Building strong communities takes more than simply writing a cheque. Our employees show their support through volunteer opportunities and workplace campaigns. This connects all of us through a shared sense of responsibility to give back, to help and to care. Together, our goal is to make a positive impact on the world around us and elevate our corporate giving to ensure our support is reaching Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Stronger Communities Together™ is our national corporate citizenship program, where we recognize the issues facing Canadians and the communities where they live can be complex, and often connected to each other. Our approach looks at all the ways we can support communities to help them reach their potential, every day. Through Stronger Communities Together we target key issues affecting the mental, physical and financial well-being of Canadians and address gaps in service through 5 Pillars:  education, health and wellness, arts and culture, social services and community development, at the national, regional and local levels.

We work with organizations who are forward-thinking and collaborative, so we can be sure that our efforts create positive change for the well-being of all Canadians. Together, we’re creating better ways of thinking about the issues we’re facing and creating new, coordinated and compassionate ways to fulfil our potential as a nation of possibility.

Arts & culture

We support major arts organizations in their initiatives to advance music, theatre, dance and the visual arts in major centres across Canada, while also working with organizations that are making the arts more sustainable. We support programs that make a strong social impact and those that target diverse, under-represented, marginalized or at-risk populations. We give special consideration to arts programs that tackle complex social or cultural problems, like poverty, mental health, and violence, and that reach more Canadians than just traditional audiences.

Education

We help make education and the ability to graduate more accessible to more Canadians. Recognizing needs are diverse, we work with leading organizations to address unique challenges for under-served or under-represented populations. We see literacy, employability and skills development as essential in responding to many of the issues facing Canadian communities.

We support capital and major appeals for post-secondary education that align with our company purpose and business presence, and provide targeted support for post-secondary learners through bursaries and awards. We give special consideration to programs that provide meaningful internship experiences that benefit students, non-profit organizations, and the broader community.

Health and wellness

We focus on initiatives that address the major, complex and often inter-connected health concerns affecting significant numbers of Canadians. We support capital campaigns for major medical facilities that are recognized for their excellence and are supported by private and public sector funding. We’re a strong supporter of mental health projects, particularly those that complement the work of the Workplace Strategies for Mental health, compliments of Canada Life.

Community development

Through initiatives that foster civic pride and volunteerism, develop leadership and encourage community and economic development, we’re supporting the priorities communities are setting for themselves. Programs that celebrate our heritage and diversity, connect Canadians to nature and provide greater access to recreational programs are examples of activities we believe contribute to stronger communities.

Social services

We’re proud to call Winnipeg, London, Toronto, Montreal and Regina home. These are the communities where we have corporate offices. Through our field offices and advisor networks, we are present in virtually every community in the country. We support United Way Centraide to make a difference for the individuals and families who live in these communities. For this reason, we generally don’t make additional or separate contributions directly to individual social service organizations.