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Foresters approach to sustainability

How we are creating a better future together.

Life insurance with a larger purpose

Sustainability is about fulfilling people’s economic, social well-being and environmental needs now, without compromising future generations. This goes hand-in-hand with our purpose of enriching the well-being of families and communities. We’re here to protect what is important to you, while creating a better future, together.

At Foresters, you, your family and your community are at the heart of our sustainability efforts, and it’s been that way for nearly 150 years. Moving forward into the future, we’re continually looking at how we can measure our success and help you do more good for the people and places that matter most.

Our sustainability approach and the future

From our products to our culture, our sustainability efforts are a part of everything we do at Foresters. We care about how our insurance products and what we do in our own business add to a more sustainable future. At Foresters, concepts of sustainability, environmental consciousness and social responsibility are not just a trend. These concepts define us. Foresters has been a leader in sustainability for nearly 150 years and will continue to lead in the future.

That’s why we support the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a call to action for governments, businesses and societies to address today’s most pressing sustainable development issues. While each of these goals matters, we focus on three in particular. The first is goal three, good health and well-being; the second is goal 11, sustainable cities and communities; and the third is goal 13, climate action.

good health and wellbeing    sustainable cities and communities    climate action

Our sustainability impact

A look at how we are creating a better future together.

Exploring our sustainability approach

Find out more about each area.

At Foresters

$460 million

of our assets held are in green or sustainable bonds*

Our members, employees and advisors

In 2021:

Member well-being

As a member, you also get a wide range of unique and complimentary benefits1 to help you live your best life and give back to your community. It’s just one of the many ways we share our financial success with our members.

Employees

We’re committed to encouraging a work environment where our employees can belong, learn and thrive, enabling them to do their best work.

Easily accessible programs

Promoting employee health and well-being is another way we can address the UN goal of good health and well-being. Foresters employees have access to a multitude of courses enabling their personal and professional development, including sessions focused on mental health, mindfulness, stress relief, nutrition and online courses for specific skills development. In 2021, Foresters offered employees more than 150 well-being sessions. We also offer financial well-being sessions, access to financial advisors at no cost and provide tools to help employees plan for their financial security now and in the future.

Through our Employee Engagement, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (IDE) and other surveys, we continuously gather employee feedback on how we’re doing and what we can do better.

Inclusion, diversity and equity

Our Inclusion, Diversity and Equity objectives are rooted in our five guiding principles: equity, belonging, empathy, a focus on areas we can change and accountability through actionable goals and transparent processes.

We established an Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) Council comprised of executives and employees and hired an AVP of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity to increase our commitment to upholding a more inclusive workplace.

Lastly, we’re proud to announce that we have launched three Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) which include Pride at Foresters, Foresters Multicultural and Foresters Women’s ERGs. These groups are growing daily and have representation from both North America and the United Kingdom.

Making a difference

Our people are passionate about making a difference. Foresters sustainability committee includes employees from across the business who are dedicated to helping communities and the environment. Employees are encouraged to support their communities with one paid day per year through our Day of Caring Program.

1,450

employees globally2

60%

of workforce are women2

Advisors

We help our advisors succeed by providing unparalleled tailored support and a unique package of complimentary member benefits they can pass on to their clients.

Our commitment to supporting families and communities sets our advisors apart in the marketplace. And when that commitment inspires them to volunteer in their communities, we’re always right behind our advisors.

Finally, we celebrate our advisors by demonstrating the difference they are making and helping them grow their businesses. We have many successful advisors who are Foresters members and use the community grants to give back to their local neighborhoods and meet new people and prospects.

Families and communities

13,000

trees planted in 2022 throughout Canada, the US and the UK

11

community partnerships

Creating stronger families and communities

You can choose how you want to help the place that means the most to you. Impact your community and bring people together with easy-to-use grants and inspiring volunteer activities.
sustainability partnerships 

Sustainability partnerships

community gardens 

Community gardens

community grants 

Community grants

social connections 

Social connections

Society

Have any questions about sustainability at Foresters?

421338 CAN (11/22)

Foresters Financial, Foresters, Foresters Care, Foresters Moments, Foresters Renew, Foresters Go, the Foresters Go logo and Helping Is Who We Are are trade names and trademarks of The Independent Order of Foresters (a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Rd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3C 1T9) and its subsidiaries.

* Green or sustainable bonds held in Foresters asset portfolios have been represented by their respective issuers in public securities filings to be in alignment with green or sustainable principles established by the International Capital Market Association. For more information, please visit https://www.icmagroup.org/sustainable-finance. Amounts based on consolidated financial results prepared in Canadian dollars as of January 2023.

1 Foresters member benefits are non-contractual, subject to benefit specific eligibility requirements, definitions and limitations and may be changed or cancelled without notice or are no longer available. Some of these benefits may be administered by third parties, such as Foresters Go which is operated by Dacadoo AG. For further details, go to foresters.com

2 As of Q3 2022.