Between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and the Blue Cross Foundation, we invest millions of dollars each year into Louisiana nonprofits doing great work. We also do a lot of work to connect great people with big ideas — including Blue Cross leaders, community leaders, high-impact nonprofits, researchers and more.
A few years ago, we started describing our work as “helping everyday people do extraordinary good.” This philosophy has changed a lot of things for us.
First, it’s made us focus more on finding great people who want to do important work, especially within Blue Cross.
Our Community Relations and Foundation teams are often in the community, but chances are likely that you also know one or more of the thousands of Blue Cross employees who are out volunteering, serving on civic and nonprofit boards and otherwise engaged in communities where they live and work.
Within the company, our work is often to find these folks and align them to the charitable and civic opportunities they are passionate to pursue. This means we are servants to and facilitators for our colleagues and partners, an obligation and a mentality we take seriously.
This mindset means we ask more questions about what skills people have to offer and what they’re passionate about. It means we make a conscious effort to match those two things to what Louisiana needs as much as possible. Then, we put our charitable dollars behind those people and their work.
“Helping everyday people doing extraordinary good” has also informed the way our Foundation makes grants.
We believe that great accomplishments are led by great leaders and great teams. We look for the leaders first. Then we work with them to discover the work necessary to improve their communities.
We believe in people — individuals who are willing to knuckle down and do the work necessary to change things. They inspire others. Systems don’t change things without people to power them That’s why we invest in people first.
As a corporate partner and a Foundation, that’s our lane — making connections, empowering others. We use the tools we have to find the right people and power them up with the Cross and Shield. We back people, we build networks, we open doors.
We’re looking for leaders to invest in this year – whether that’s through our corporate pro bono program, our event sponsorships or our Foundation’s grants. I invite any of the leaders on this list to drop us a line any time you have an idea you want us to know about.
Our team is rooting for you, and we hope 2019 brings you awe-inspiring success in the difference each of you is making for Louisiana!
—Michael Tipton
Foundation President and Head of Community Relations
michael.tipton@bcbsla.com