In 1906, Standard Insurance Company founder Leo Samuel established a tradition of community involvement along with his new company. Evidence that the tradition endures to this day is in how The Standard is celebrated its 100-year anniversary. The Standard commerated the event by reaffirming its commitment to the communities in which its employees live and work.  

Headquartered in downtown Portland, The Standard is one of Oregon’s largest publicly held companies known for its expertise and customer service excellence, its continued growth depends on attracting and retaining talented people. The company believes that a vibrant community strong in arts and culture not only supports retention of quality employees today, but that its support of the arts is an investment in the next generation, helping our children cultivate creative thinking.

The Standard has a long legacy of giving to a broad range of community organizations and fostering philanthropy and volunteerism among its employees.  The company’s support of the arts takes many forms, from encouraging employee enrollment in NW/BCA’s Art of Leadership program to board service with Portland’s arts organizations, large and small.

The Standard is a leading funder of the arts in Portland, having increased its level of gifts over the last 20 years. It often underwrites programs that provide volunteer opportunities for employees. NW/BCA ranked The Standard #4 on the 2007 “Top 30 Business Donors to the Arts” list for large companies.  The arts and culture organizations in Portland that The Standard supports takes many forms including monetary donations, in-kind donations such as printing, office supplies and equipment, and employee volunteers.

The Standard is rich with employees who are committed and generous with their time.  To date 30 employees have participated in NW/BCA’s Art of Leadership training program to help prepare them for board service.  Nanci Werts, assistant vice president, StanCorp Trust Co., serves on NW/BCA’s board.  The Standard also offers a program where employee volunteers can request a grant on behalf of the nonprofits in which they are involved.  An annual employee giving campaign allows employees to donate money to a qualified 501(c)(3) and have it matched by the company. 

In May of 2004, NW/BCA honored The Standard at the Arts Breakfast of Champions as a company who encourages and enables arts volunteerism with its employees.  A Diamond Member of NW/BCA, The Standard has been a member for more than 10 years, and has sponsored the Art of Leadership program since 2003.

The strength of a community can be gauged by the health of its arts organizations. The Standard is proud to be a major contributor to the arts.