Empower Retirement named among ‘Most Community-Minded’ firms in Colorado for third consecutive year

Empower Retirement named among ‘Most Community-Minded’ firms in Colorado for third consecutive year

Civic 50 - Empower Retirement among most community minded in Colorado
11.09.2021

Empower associates supported organizations on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic

63% of nonprofit recipients served under-resourced communities

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Nov. 9, 2021 — Empower Retirement associates rolled up their sleeves and volunteered in more than 1,100 community organizations across the country putting more than 7,700 volunteer hours through the company giving program.

For a third year, Empower has been recognized as one of the most community-minded companies in Colorado in the Civic 50 Colorado program by CSR Solutions of Colorado and Points of Light. Through Empower’s Associates Community Together (ACT) program, associates support causes closest to their hearts and amplify their impact with company support. Empower matches employee contributions up to $5,000 per associate per year and associates can take up to 16 hours of paid time off annually to volunteer.

 “What is most impressive about this past year’s efforts is that associates volunteered in their community organizations during a period in which we were all dealing with the new realities of working from home, balancing work and family commitments, and stepping up for clients who need our support,” said Edmund F. Murphy III, President and CEO. “Our associates really connected with their communities sometimes virtually and participated in the very important aspect of healing with our country.”

The Civic 50 Colorado program by CSR Solutions of Colorado and Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, is based on four dimensions of community engagement programs — investment of resources, integration across business functions, institutionalization through policies and systems, and impact measurement. The Civic 50 Colorado honorees are public and private companies with Colorado operations and were determined by an independently administered and scored survey.

Empower was recognized for setting the standard for civic engagement and driving social impact in the company and community. The Civic 50 Colorado program aims to showcase companies translating good intention into sound business practices. The honorees were recognized today in a virtual celebration.

Empower is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado with offices in Kansas, Wisconsin, New Jersey and Massachusetts. In 2020, Empower associates donated $3.78 million to nonprofits, with $1.55 million dedicated specifically to COVID-19 relief efforts.

This year Empower partnered with the Denver Broncos in support of the Alzheimer’s Association and supported COVID-19 relief organizations in India where Empower has an office.

“Engaging in community service is part of Empower’s DNA,” said Suzanne Sanchez, Chief Human Resources Officer. “Our associates are dedicated to partnering with our neighborhood organizations and working toward making our communities safe, healthy and vibrant. When our neighborhoods are safe and healthy, we all benefit.” 

Empower launched its ACT program in 2016 to support the volunteer and giving efforts of its associates. Along with the contribution match and paid time off for volunteering, another key aspect of the program includes its Board Leadership Program, which supports associates who serve on the boards of nonprofit organizations. The most popular organizations Empower associates support include Food Bank of the Rockies, Harvesters – The Community Food Network in Kansas, the Hunger Task Force in Wisconsin, the American Heart Association in New Jersey and Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness in Massachusetts. (More details are published in Empower’s 2020 Community Action Report.)

 “What’s unique about Empower’s corporate giving program is that associates choose where they want to volunteer and where they want to send financial support,” Sanchez said. “The program is driven by them and we believe that leads to a meaningful impact in our communities.”

CSR Solutions, a leader in community engagement and philanthropy, is the first in the country to bring the nationally revered Civic 50 Awards to Colorado to recognize Colorado companies that have invested significant resources in communities to build a strong, resilient, connected and healthy place to live.

The Civic 50 Colorado survey is administered by True Impact, a company specializing in helping organizations maximize and measure their social and business value. The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform the scoring process and is the only evaluation that exclusively measures corporate involvement in communities.

Click here for more about the Civic 50 Colorado 2021and this year’s honorees.

About Empower Retirement

Headquartered in metro Denver, Empower Retirement administers approximately $1.1  trillion in assets for more than 12.8 million1  retirement plan participants as of Sept. 30, 2021 is the nation’s second-largest retirement plan recordkeeper by total participants.2 Empower serves all segments of the employer-sponsored retirement plan market: government 457 plans; small, midsize and large corporate 401(k) clients; non-profit 403 (b) entities; private-label recordkeeping clients; and IRA customers. Personal Capital, a subsidiary of Empower Retirement, is an industry-leading hybrid wealth manager.

For more information please visit empower-retirement.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About CSR Solutions of Colorado:

At CSR Solutions of Colorado, we believe that workplaces can DO BETTER BY DOING GOOD. We offer a robust suite of cost-effective products and services, making it easy for workplaces large and small to build and grow their community strategies through volunteer engagement, philanthropic impact and community reputation. Let us help you create your company’s corporate social responsibility strategy and road map. For more information, visit csrsolutionsco.org.

About Points of Light  

Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips, and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 177 affiliates across 38 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 16 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. For more information, visit pointsoflight.org.

Media contacts:

Empower Retirement:

Stephen Gawlik, Stephen.Gawlik@empower-retirement.com, 617-417-4408

Monica Mendoza, Monica.Mendoza@empower-retirement.com, 719-373-2460

1 As of Sept. 30, 2021. Information refers to the business of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company and its subsidiaries, including Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company of New York and GWFS Equities, Inc. GWLA’s consolidated total assets under administration (AUA) were $1,131B. AUA is a non-GAAP measure and does not reflect the financial stability or strength of a company. GWLA’s statutory assets total $75.2B and liabilities total $73.3B. GWLANY statutory assets total $3.5B and liabilities total $3.3B.

2 Pension & Investments 2020 Defined Contribution Survey Ranking as of April 2021.