TD Ameritrade makes it as easy as possible for our employees to get involved and give their time by participating in our company-sponsored events benefiting one of our four core programs: American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics and United Way. Our employees not only give a hand to make a difference; we give them time. TD Ameritrade provides every employee with eight hours of paid volunteer time each calendar year. TD Ameritrade also has set up a match program to match dollar-for-dollar every employee donation to two of our core partners, United Way and the American Red Cross, through our corporate giving programs.
In times of need, our employees respond with generosity and compassion. Whether it's support after natural disasters, donating lifesaving blood or outreach to our military members and veterans, we are proud to give our time and resources to those who need it most. All employee donations to the American Red Cross are matched dollar-for-dollar through our Corporate Matching Gifts program.
In 2008, TD Ameritrade began working with Habitat for Humanity by helping build one home in Omaha, Nebraska. As our office locations and employees grow, so does our relationship with Habitat. TD Ameritrade employees have helped build more than 60 homes for families across 10 of our office locations, helping each family reach their dreams of homeownership. We take pride in making our communities better through our commitment to others.
If you've seen the commitment and pride of Special Olympics athletes then you know there is more to Special Olympics than sporting events – it's about transforming lives one person at a time. Each year, our 9 office locations help support Special Olympics events like Polar Plunges, State Summer Games and more through volunteerism.
It's through the diversity of race, national origin, age, marital status, gender identity / expression, sexual orientation, citizenship status, service in the armed forces, disability, thoughts, ideas and perspectives that better ways begin to take shape. TD Ameritrade believes in providing avenues through which each of us can be our full selves and bring unique and enriching experiences to the table. We're proud to have been recognized for our commitment to diversity by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation with the 2019 Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality award.
Helping the communities where we live and work isn’t just about volunteerism and money. It’s about being a good neighbor. Over the last 7 years we have increased our focus on reducing our carbon footprint by seeking LEED® Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for real estate projects that involve renovation or new construction. We've achieved this through new construction and renovation work in nearly 40 of our corporate and branch locations.