2021 was a year marked by the continuation of a pandemic that has disproportionally impacted underrepresented individuals, social justice movements that heightened attention to systemic injustice and immeasurable global uncertainty. In response, AIG leveraged the power of volunteerism and philanthropy to develop inclusivity, encourage equity and advance prosperity within both our organization and our communities. Our employees’ willingness to leverage their expertise, community connections, innovative worldviews and dedication to serving others transcends beyond the excellent products and services they provide. We are deeply proud of the way they have used their time, skills, generosity and voices to create lasting change and sustainable impact.
“Societal needs sometimes feel insurmountable, and I think where the opportunity lies is to continue to offer the programs and support that we do for our colleagues to do their own part.”
Laura Gallagher, Global Head, Corporate Citizenship
AIG’s nonprofit and nongovernmental partners are vital to our mission to serve as a responsible corporate citizen. We collaborate to identify local areas of shared value and develop programs to deploy support for those areas. We assess our partners through an equity, inclusion and belonging lens to ensure resources are distributed equitably and are well-positioned to serve those with the highest need.
All AIG philanthropy and volunteer efforts are overseen by the Global Corporate Citizenship team. This team reports to AIG’s Chief Human Resources Officer. A Director of Corporate Social Responsibility also sits within our Life and Retirement business.
All charitable contribution requests are subject to review and approval by AIG Global Corporate Citizenship. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of AIG’s Board of Directors reviews charitable giving by AIG and its subsidiaries and matters relating to Citizenship.
Our Community Leaders Network oversees the strategic direction of community involvement and corporate responsibility in each office, with leadership and guidance from Global Corporate Citizenship. The Network enables interested AIG employees across our global offices to engage in volunteerism in manners consistent with their local office culture and norms.
In 2021, AIG’s giving efforts included $27 million in charitable contributions and matching grants.
Arts and Culture
AIG’s Corporate Museum Membership Program supports 16 artistic, cultural and educational institutions. AIG honored longstanding commitments to these institutions as they navigated through the difficulties presented by COVID-19.
Matching Grants Program
AIG matches employee charitable contributions 2:1 up to $10,000 per year to eligible Canada, U.K. and U.S.-based charitable organizations.
Compassionate Colleagues Fund
Launched in 2020, the AIG Compassionate Colleagues Fund supports corporate contributions and voluntary employee donations that aid fellow colleagues facing serious financial hardships due to natural disasters, serious health crises or other unforeseen circumstances. In 2021, AIG committed $2 million to the Fund to promote the importance of inclusivity and belonging for our internal colleagues. The Fund is a non-employer controlled 501(c)(3) public charity. AIG does not participate in or advise on the application review process, and employee applications are not shared with AIG.
AIG’s Legal Pro Bono Program leverages colleagues’ expertise and commitment to giving back by providing free legal and related services to those in need.
Key pillars have included immigration, family law, education and mentorship, veterans’ benefits and transgender and non-binary individuals’ rights. In 2020, criminal and social justice reform was added as a key pillar of the Legal Pro Bono Program. We honor this commitment in part by partnering with leading experts and non-profit organizations, aligning our pro bono work and financial support with their efforts and using our platform to magnify the positive effects of their projects.
For example, the Legal Pro Bono Program established a partnership with the Be a Coffee Bean Foundation, founded by Damon West and his wife, Kendell Romero. AIG supports the Foundation’s work, which includes helping incarcerated Black men secure educational degrees and supporting their re-entry into the workplace.
The Legal Pro Bono Program also supports the Wrongful Conviction Podcast, hosted by Jason Flom, a founding board member of the renowned Innocence Project. With the help of expert attorneys and advocates, Jason shares stories of people who were convicted of crimes they maintain they did not commit. To help our communities listen to and learn from these experts and convicted individual themselves—some exonerated and some still fighting for justice—we proudly sponsor episodes of the podcast, which educates listeners about the American criminal justice system.
Since 2012, the Legal Pro Bono Program has partnered with the International Refugee Assistance Project to help 140 refugees in 58 cases find safe, new homes. Many of these cases have involved Special Immigrant Visas, which allow U.S. supporters in Iraq and Afghanistan to resettle safely in America and escape immediate threats from forces who targeted these individuals for their collaboration with the U.S. government.
The importance of AIG’s experience helping people in danger reach safety was underscored in August, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. AIG took action by assembling a group of our best legal, travel and security experts, including members of AIG Travel’s Security Operations and Intelligence team, who have deep expertise in helping AIG clients evacuate crisis situations. These colleagues worked tirelessly and with dedication during the height of the evacuation process to help Afghans flee to safe countries.
In 2021, AIG colleagues logged over 4,000 hours providing free legal services and other support to a variety of non-profit organizations and disadvantaged individuals.
AIG partners with non-profits and NGOs to offer direct financial support and/or access to employee volunteers and to extend our charitable and philanthropic reach. These partners are vital to our mission to lift the communities in which we operate as a responsible corporate citizen.
Our charitable partnerships include:
Junior Achievement, which provides financial education to young students. In 2021 alone, over 200 AIG employees helped more than 10,000 students across 21 cities.
The American Heart Association, which AIG has supported since 2009 to raise awareness around heart disease and participate through Heart Walk events. In 2021, 230+ AIG colleagues and their families committed to leading heart healthy lives by participating in the American Heart Association Heart Walks, resulting in $122,000+ donated by AIG and its colleagues in support of the American Heart Association.
Humanitarian OpenStreetMaps, through which AIG employees volunteer their time to help produce crowdsourced virtual maps of unexplored or disaster-prone areas to assist with the delivery of humanitarian aid. In 2021, over 380 contributors from AIG mapped 39,749 buildings across Botswana, Zambia, Barbados and Guatemala and over 60 km of road.
Rise Against Hunger is an international hunger relief NGO that AIG has supported since 2014. Through Rise Against Hunger, AIG employees have packed nearly 1.5 million meals for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Due to the pandemic, AIG could not hold in-person meal-packing events, and instead sponsored Rise Against Hunger’s Hope for South Sudan sustainable agriculture program.
Life & Retirement FutureU Scholars - AIG Life & Retirement launched FutureU Scholars, a multi-year partnership designed to promote the future success of underrepresented high school and college students in Harris County, Texas. This collaboration with EVERFI, Houston high schools and two historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will provide more than 5,000 students with financial education. Additionally, the HBCU FutureU Scholars will have access to scholarships, internships and mentorship opportunities with diverse professionals from AIG.
Additional grant recipients included Feeding America, International Medical Corps, Coalition to Back Black Businesses through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Tuesday’s Children.
- Silver U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award from Junior Achievement
- The American Heart Association’s 2020 Silver Level Workplace Health Achievement Index Recognition
- City of New York Mayoral Service Award for employee volunteer engagement
