEI Advisory Council and our Board of Directors led the launch of our DEI strategy, including equitable hiring and promotion practices, an employee belonging survey and resource groups, and a supplier diversity program. As charter members of Colorado Companies Uniting Against Racism, Colorado Inclusive Economy and Prosper Colorado, we publicly report our data on key hiring, promotion and supplier indicators.
Caring for our community means caring for the environment. When Covid kept our offices empty, we minimized our footprint — completing our xeric landscaping project, turning off irrigation systems and appliances, earning a 90 EnergyStar rating for our LEED Gold-certified building. We also saved 697 kg in emissions by opening our electric car charging station to the public.