EAFJ Community-focused organizations 2026

Empowering America’s Financial Journey™
Community-focused organizations

Organizations that support and strengthen our communities — including healthcare systems, educational institutions, religious organizations, and human services employers — operate within workforce realities that shape how retirement plans are used every day.

This first edition of Empowering America’s Financial Journey for community-focused organizations explores how participant behaviors vary across these segments. It highlights differences in engagement, access, and key decision moments that can influence outcomes over time.

Across sub-sectors, several patterns stand out

80.4%
of participants use professionally managed solutions, reflecting strong adoption of guided investment approaches.
8.2%
average savings rate combined with the highest average balances signals a growing focus on 
long-term financial planning.
8.8% vs. 5.2%.
Engagement is lowest at 50.5%, yet engaged participants defer 8.8% of pay compared to 5.2% for unengaged peers, highlighting a meaningful gap in saving behaviors.
22.6 Average digital sessions (12 months).
Participants average 22.6 digital sessions annually, the highest across segments, showing that when individuals engage, they tend to engage deeply.
60.9% Engagement rate.
Participants engage at a rate of 60.9%, creating an opportunity to build on that foundation and support stronger long-term savings behaviors, including through automated plan features.

Taken together, these insights highlight where participant needs differ across segments — and where there may be opportunities to better align plan experiences for the workforce.

Community-focused organizations. View the full study

Methodology

This report is based on Empower recordkeeping data for active participants in employer-sponsored defined contribution retirement plans.

Explore the full study to see how these patterns show up across each sub-sector and where targeted strategies may help support stronger outcomes.

View the full study »

All statistics shown are descriptive and summarize observed participant behaviors. The analysis covers 2 million active nonprofit and not-for-profit participant accounts across 10,000 plans, with selective comparisons to a corporate defined contribution population of 6.2 million participants across 51,000 plans. Data as of Q3 2025, unless otherwise noted.

Empower refers to the products and services offered by Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries.

“EMPOWER” and all associated logos and product names are trademarks of Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America.

©2026 Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America. All rights reserved. WSA-WMLPNV-WF-6011500-0426 RO5379433-0426

The content contained in this blog post is intended for general informational purposes only and is not meant to constitute legal, tax, accounting or investment advice. You should consult a qualified legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation. No part of this blog, nor the links contained therein is a solicitation or offer to sell securities. Compensation for freelance contributions not to exceed $1,250. Third-party data is obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, Empower cannot guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness or fitness of this data for any particular purpose. Third-party links are provided solely as a convenience and do not imply an affiliation, endorsement or approval by Empower of the contents on such third-party websites. This article is based on current events, research, and developments at the time of publication, which may change over time.

Certain sections of this blog may contain forward-looking statements that are based on our reasonable expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Past performance is not a guarantee of future return, nor is it indicative of future performance. Investing involves risk. The value of your investment will fluctuate and you may lose money. 

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design), and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.