Following the tragic death of George Floyd, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) today announced a commitment to support Mr. Floyd’s family, help Twin Cities businesses restore their operations and fund efforts to advance equity and inclusivity in the Minneapolis-St. Paul community.
“George Floyd’s death is an unspeakable tragedy. Communities all across America are struggling to make sense of what’s happened and how we as a society pull together to move forward, heal, learn and grow,” said David S. Wichmann, chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group. “The 325,000 people of UnitedHealth Group remain steadfast in our commitment to not only build a culture of inclusivity and diversity within our own organization, but to ensure our actions help create a more equitable society for the people we serve.”
To show support for the Floyd family, UnitedHealth Group will establish and administer a dedicated Diverse Scholars trust fund to help support Mr. Floyd’s children’s education through undergraduate college or equivalent achievement. The company hopes this gesture will help the Floyd family honor the memory of their father while helping his children pursue their full academic potential.
UnitedHealth Group also announced a $5 million donation and funding for 25,000 employee volunteer hours to help businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul restore their operations after several days of civil unrest that left many businesses, including small and minority owned operations, destroyed.
And, recognizing the need to address the larger societal issues at the root of George Floyd’s death, UnitedHealth Group is donating an additional $5 million to the YMCA Equity Innovation Center of Excellence, in memory of Mr. Floyd. The Innovation Center, a collaborative effort serving the Twin Cities and beyond, is dedicated to advancing equity, inclusivity and systemic change so that all people may thrive.
“We all have a lot of work ahead of us to address long-standing inequities, and it’s going to take individuals, governments and private enterprises like UnitedHealth Group to achieve our goals of a more inclusive society,” said Glen Gunderson, president and chief executive officer of YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities. “We’re grateful for this contribution, which will help us accelerate our efforts to drive positive change in our communities.”
With its corporate headquarters located just outside Minneapolis, UnitedHealth Group employs nearly 20,000 people in Minnesota.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.
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