Download 2014 Community Impact Report

Community giving snapshot

Financial education is a crticial need in the U.S. today

Fewer than

20% of TEENS1

know what a 401(k) plan is
Only

32% of TEENS2

know how credit card interest and fees work
In a global ranking of financial literacy, U.S. teens ranked between

8th 12th PLACE3

FEWER THAN HALF4

of high school seniors are adequately prepared to manage finances

Focusing on financial literacy

Colorado implemented Personal Financial Literacy Expectations for preschool through grade 12 in 2008. However, many schools lacked the funding, expertise and resources to implement these standards. So Great-West Financial and Empower identified funding gaps and looked for ways to institutionalize financial literacy education in Colorado. Then we provided grants in those areas.

impact
year grant teacher student
2011 $587,750 425 16,945
2012 $632,135 969 91,126
2013 $908,324 3,900 199,906
2014 $1.1 million 8,566 307,300
Total $3.2 million 13,860 615,277

Great-West Financial and Empower financial literacy program timeline

2011–2013: The company provided grants to nearly 90 Colorado teachers so they could introduce or enhance financial literacy education programs in their classrooms.

2013: We increased our student and teacher reach by expanding our grant program to include Cherry Creek and Jefferson County school districts.

2014: Great-West Financial and Empower further expanded its support to include the 10 school districts below. We also developed best practices that educators could share and implement across the United States.

  • Adams 12 Five Star Schools
  • Cherry Creek School District
  • Colorado Springs District 11
  • Denver Public Schools
  • Douglas County School System
  • Englewood Schools
  • Jefferson County Public Schools
  • Littleton Public Schools
  • School District 27J
  • St. Vrain Valley
  •  

In addition, Great-West Financial and Empower provided a grant to the Colorado Department of Education to develop K-12 financial literacy resources that could be shared nationwide. These include:

  • Curriculum maps
  • Instructional units
  • Assessment tools

We also exposed students to real-world simulations that demonstrated how financial literacy would affect them throughout their lives.

  • Colorado Council for Economic Education Stock Market Experience
  • Junior Achievement (JA) Finance Park
  • JA Stock Market Challenge
  • JA Classroom Programs

Committing to important causes

  • Nearly 440 associates walked in the American Heart Association’s Heart and Stroke Walk.
  • About 350 associates joined in the Race for the Cure.
  • Two Teaching Gardens at low-income schools were sponsored.
  • We received the Corporate Impact Award from the American Heart Association.
  • We introduced the Susan G. Komen Co-Survivor Award at Race for the Cure.

Brightening our backyard

  • Co-workers logged almost 5,200 volunteer hours.
  • The company matched nearly $540,000 in donations.
  • About 650 associates donated to charitable organizations; the company matched their contributions.

Partnering with our planet

Composted almost

110 TONS

of material
Nearly

330 TONS

of waste were recycled

CONSERVED:

1.83M GALLONS

of water

4,976

trees

2M KWH

of electricity

1,379 YARDS

of landfill space

88,717 GALLONS

of oil

©2015 Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company. All rights reserved.

PT236460 07/15