Americans for the Arts Honors The Standard as One of the Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, has named Standard Insurance Company (The Standard) to the BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts. The Standard joined nine other companies receiving this honor last night at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City.

Presented every year by the Business Committee for the Arts, or BCA, a division of Americans for the Arts, the BCA 10 honors 10 U.S. companies and one individual for their exceptional commitment to the arts through grants, local partnerships, volunteer programs, matching gifts, sponsorships, and board membership.

“We’re grateful for this award, which reflects our sustained and deep commitment to arts and culture,” said Greg Ness, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The Standard. “We believe that the arts have a unique ability to bring our communities together, to challenge conventions and to prepare our next generation of leaders to think creatively. Additionally, we believe that the arts are essential to the growth and vitality of our communities.”

From funding the Portland Opera in Oregon and the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine to championing arts education for school children, investing in the arts has been an important part of The Standard’s philanthropic story. For example, The Standard supports the Right Brain Initiative, which transforms learning for children through the arts, creativity, innovation and whole-brain thinking. Nearly 29,000 students in 70 Oregon schools are expressing, exploring, imagining, creating and using the full measure of their minds as a part of this program.

The Standard’s annual employee giving campaign, during which the company matches all employee donations 2-for-1, raised $4.4 million in 2017, benefits dozens of arts and culture organizations throughout the country. The Standard’s annual volunteer expos in Portland and Cincinnati provide arts groups and other nonprofits an opportunity to pair with volunteers looking to donate time and skills. The company also both encourages and trains employees for civic and nonprofit board service.

“I am once again pleased to celebrate such an impressive array of BCA 10 honorees that span business size, industry and geographic locations,” said Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Each year, the BCA 10 sets the standard for other businesses by upholding the arts as an integral part of office culture, the community and the local economy. Through financial and in-kind support, employee volunteer hours and workplace arts initiatives, these businesses ensure arts access for current and future generations, in addition to serving as successful and inspiring models of business arts support.”

The 2018 BCA 10 honorees also include Churchill Downs (Louisville, Kentucky); Fifth Third Bank (Cincinnati, Ohio); Fosun International Shanghai CN (New York Office); Phillips 66 (Houston, Texas); Tierney (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); UMB Financial Corporation (Kansas City, Missouri); VF Corporation (Greensboro, North Carolina); West Bend Mutual Insurance Company (West Bend, Wisconsin); and Zions Bank (Salt Lake City, Utah).

The Standard is only the second Oregon company to receive this award since its inception. The other former winner is Portland General Electric.

About The Standard

The Standard is a family of companies dedicated to helping you achieve financial well-being and peace of mind. In business since 1906, we are a leading provider of financial protection products and services for employers and individuals. Our products include group and individual disability insurance, group life, dental and vision insurance, voluntary (employee-paid) benefits, absence management services, and retirement plans and annuities for employers and individuals. For more information about The Standard, visit www.standard.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn .

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, Inc., StanCorp Mortgage Investors, LLC, StanCorp Investment Advisers, Inc., StanCorp Real Estate, LLC, and StanCorp Equities, Inc.

About Americans for the Arts

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City, it has a record of more than 55 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at AmericansForTheArts.org.

About Business Committee for the Arts

Business Committee for the Arts, or BCA, was founded in 1967 by David Rockefeller. A division of Americans for the Arts, the BCA encourages, inspires and stimulates businesses to support the arts in the workplace, in education and in the community. BCA merged with Americans for the Arts in 2008.