Empowering People.
Empowering Communities.
Empowering People.
Empowering Communities.
Driven by values. Defined by impact.
At Empower, our values drive our success, define what we believe, and guide how we work now and in the future. They guide how we show up for our associates, clients, and communities because we believe that empowering people—internally and externally—creates stronger outcomes for everyone.
-
To transform financial lives through advice, people, and technology
-
To empower financial freedom for all
Our values: customer obsessed. Accountable. Growth mindset. Constantly improving. Inclusive.
Our culture: We do the right thing. We own it. We lead. We simplify. We collaborate.
Our values are reflected in our culture
We live our values every day — in how we think, lead, and work together.
Our approach
We believe doing the right thing means understanding, supporting, and leveraging the unique differences and collective similarities that make each of us valuable. Our social impact philosophy is rooted in one shared value: When individuals and communities thrive, our business is better positioned to innovate, perform, and lead responsibly.
Our social impact strategy is centered on two mutually reinforcing focus areas—empowering people and empowering communities—which guide how we invest in our associates, strengthen our culture, and support the communities we serve.
-
Empowering people
Creating an inclusive, engaging, and growth-oriented environment where associates can thrive.
-
Empowering communities
Investing in communities through access, education, financial well-being, and partnerships that drive lasting change.
In 2025, our impact speaks volumes about who we are. It reflects our values in action — and it’s our associates who bring those values to life every day.
Ed Murphy, President and CEO
Committed to creating a welcoming workspace
These focus areas are supported by five strategic pillars—illustrated below—that together strengthen our business strategy by helping to build a high-performing, inclusive workforce; deepening associate engagement and belonging; and reinforcing our reputation as a purpose-driven organization.
1. DEIB Council
2. Business Resource Groups
3. Talent Strategy
4. Associates, Community, Together (ACT)
5. NextGen Thought Leadership
Empowering People
Empower strives to be an organization where every associate feels valued, supported, and empowered to grow. We prioritize inclusive leadership and equitable access to career development and mobility opportunities. Through intentional action, we continue to strengthen policies and programs that promote fairness, flexibility, and inclusion including:
Future ready hiring and talent practices
Our hiring and talent practices are designed to attract, select, and advance top talent—promoting fair access to opportunity at every stage of the associate lifecycle.
Learning & development opportunities
We invest in learning & development experiences designed to support continuous growth, build leadership capability, and empower associates to thrive throughout their careers.
Business Resource Groups (BRGs)
Our BRGs are employee-led groups open to all associates that seek to foster connection, inclusion, and belonging while strengthening engagement and impact across the organization.
Associate recognition and engagement
Our recognition & engagement initiatives celebrate contributions, reinforce our values, and promote a culture of appreciation, connection, and high performance.
Inclusiveness is foundational to who we are. By fostering a culture of belonging, we empower associates to do their best work, strengthen how we serve our customers, and accelerate our company’s success.
Suzanne Sanchez, Chief Human Resources Officer
Program highlight:
Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Neurodiversity at Work (N@W) is Empower’s structured apprenticeship and hiring program that uses skills-based assessments and targeted support to transition neurodivergent talent into full-time roles. Since 2022, the program has delivered strong hiring and retention outcomes while strengthening inclusive leadership and expanding our talent pipeline.
Business Resource Groups
Business Resource Groups (BRGs) are voluntary, employee-led communities open to all associates aiming to strengthen culture, collaboration, and belonging through inclusive programming. Supported by two senior leader executive sponsors and organizational funding, BRGs enable both internal initiatives and community sponsorships.
In 2025, Empower’s eight BRGs delivered more than 100 initiatives—including guest speakers, professional development seminars, financial literacy sessions, and volunteer activities—creating meaningful opportunities for learning, connection, and engagement while aligning associate passions with business priorities and community impact.
Together, these initiatives helped strengthen associates' financial literacy and deepened understanding of Empower’s products and services.
At the annual BRG Summit, BRG leaders and the DEIB Council joined to celebrate 2025 accomplishments and inspire momentum into 2026. They reflected on a year defined by resiliency, connection, and community-with BRGs at the heart of it all.
In January 2025, our Black Organizations for Leadership Development (BOLD) BRG sponsored an annual multi-location volunteer day in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy. Volunteers gave back to the community with organizations in Denver, Kansas City, Dubuque, and Hartford.
In December, as part of 2025's BRG-backed volunteer dates with Wreaths Across America, our Veterans & Allies - Leadership, Outreach, and Resources (VALOR) BRG sponsored 150 wreaths. More than 71 associates and their families volunteered to place wreaths at the graves of fallen soldiers at 23 cemeteries across 11 states.
Aspiring Latinos Moving Ahead (ALMA) became Empower’s first BRG to participate in the company’s annual Hackathon, earning an Honorable Mention for proposing a fully bilingual digital IRA experience for participants in Puerto Rico. ALMA established a repeatable model for embedding BRG insights into enterprise innovation.
Throughout the year, Empower’s BRGs advanced the company’s mission of financial freedom for all by delivering targeted, mission-aligned programming focused on financial education. Alongside ongoing education around Empower's products and services, signature events included an estate planning guest speaker, a financial literacy series, and a debt management seminar.
