The Standard Charitable Foundation, The Standard and its Employees Contributed $2.3 Million to Nonprofits in 2009

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Standard Charitable Foundation, Standard Insurance Company (“The Standard”) and its employees and retirees together awarded more than $2.3 million across the nation last year to nonprofits that share the company’s focus on education, disability and empowerment, cultural development and healthy communities.

“Strengthening the places we live and work is the right thing to do, and it’s also an extension of the way we do business”

Through the company’s matching gift program, employees and retirees donated $675,000 to 700 nonprofits in communities where employees and customers of The Standard live and work. The Standard’s employees also volunteered thousands of hours in their communities on company-donated time.

“Strengthening the places we live and work is the right thing to do, and it’s also an extension of the way we do business,” said J. Greg Ness, president and CEO of The Standard. “Even during one of the most difficult years in recent economic history, employees of The Standard found ways to give back at inspiring levels.”

The Standard’s 2009 Report to the Community outlines the company’s giving. The report also highlights The Standard’s employee engagement and sustainability efforts.

Below are a few highlights from the report:

Give an Hour™ (Washington, D.C.) received a $45,000 grant from The Standard Charitable Foundation to help providers across the nation provide free mental health services for U.S. troops and their families suffering from the psychological effects of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Forest Park Conservancy (Portland, Ore.) receives $150,000 and 1,500 hours of employee volunteer time over the next three years to mobilize The Standard’s employees to address the ecological challenges facing Forest Park and strengthen the capacity of this environmental nonprofit.

Mercy Corps Northwest (Portland, Ore.) receives $75,000 over the next three years for a new classroom that facilitates training for low-income populations, including minorities, women, refugees, immigrants and those previously incarcerated. The training helps them start or expand small businesses in order to increase their economic self-sufficiency.

View the entire 2009 Report to the Community here.

Since 2006, The Standard Charitable Foundation, The Standard and its employees and retirees have contributed more than $8 million in grants and social investments. Additional information about corporate community involvement and The Standard Charitable Foundation is available here.

About The Standard

StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: SFG), through its subsidiaries marketed as The Standard, is a leading provider of employee benefits and financial products and services. Insurance products are offered by Standard Insurance Company of Portland, Ore., in all states except New York, where insurance products are offered by The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York of White Plains, N.Y. The company serves approximately 8 million customers nationwide as of June 30, 2010, with group and individual disability insurance, group life, AD&D, dental and vision insurance, retirement plans products and services, individual annuities and investment advice. For more information about The Standard, visit www.standard.com.

The Standard is the marketing name for StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries: Standard Insurance Company, The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, Standard Retirement Services, StanCorp Mortgage Investors, StanCorp Investment Advisers, StanCorp Real Estate and StanCorp Equities.