Resilient Communities

Giving back to the places where MetLife operates helps foster strong connections between the company and communities. MetLife Foundation positively impacts communities through grants for financial health and well-being, diversity and inclusion, youth and education, community improvement, disaster relief, and arts and culture. MetLife Foundation helps people manage household budgets, recover from the unexpected, build short-term savings and stability, and plan for the future.

Examples of MetLife Foundation grants include:

The Nippon Foundation Partnership (Asia)

MetLife Foundation announced a partnership in Japan with The Nippon Foundation, a social innovation hub that aims to achieve a society in which all people support one another, reducing the burdens and challenges they face together.

The two organizations launched “MetLife Foundation and The Nippon Foundation: Better Life Better Place for the Elderly and Children,” a program that will develop 12 care facilities for the elderly and children across Japan by the end of 2024. The program is the first step in MetLife Japan’s “Empowering Our Communities” initiative which, through employee support, aims to create a more sustainable society.

Habitat for Humanity (Global)

MetLife Foundation partners with Habitat for Humanity to build strength, stability, and self-reliance for families in need of decent and affordable housing. A house is most families’ greatest financial asset. Homeownership—the cornerstone of Habitat’s work—fosters stability and revitalization in low-income areas. By obtaining a home, stabilizing living expenses, and managing cash flows necessary to maintain a home, families can improve their financial well-being, as well as their physical well-being and educational opportunities.

With MetLife Foundation’s support and MetLife volunteer efforts, Habitat for Humanity increases affordable housing and homeownership. MetLife volunteers work side-by-side with future Habitat homeowners and community members on ground-up home building projects, home repairs, and community improvements. Its proven program includes construction of new housing, improvement of existing homes in disrepair, and revitalization of community facilities and open space. Habitat maintains housing affordability through efficient building methods, modest house sizes, no-profit loans, and volunteer labor including partner families. 

Arts and Culture

Korea ArtAbility Chamber (Asia)

In Korea, MetLife Foundation organized its second annual virtual concert, featuring Korea ArtAbility Chamber, an inclusive orchestra, and Korean World Music Band. The concert brought nearly 7,000 viewers, including employees, customers, and community members and gave the musicians, who were heavily impacted by COVID-19, an opportunity to perform.

Supporting Diverse Young Artists (U.S.)

In 1940, MetLife contacted renowned painter and illustrator N.C. Wyeth with a proposal: Create a large-scale mural series to grace the walls of its headquarters, then located at One Madison Avenue. For decades, MetLife employees enjoyed a front-row view of art history. Today, the global insurer is sustaining its long-standing commitment to the arts and cultural community by investing in a young generation of historically marginalized artists.

MetLife recently sold three of the murals owned by the company fetching $1.875 million. MetLife Foundation directed the funds from the sale to three New York City-based organizations focused on supporting a new generation of artists from historically marginalized communities:

• $625,000 to the Lower Eastside Girls Club in support of its Alphabet City Art School, a multi-pronged visual arts program that includes art school classes and workshops, arts enrichment including mentoring programs, and community engagement.
• $625,000 to the Harlem School of the Arts in support of free workshops, tuition assistance, and programs focused on painting, drawing, digital art design, and animation.
• $625,000 to the Urban Arts Partnership in support of its School of Interactive Arts, which teaches students how to create their own video games with original art, music, and storytelling elements.

Planting Trees Around The World (Global)

MetLife’s goal to plant 5 million trees by 2030 is an effort to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere and help reforest areas that have been decimated by natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. We expect to reach our target through initiatives that include large-scale reforestation programs in national and state forests, distribution of trees to homeowners in communities impacted by disaster, and employee volunteer projects in urban areas around the world. We plan to engage all stakeholders in this commitment and educate our employees, customers, and community members about the importance of trees.

American Red Cross Disaster Responder Program (U.S.)

MetLife Foundation is a supporter of the American Red Cross’ Disaster Responder Program which allows the organization to prepare in advance for future disasters. Support for this program ensures the American Red Cross can immediately respond to disasters and address people’s basic needs like - warm meals, shelter, relief supplies and emotional support — and then walk with them along the road to recovery. The program also helps to make houses safer by providing smoke alarms, teaching personal preparedness, train volunteers and keep their response vehicles ready to go as needed.

Support for Ukraine (EMEA)

MetLife associates from around the world have joined with MetLife Foundation to donate half a million dollars in support of humanitarian relief efforts. MetLife Foundation provided support to UNICEF and implemented a MetLife Employee Match Program to support the American Red Cross response in Ukraine.