UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced almost 120 grants totaling more than $6 million to non-profit organizations around the world that champion diversity and support diverse communities.

For more than 60 years, UPS’s philanthropic arm has funded organizations that support under-served and under-represented members of society.  This year’s grants will support a wide range of programs, including those for wounded veterans, the hearing and visually-impaired, women and girls and culturally distinct populations.

“Supporting diversity is the largest area of our funding,” said Ken Sternad, president of The UPS Foundation.  “We have long sought to help bridge opportunity gaps in areas like economic empowerment, education, leadership, mentorship and advocacy.  Through these grants, we are helping many great organizations improve lives and create opportunities.”

The grants being awarded include (in part):

• More than $800,000 to the National Urban League to support Entrepreneurship Centers in several cities and other programs.
• $750,000 to the National Council of La Raza toward the continued implementation of a regional strategy that focuses on capacity building for Hispanic community organizations.
• $655,000 to the NAACP for educational programs and other events.
• More than $450,000 in grants to organizations that support people with disabilities, primarily for programs around economic empowerment and transition into the workforce.  Grant recipients include the National Organization on Disabilities, Paralyzed Veterans of America and National Federation of the Blind.
• More than $450,000 to organizations that provide youth leadership and mentorship opportunities, including the 100 Black Men of America, Girls Inc., National Hispana Leadership Institute and the Japanese American Citizens League.
• $250,000 to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and the UNCF Atlanta.
• $235,000 toward college scholarships for Native American students through the American Indian College Fund and Brigham Young University.
• $200,000 to the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), primarily to support the OCA-UPS Gold Mountain Scholarship program for “first-in-family” Asian American college students.
• $185,000 to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for its education reform work.
• $150,000 to three Atlanta-based historically Black colleges and universities (Spelman College, Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University) for the UPS Community Service Scholars Program, a unique effort that combines academics with community service.
• $150,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
• $100,000 to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for its Workplace Project.

The UPS Foundation, which is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national and global communities, has led UPS’s corporate citizenship efforts for more than 60 years.  In 2010, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $95 million in charitable giving around the world.  The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/foundation.  To learn about UPS's sustainability program and commitment to the environment, go to www.ups.com/sustainability.

UPS

UPS

UPS is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves 10.6 million customers daily in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.

For more information, please visit UPS.com or the company’s Sustainability website, ups.com/sustainability. View and subscribe to UPS Horizons, our sustainability newsletter, by visiting ups.com/sustainabilitynewsletter.

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