Our Communities
We commit to supporting and enhancing the communities we serve through local and philanthropic initiatives that enrich the lives of those living where TDS operates and where our people live, work, and play. Our communities are at the center of TDS’ businesses. It is our responsibility to give back to the people and places that contribute to the sustainability and long-term success of the TDS Family of Businesses.
Building Better Communities
UScellular is focused on addressing gaps in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. UScellular is connecting tomorrow’s innovators with the resources they need today to help shape their future opportunities. Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, original research, and associate volunteerism, we’re addressing the digital divide and providing critical resources in local communities.
Click here to view UScellular’s 2021 Community Impact.
K-12 STEM Education
UScellular recognizes that STEM education and technology go hand-in-hand, so they invest time, talent, and resources in helping ensure K-12 youth have equitable opportunities to pursue successful careers in STEM. For more than a decade, partnerships with organizations like Boys & Girls Club of America have provided students with resources, access, mentorship, and hands-on STEM education to ensure they have the important tools to reach their full potential.
Associate Passions
UScellular offers a variety of programs like personal donation matching, Cause Cards rewards, and Dollars For Doers to support the causes that associates care passionately about in local communities.
After School Access Project
After School Access Project is a program that provides free mobile hotspots and service to nonprofits that support youth after the school day has ended and provides safe internet access for homework and education. UScellular’s goal is to close the connectivity gap for youth living within its markets, so homework can truly be done at home. To bridge the digital divide in 2022, UScellular is pledging up to $13 million in hotspots and service to help up to 50,000 youth connect to reliable internet in its markets.
To learn more about UScellular's After School Access Project, click here.
The Future of Good
Since 2015, The Future of Good has invested in young heroes who are helping create a brighter future for all of us and supports their efforts for good. These young heroes are all around us - right here where we live and work. Through the Future of Good, UScellular champions many causes, including the fight against hunger and homelessness, the protection of the environment, and expansion of education and literacy. This year, UScellular has awarded three young heroes with a $10,000 contribution to support their respective cause.
Giving back is an integral part of the culture at TDS Telecom. From hands-on volunteering to in-kind and financial support, TDS Telecom takes a vested interest in the growth and success of the communities it serves.
Lending a Hand from Coast to Coast
Click the map to learn more about TDS Telecom’s community involvement in 31 states across their operating footprint.
Community Outreach Committee
Since 2002, TDS Telecom Community Outreach committee members have organized Week of Giving events to support associates in need and many charitable causes. Since its inception, the program has raised $215,000. Those impacted by injuries, health concerns, property damage, and other hardships are often selected as recipients of the funds raised by the inspiring Week of Giving program. TDS Telecom created the LeRoy T. Carlson Pioneer Club’s Community Outreach Program. Nearly every month, this group promotes events and activities where associates can choose to donate their time and service.
DE&I Community STEM Fund
The DE&I Community STEM Fund is set up with associates, and the organizations they are involved with, in mind. It provides funding to support innovative projects that bolster education and advance technology in the markets TDS serve. In 2021, $45,000 was paid out to strengthen communities in which our associates live and work.