Athene Deepens Commitment to Community Education Initiatives
Athene Holding Ltd. ("Athene") (NYSE: ATH), a leading provider of retirement savings products, through its wholly owned subsidiaries Athene USA ("AUSA") and Athene Life Re Ltd. ("ALRe"), is deepening its commitment to education by focusing on education-based initiatives as part of its broader corporate social responsibility strategy. Athene has a long-standing history of supporting educational initiatives and is reinforcing its support by tying together new and existing initiatives designed to create educational opportunities for children, students and families.
"At Athene, we believe all children deserve an education so they can build a strong foundation for their future. We recognize that some students within our communities lack adequate resources and we understand the far-reaching impacts. We are committed to providing additional resources and support for those who are financially disadvantaged," said Jim Belardi, CEO of Athene Holding Ltd. "To support our commitment, Athene partners with multiple organizations through volunteerism and charitable giving in pursuit of closing educational gaps."
Education-Based Initiatives
Athene's philanthropic efforts were designed in partnership with non-profit organizations. These initiatives were created to promote awareness of resource inadequacies while assisting local students and supporting community-based organizations:
Bermuda (Athene Holding Headquarters):
- Athene Scholarship Program ? Awarded to 10 students at Bermuda College each academic year, the scholarship program covers the full costs of each student's associate degree program and required books. It is available to students who have financial need and meet a minimum GPA requirement. It is the largest program of its kind at Bermuda College.
- Computers for a Better Education ? Coordinated a donation of 200 used computers for public schools from ALRe to support the Ministry of Education's strategic plan to modernize the learning environment and set students up for success. The donation provides assistance with digitizing the current systems and supports curriculums in all areas.
- Partner with The Coalition for the Protection of Children (CPC) ? This year, the company donated $30,000 to the CPC's general fund to aid the non-profit to ensure it can continue to provide crucial services for children that are not available or affordable elsewhere.
Iowa (Athene USA Headquarters):
- Back 2 School Bash ? Athene has partnered with Back 2 School Iowa for the past four years to help children in need start the school year with the necessary school supplies. Each year, we host a Back 2 School Bash drive to collect school supplies to fill backpacks. In 2020, Athene employees donated more than 250 backpacks full of essential supplies to local students.
- Coats & Boots Signature Program ? For over 25 years, Athene has provided winter coats and snow boots to children at four elementary schools in Des Moines, Iowa. In 2019, Athene donated over 1,500 coats and boots to local schools, plus an additional 200 coats to the West Des Moines Human Services clothing closet. Athene has provided new coats and boots to an estimated 13,700 students over the life of the program.
- Computer donation to United Way ? Athene has committed to donating 200 computers to the United Way of Central Iowa. The computers will be used by partner agencies to support education initiatives.
- Stuff the Bus ? Athene has led the charge for 10 years in garnering community support of United Way of Central Iowa's Stuff the Bus program. Our efforts include encouraging other companies to participate to increase donations. This community-wide initiative collects new and gently used children's books and provides them to childcare centers and educational programs that serve low-income children and improve reading development and literacy.
- United Way of Central Iowa Campaign ? For the past 10 years, Athene has participated in a United Way campaign to contribute financially, volunteer and advocate for causes in the areas of education, income stability and health. Athene was among five key corporate United Way partners in Iowa giving at the $1 million level for both 2018 and 2019. Athene ranked in the top 6 in employee giving per capita among the top 20 employers in Central Iowa in 2018.
- Vision to Learn ? Athene donated $25,000 to support the United Way of Central Iowa's Vision to Learn program. The program sends a mobile optometry lab to test children's vision and, if needed, provides two pairs of glasses to lower income children.
- Athene US Scholarship Program ? In January 2021, Athene plans to launch a new college scholarship program for Iowa residents targeting students in financial need.
U.S. National:
- Donation to Operation HOPE ? For the past two years, the company has donated to Operation HOPE to shine a spotlight on the lack of financial knowledge which is a factor of generational poverty. Operation HOPE provides financial literacy education and coaching to equip Americans of all ages with the financial knowledge and tools to create a secure future.
"Athene is deeply committed to its communities. Our giving philosophy is a direct reflection of who we are and strive to be as a company," said Grant Kvalheim, CEO and President of Athene USA. "To build on our strong foundation of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we must also engage in the communities where we work and live. We have been active with educational initiatives for some time and now are pulling these initiatives together in a more dedicated framework."
Diversity and Inclusion Efforts
Athene's diversity and inclusion efforts go beyond supporting the educational needs of the community. As an organization committed to inclusivity, Athene strives to foster a workplace that cultivates differences and where employees feel celebrated, engaged and connected. Athene has created a Diversity and Inclusion Council whose purpose is to ensure that all cultures are recognized and supported. Additionally, Athene has implemented seven employee resource groups that promote inclusion, including:
- African American Athene Connection
- Athene Asian Alliance
- Athene Military Veterans Organization
- Bermuda Diversity and Inclusion Committee
- LGBTQ+
- LiveWell
- Women's Inclusion Network
About Athene Holding Ltd.
Athene, through its subsidiaries, is a leading retirement services company that issues, reinsures and acquires retirement savings products designed for the increasing number of individuals and institutions seeking to fund retirement needs. The products offered by Athene include:
- Retail fixed, fixed indexed and index-linked annuity products;
- Reinsurance arrangements with third-party annuity providers; and
- Institutional products, such as funding agreements and the assumption of pension risk transfer obligations.
Athene had total assets of $183.2 billion as of June 30, 2020. Athene's principal subsidiaries include Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company, a Delaware-domiciled insurance company, Athene Annuity and Life Company, an Iowa-domiciled insurance company, Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company of New York, a New York-domiciled insurance company and Athene Life Re Ltd., a Bermuda-domiciled reinsurer.
Further information about our companies can be found at athene.com.
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