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Volunteerism
Employee Volunteerism
Rolling up our sleeves
UBT’s employees are passionate about helping nonprofits provide services to individuals, families, businesses, and neighborhoods so they can thrive. We all live, work, play, and pray here, so it’s natural to want to make our community the best it can be.
- 523 employees participated in Community Involvement
(70% of UBT’s Lincoln employee base) - 1,750 volunteer hours tracked
- Food drive: amassed 630 pounds of food and $3,286 from employee donations
- Youth supply drive: supported three nonprofits with three pallets of supplies
- Blood donations: Five blood drives yielded 134 unique donors (some give several times a year) and 266 total blood donations
- 523 employees participated in Community Involvement
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Charitable Giving
UBT’s Corporate Giving
A culture and history of giving back
UBT’s corporate financial support is focused around three key areas: education, the arts, and community betterment. All three play such an important role in setting up our future leaders for success, bringing beauty to our community, and lifting the hopes and spirits of those who need it most.
- Capital campaigns supported in 2021 include Child Advocacy Center, Fresh Start, Lincoln Youth Complex, Lutheran Family Services, St. Monica’s, Tabitha, and The BAY High
- Number of nonprofits supported: 150
- Dollars given: More than $1.7 million
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United Way/CHAD Campaign
UBT's United Way/CHAD Campaign
One drive helps 65 agencies help thousands
Our 2021 campaign supporting United Way of Lincoln & Lancaster County and the Combined Health Agencies Drive (CHAD) yielded our largest total donation to date. These organizations support 65 member agencies whose efforts help meet the need for education, income, and health for thousands of people in our community.
- 491 givers = 61% participation
- $296,742 in employee pledges
- Campaign total $592,759 with UBT’s employer match
- 188 Leadership Givers
- Second-largest campaign in Lincoln/Lancaster County
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Scholarships
Powering Academic Scholarships
Helping brighten more futures
UBT provided $560,000 in scholarships in 2021, with $500,000 going toward Learn to Dream scholarships and $60,000 to People of Prosperity scholarships. All told, more than 500 scholarships were awarded throughout 2021 (including Lauryn!). In addition to those two programs, UBT supported:
- Lincoln Education Foundation — Future Teacher Scholarship
- LPS Foundation — Financial Literacy Excellence Award
- Lincoln G.O.L.D. — G.O.L.D. Scholarship
- Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska — Real Life Academy Scholarship
- Bryan Foundation — Bryan College of Health Sciences Scholarship
Magic Moments
Spreading a little magic when it’s needed most
Union Bank celebrated the 19th year of our Magic Moments program during the 2021 holiday season. It’s our way of spreading comfort and joy to individuals and families who are in need or deserve some special recognition. Ten deserving families received personalized care packages, and it’s an honor to share that moment with them.
Financial Literacy Program
Building financial education foundations
UBT’s Financial Literacy program is designed to serve nonprofit organizations within Lincoln, Nebraska. For many, basic money management foundations do not exist. Financial skills may not be taught at home, and they haven’t always been addressed in our schools. There is simply an absence of knowledge when it comes to money, and we aim to bridge that gap in our community.
523 employees
523 employees participated in the employee involvement program, including 70% of UBT’s Lincoln employee base and 65% of the Greater Nebraska, Omaha, and Kansas employee base.
Food drive
UBT supported four local nonprofits with 630 pounds of food and $3,286 from employee donations.
1,750 volunteer hours tracked
UBT employees volunteered with dozens of nonprofits, agencies, and religious organizations.
Blood drives
All told, UBT employees participated in five drives, with 134 unique donors, amounting 266 blood donations.
Nonprofit board involvement
120 employees served or are serving on nonprofit boards across 189 different nonprofits.
Green Team
The team’s vision is to make UBT a sustainable, environmentally friendly leader in all communities we serve — now and in the future.
Recycling
Recycling services are in use at every Lincoln location (25 sites total).
Compost program
Composting service has been established at five larger UBT offices.
Water reduction
UBT replaced older faucets with low-flow needle spray aerators, reducing water output by more than 50% in those sinks.
Energy reduction
Fluorescent bulbs were replaced with LED fixtures at four locations per year, cutting energy consumption in those locations by 66%.
Furniture donations
Used bank furniture that is still in good condition gets donated to local nonprofits. Metal furniture items, such as filing cabinets and other scrap metals, are taken to the metal recycling facility. In 2021, we recycled 5,720 pounds.
