The Company That Cares

Western & Southern is a passionate corporate citizen determined to promote a strong economy, exceptional health care, educational achievement and a rewarding quality of life in Cincinnati.

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Community Impact

Making Cincinnati Great Together

Our customers and communities are at the center of all we do, and we are proud to put our financial strength to work for them every day. The causes we support focus on major local events, human services, health care, education and the arts. They impact the quality of life for the people in our community.

Community Impact Brochure (PDF)

A Human Institution Serving Human Needs

This organizing principle united our founders more than 133 years ago and remains our mission today.

$55 Million+

in sponsorships & donations over the past five years

300+

organizations & nonprofits supported

Strengthening Our Community

Through several major sponsorships, we are helping make Cincinnati the best place to live, work and celebrate life.

$68.6 Million

economic impact to the region, benefitting hundreds of businesses

$700,000

raised for Freestore Foodbank, equal to more than 1.75 million meals

$650,000+

raised through Zoofari, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's largest annual fundraiser

$4.5 Million+

raised for cancer research in Cincinnati since 2007

$500,000+

raised since 2016 for local charities, such as Barrett Cancer Center, Girls on the Run and Keeping Cincinnati Beautiful

$88,000

raised in 2020 for The Salvation Army

Conserving Nature & Protecting Wildlife

For more than 50 years, Western & Southern has been a proud partner of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens and supporter of its efforts to create adventure, convey knowledge, conserve nature and serve the community. Western & Southern supported the development of the Zoo’s Africa exhibit, which features John the lion, his mate, Imani, and their three female cubs, one of which was named Willa by our associates. Western & Southern has been a supporter of Zoofari, in partnership with Fort Washington, since 1996.

Fueling the Economy

We strongly believe that the community prospers when its individuals and businesses succeed. That’s why we support local businesses and the economy through sponsorships of major Cincinnati pastimes such as the Western & Southern Open and the Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks.

The 2019 Western & Southern Open, a U.S. Open Series tennis tournament, generated $68 million in regional economic impact to local businesses and since 1974 has helped raise more than $11 million for local nonprofits, including Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the UC Health Barrett Cancer Center and Tennis for City Youth. The 2019 Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks, a Cincinnati tradition for 40 years, raised almost $1.2 million for the Freestore Foodbank, equal to 3.5 million meals.

Improving Health Care

We help drive the vitality and support the wellness of our hometown by donating to local causes that improve health care and provide basic resources to those who need it most. In 2019, the corporate foundation donated more than $4 million to local nonprofits promoting health and human services.

Western & Southern is the title sponsor of Ride Cincinnati, an event that brings together passionate members of the community for a weekend of cycling in support of raising funds to make Cincinnati a leader in world-class cancer care. Over 13 rides, with 10,000+ riders, the event has raised more than $4.5 million for cancer research and care in our region since 2007.

Touching Lives Through Generosity

Our associates are generous with their time and resources, too.

$901,000+

donated to United Way

901

largest Walk MS team in the country

$212,000

contributed to the arts

Expanding Human Services

A compassionate community knows how to take care of each other, especially those most in need of human services. Our associates and corporate foundation donated $1.44 million to United Way in 2020, making Western & Southern the fourth largest corporate contributor in Cincinnati.

Promoting Education

Building strong communities involves creating solid educational foundations for our children and recognizing and rewarding excellence among our educators. Western & Southern invests in the next generation of Greater Cincinnatians with our donation of more than $1 million to nonprofits promoting education and youth development. We also matched associate donations to 19 colleges and universities and funded the Western & Southern Lobby at Xavier University's Williams College of Business.

Western & Southern presents the annual Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Educator of the Year Award to an outstanding Cincinnati Public Schools educator who has elevated the educational process in our public schools to an exceptional level through personal commitment, dedicated focus and outstanding results.

Supporting the Arts

Keeping the arts alive is critical to maintaining vibrancy throughout our communities today and for generations to come. Western & Southern continues its tradition of promoting the local arts community to help connect people from all walks of life for the sharing of creative ideas and experiences.

We are among the top 10 corporate partners of Greater Cincinnati's ArtsWave campaign, which financially supports more than 100 arts and community organizations in our region. In 2020 our associates pledged $212,000 to ArtsWave. In addition, Western & Southern is honored to sponsor galleries at the Cincinnati Art Museum and makes significant contributions to the Taft Museum of Art, Music Hall and many other local arts initiatives.