by Laine Himmelmann
Blue Shield of California is one of California’s largest health plans, with nearly 6 million members and over 7,500 employees.
In 2024, a record-breaking 99% of Blue Shield employees participated in volunteer and giving programs, tracking over 64,300 volunteer hours and contributing over $1.6 million in donations to more than 2,600 nonprofit organizations after the company match. This is an increase from the previous record of 96% of employees participating in giving and volunteerism in 2023, up from 79% in 2022. For comparison, Blue Shield’s employee giving and volunteerism participation is triple that of companies of comparable size according to Benevity, a leading organization for corporate citizenship tracking and reporting.

“Giving back has long been part of Blue Shield’s ethos and DNA,” said Antoinette Mayer, vice president, who leads Blue Shield’s nationally awarded Corporate Citizenship program. “But the recent record-breaking participation is a true testament to the beating heart and commitment our employees have for our mission and to join Blue Shield in standing for what’s right for our members, communities and planet.”
Research consistently shows that giving back, whether through volunteering or donating, improves happiness and well-being. Corporate giving and volunteer programs also provide an opportunity to drive important community impact while building morale and improving retention. Mayer sees it all as a win-win-win.
She attributes the powerful culture of philanthropy at Blue Shield to two factors — Blue Shield “walking the walk” when it comes to the company’s mission, coupled with robust benefits to support and boost employee giving efforts. This has earned Blue Shield numerous awards, including recognition as one of the most community-minded companies in the nation by The Civic 50 for two years in a row.
Walking the walk

As a taxpaying, nonprofit health plan, Blue Shield of California is also the only major health plan to voluntarily cap income at 2% of revenue, returning the difference back to customers and California communities. Since 2004, the health plan has contributed $736 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation, whose mission is to build lasting and equitable solutions to make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence.
BlueSky, Blue Shield’s youth mental health initiative, celebrated its 5-year anniversary last year. The initiative invests in best-in-class nonprofits and programs that promote emotional well-being for young people across California, particularly youth in marginalized communities. To date, BlueSky has supported over 20,000 youth and educators with its programs for therapy, training and youth advocacy.
On the climate action front, Blue Shield is one of only a handful of health plans globally working to reduce its emissions through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) — the most rigorous and clearly defined pathway for companies to reduce their carbon footprint. As part of Blue Shield’s continued commitment to climate care as health care, Blue Shield has also invested in better understanding and supporting youth facing climate mental health impacts and greening health care via Virtual Blue.
A wide array of giving opportunities

Blue Shield believes that transforming health care starts with ensuring every employee is empowered to contribute to a healthier tomorrow. As such, it facilitated 375 employee volunteer and giving opportunities in 2024, ranging from home repairs and tree plantings, to fundraising for therapy animal programs and diabetes prevention, to mock interviews for people with disabilities, as well as a second annual fall food drive that collected nearly 4,600 lbs. of food.
“We have a large, diverse employee base with diverse interests, backgrounds and talents, so we have a real opportunity to make a big difference in the communities where we live and work,” said Jane Nichol, manager of social impact. “We want to make it as easy as possible for our employees to give back in a way that is meaningful for them, as well as for the nonprofits and communities we’re serving.”
Employee-giving benefits
To encourage and support employees in giving back, Blue Shield also provides the following benefits:
- Paid Community Service Time Off: Employees receive 24 hours of paid community service time off each year to volunteer with an eligible California nonprofit organization.
- Day-One Donation: New employees are provided with $50 to donate to the cause of their choosing within their first 90 days.
- Matching Gifts: Blue Shield matches $1 for every $1 an employee donates to eligible nonprofits, up to $1,000 per employee per year. Employees who serve on a California nonprofit board are eligible for an increased match.
- Weeks of Giving: During our quarterly Weeks of Giving, Blue Shield increases the company match to 2:1, matching $2 for every $1 an employee donates to eligible nonprofits.
- Dollars for Doers: Employees who volunteer outside of work hours can earn Dollars for Doers. Blue Shield will give $10 for donation to a nonprofit organization for every hour of volunteerism up to $250 per employee per year.
“It’s really inspiring and makes me so proud to see these record-breaking engagement numbers from our employees,” said Mayer. “And as we look to the future in this new year, I am incredibly hopeful for how we will continue to build on this momentum as we put our mission into action for our communities, our people and our planet — and do more good.”
For more on Blue Shield’s Corporate Citizenship program, visit citizenship.blueshieldca.com