Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield *

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield wants to improve the health of Arkansans.

Using $30 million, the Little Rock health insurance company founded the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. Since its inception, in Dec-ember 2001 the foundation has handed out between $1 million and $2 million annually to nonprofits, governmental organizations or programs that are attempting to improve the health of Arkansans.

While the specific theme may change from year to year, “child and maternal health is kind of the over-arching proposition that we’re concerned with,” said Robert L. Shoptaw, CEO of ABCBS and chairman of the foundation’s board of directors.

The foundation also provides seed money to deserving programs with the hope that the young programs “can be transplanted in other communities across the state,” he said.

In 2004, the foundation awarded $1.36 million to 21 recipients. ABCBS also gave more than $500,000 to various charities.

ABCBS encourages its 2,400 employees to contribute to charitable organizations and offers to match 100 percent of employee donations to the United Way and Easter Seals. It also kicked in a 50 percent match of employee contributions to other charitable events such as the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, bringing the total amount ABCBS awarded in 2004 to more than $2 million, Shoptaw said.

“We are basically trying to be good corporate citizens and fill some gaps at the local community level that otherwise funding would not be available for innovative community-based activities,” Shoptaw said.

Donating to Arkansas community activities is nothing new for Arkansas’ largest insurance company, which was founded in 1948 and has revenue of $800 million.

“We’ve always been proactive,” Shoptaw said.