Public Account A b i l i t y S t At e m e n t Great-West Life • London Life • Canada Life 2010 Building Stronger communitieS together ™ PAS_English_kpCS4.indd 1 18/04/11 12:37 PM Building the foundation for stronger homes, communities with Habitat for Humanity Canada and its affiliates. Conserving for our future Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life respect the environment and take a balanced and environmentally sustainable approach to 30% conducting business. As an Imagine Caring Company supporting the principles of corporate citizenship and benchmarks Please consider recycling this document when for community investment established by Imagine you no longer want to keep a paper copy. Canada, we donate a minimum of one per cent of You may view the Public Accountability average pre-tax profits to non-profit, charitable and Statement at www.greatwestlife.com, community organizations each year. www.londonlife.com and www.canadalife.com. PAS_English_kpCS4.indd 2 20/04/11 11:04 AM cro Po Ate Profile Table of Contents his report is the consolidated public accountability statement President’s Report 2 Tfor The Great-West Life Assurance Company, London Life Enterprising Solutions 4 Insurance Company, Canada Life Financial Corporation and The Canada Life Assurance Company in Canada. Staying connected to our communities 10 Great-West Life Finding better ways to give, grow, connect 18 Founded in Winnipeg in 1891, Great-West Life is a leading Canadian insurer. Collaborative approaches to healthcare 22 Together with its subsidiaries, London Life and Canada Life, Great-West Life offers a broad portfolio of financial and benefit plan solutions and serves the Taking action coast to coast 26 financial security needs of more than 12 million people across Canada. Building on our strengths 36 London Life Appendix 44 Founded in London, Ontario in 1874, London Life has been helping Canadians meet their financial security needs for more than 135 years. London Life offers financial security advice and planning as well as insurance and wealth management products and services through its more than 3,300-member Freedom 55 Financial™ division. Canada Life Founded in 1847, Canada Life was Canada’s first domestic life insurance company. In Canada, Canada Life offers a broad range of insurance and wealth management products and services for individuals, families and business owners from coast to coast. The companies are members of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies. This Public Accountability Statement relates to The Great-West Life Assurance Company and its subsidiaries London Life Insurance Company and The Canada Life Assurance Company, and to Canada Life Financial Corporation, The Canada Life Insurance Company of Canada, and Crown Life Insurance Company. PAS_English_kpCS4.indd 3 18/04/11 12:37 PM Pre Sident’S rePort Building Stronger Communities Together™ ow can we, as Canadians, Others are new responses to long-term needs, sometimes build stronger communities? emerging from new collaborations fostered among front- H line organizations. It’s a question that invites dialogue and one that has gained renewed Overall, we focused on helping communities address both entrenched and emerging issues through: urgency in the wake of the global turmoil of recent years. Dynamic, inclusive and mentally healthy workplaces. Small businesses account for nearly half of employment For many Canadians, the charitable sector would not in the private sector and more than one-quarter immediately come to mind as a source of economic of Canada’s GDP.3 Celebrating and promoting growth. In fact, this third sector (alongside government entrepreneurship among new Canadians and young and corporations) is one of the country’s important adults is one answer to a shortfall of employment economic drivers, accounting for 2.5 per cent of Canada’s opportunities among these two important groups gross domestic product (GDP); and as much as 7 per cent and to other issues associated with unemployment. when hospitals, universities and colleges are included. Another answer is to help equip Canadians who might Reaching more than $100 billion of economic output not otherwise become employable, with the right skills in 2007, this contribution exceeds that of many major and training to work and achieve their aspirations. Canadian industries.1 Together the sector employs more Finally, as large and small employers increasingly than two million people and draws on more than two recognize the importance of a mentally healthy Allen Loney billion volunteer hours.2 workplace, access to solid strategies, tools and support President and Chief Executive officer for dealing with this issue becomes critical. The organizations within this sector help create and nurture an infrastructure as essential to the growth Support for neighbours and neighbourhoods in need. of strong communities as traditional bricks-and- People in crisis, youth at risk and neighbourhoods in mortar projects. For the most part, they are working need of revitalization all pose urgent needs in our urban independently, motivated by local issues. However, centres. Joining in efforts to address these needs, we together they are helping build communities where supported the grassroots priorities these neighbourhoods Canadians have opportunities to reach their potential, to set for themselves. lead healthy and productive lives, and to make life better for those around them. The capacity of charitable organizations. A 2010 survey by Imagine Canada showed that more than half of The focus of our national corporate citizenship program charities forecast difficulties in carrying out their mission is to work collaboratively with these organizations over the medium and longer term.4 Competing for skilled to achieve lasting change. In 2010, Great-West Life, professionals is as common as competing for funding. London Life and Canada Life invested $11.7 million in There are a limited number of resources charities can community projects across Canada. Building stronger turn to for assistance in management and planning. communities takes time, and we have supported many Engaging with leadership organizations such as Imagine of the initiatives in this report for a number of years. Canada, we are supporting charities as they address key 2 PESIR dEnT’S REPoRT PAS_English_kpCS4.indd 4 18/04/11 12:37 PM I have learned that there is no adversity, and certainly no financial or business adversity, that cannot be conquered with imagination, resolution, courage and integrity. Allen Loney, President and Chief Executive Officer developmental needs for governance, human resources At the same time, our staff and distribution associates and financial transparency. The goal in fortifying the solid demonstrate their leadership and compassion in infrastructure that helps charities do their work is to help dedicating thousands of volunteer hours to the causes build a stronger charitable sector with greater overall close to their hearts. Focusing on the issues and 2010: Strength in numbers capacity. marshalling resources, they showed time and again in 2010 – as in years past – that making a positive impact Collaborative approaches to healthcare. Healthcare in the community, no matter the size, complexity or $11.7 million contributed organizations are challenged to make efficient use of duration of challenge at hand, comes down to people directly to non-profit, charitable finite resources. One way to help meet the challenge is helping people. and community organizations through the sharing of knowledge and best practices. We placed emphasis on programs encouraging healthcare across Canada. professionals to see the value in a cross-discipline approach that takes family and community into account 812 community-focused in healthcare delivery. We also looked to help young organizations supported. researchers through “career ladders” – funding programs focusing on mentorship and opportunities to further Allen Loney 100 field offices participated develop and share their findings. President and Chief Executive Officer in the Community Partners Inherent in each of these themes of need and opportunity program. is the recognition that support can, and should, take many forms. Ongoing operations, existing programs, $565,000 raised by 70 corporate start-up programs and capital campaigns all have their place in delivering sustainable change. This past year teams working together through in particular, we took a lead role in supporting capital our corporate team programs. campaigns that were an important source of social and economic development in addition to being part of a 1,026 community-based long-term approach to a local need. initiatives supported to build Together these efforts reflect our belief that all of us can stronger communities together. build stronger communities together. For more information about our program, Beyond our national corporate citizenship program, we teams and corporate support across the also have a role to play through our day-to-day business country, see Taking action coast to coast, activities by helping Canadians plan their financial starting on page 26. futures, by making investments that support economic 1 Statistics canada. “Satellite Account of non-profit growth and development, by offering rewarding careers in institutions and Volunteering.” 2009. www.statcan.gc.ca. communities across Canada, and by working to minimize 2 Statistics canada. “cornerstones of community: highlights of the national Survey of nonprofit and our