Caterpillar gives United Way a hand up

Caterpillar Inc. employees and retirees together with the Caterpillar Foundation, the philanthropic organization of Caterpillar, have pledged more than $13.8 million to the United Way chapters across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Panama as part of its 2022-2023 campaign.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to our employees and retirees who are helping to build a better, more sustainable world,” said Jim Umpleby, chairman and CEO of Caterpillar.

The Caterpillar Foundation matches employee and retiree donations dollar for dollar. Over the past two decades alone, more than $200 million has been raised during the annual campaign.

“Caterpillar is proud to harness the passion of our employees and partner with United Way to help elevate the quality of life for millions of people worldwide,” said Asha Varghese, president of the Caterpillar Foundation.

From San Diego, California to Sanford, North Carolina and Toronto, Canada to Reynosa, Mexico, Caterpillar employees and retirees are passionate about giving back to their local communities.

“Their incredible generosity is demonstrated by our campaign increase from $12.2 million in 2020 to $13.8 million this year, continuing to create a positive impact in our global communities,” said Umpleby.

United Way assesses local community needs, finds efficient programs that deliver measurable outcomes and works to eliminate those needs in the future by identifying the causes and creating long-term solutions.

The United Way has been Caterpillar's only annual solicitation for funds to its employees and retirees for more than 70 years, said the firm.

Caterpillar, a maker of construction and mining equipment, based in Irving, Texas, is part of the United Way's global corporate leadership program, which includes 87 corporate partners that raise more than $875 million annually.