Associates in India celebrated International Women’s Day 2025 with an exciting lineup of events celebrating the theme “Accelerating Action”. Events included workshops, wellness activities, and a leadership panel focused on networking and mentorship.
Associate Recognition and Engagement
Empower Milestones, Values, and Performance (EMVP) is our values-based recognition program designed to foster frequent, timely, and public appreciation across the organization. Through a live, enterprise-wide recognition stream, associates can recognize one another regardless of location. Managers receive a monthly allocation of points to reward contributions, and associates can redeem points for gift cards, merchandise, experiences, or charitable donations—allowing recognition to be both meaningful and personalized.
In 2025, associates shared more than 170,000 recognition posts, with over half of Empower associates receiving recognition from their peers. Engagement was further amplified during a special one-month campaign in which all individual contributors were given points to recognize others. By bringing visibility to everyday contributions and reinforcing our values, EMVP helps us strengthen connection, engagement, and appreciation across teams, while providing leaders with greater insights into the impact the associates on their teams make each day.
Empowering Communities
Empower supports the communities where our associates live and work by amplifying the causes they care about most. Through volunteerism, nonprofit board service, and matching contributions, associates invest their time, talent, and resources to create meaningful local impact. These efforts are brought to life through our Associates, Community, Together (ACT) Program, which enables and scales community engagement across the organization.
As the core of Empower’s community engagement strategy, ACT focuses and scales our enterprise-wide efforts. Guided by associate interests and informed by community needs, the program helps direct our collective time, talent, and resources toward creating meaningful, lasting impact. ACT 2025 results include:
Community Support & Basic Needs
Supporting access to essential services, disaster relief, and community assistance.
Animal Welfare & Environmental Conservation
Protecting animals and advancing environmental stewardship and conservation.
Education & Empowerment
Expanding access to education, youth development, and the literary and performing arts.
Health & Well-Being
Advancing health research, prevention, and equitable access to care.
This work is ultimately about people — how we listen, how we lead, and how we show up for our communities. Together, we will continue to advance equity, strengthen belonging, and build a future shaped by shared opportunity.
LaTisha Brandon, Vice President Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement
Associates in Action
Action Committees, a key ACT initiative, are associate-led teams in major office locations that aim to champion local volunteer efforts and build long-term partnerships with trusted community organizations. In 2025, Empower’s Action Committees hosted more than 180 virtual and in-person events, contributing thousands of volunteer hours to causes that included food insecurity, education, financial literacy, and scientific and historical research. Action Teams further unite associates around team-based fundraising events nationwide, supporting organizations such as the American Lung Association, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Alzheimer’s Association.
In Denver, Empower associates volunteered throughout 2025 alongside Denver Broncos staff, players, and cheerleaders. Hundreds of volunteers put the finishing touches on The Huddle at Mile High United Way, built a playground for an elementary school, made blankets for Children’s Hospital Colorado, and built bikes for third graders and then taught them to ride their new bikes.
As Empower is a financial services company, it’s no surprise that our associates flock towards helping the next generation develop financial literacy. Associates in eight states volunteered 500 hours with their local Junior Achievement chapters in 2025, helping students build a strong financial future.
We believe that all associates, whether they are office-based or remote, should have the opportunity to connect with each other and make a positive impact through volunteering. In December, associates gathered virtually to create heartfelt holiday cards for seniors through the nonprofit Love For Our Elders, spreading the joy of the holiday while sharing stories and traditions with each other.
Across the U.S., Empower associates supported food security through volunteering, food drives, and fundraisers. In Denver, hundreds of associates volunteered at Food Bank of the Rockies to organize and distribute thousands of pounds of food to neighbors in need. Associates in the Milwaukee area partnered with Hunger Task Force to harvest fresh produce and prepare one of their farms for the winter.
In Bangalore, associates partnered with United Way Bengaluru to refurbish or build three Anganwadi centers, which serve as cornerstones of educating and caring for children in rural India. In one of the centers, associates painted a mural to add color, bring joy, and create an engaging space for the children served there.
To expand access to community service opportunities, Empower provides 16 hours of paid volunteer time annually, enabling associates to support schools, youth programs, and other local initiatives. We further amplify impact through Action Matches, which double associates’ financial and volunteer contributions. Empower also supports associates who serve as nonprofit board members and, in 2024, launched the Nonprofit Board Training and Development Program to equip associates at all levels with the skills and confidence needed to drive meaningful community outcomes.
Empowering Small Businesses
Empowering communities also includes helping investors align their financial goals with their values. Our commitment to empowering communities extends beyond charitable giving. Through our Supplier Diversity Program, Empower invites all qualified suppliers to participate in our procurement process, and we are proud to have small businesses as an important part of our supply chain. A broad, competitive supplier base strengthens our business and drives better outcomes.
All sourcing decisions are made based on business need, with a focus on quality, value, and performance. By encouraging participation across our supplier ecosystem, we optimize our portfolio while fostering innovation, resilience, and cost effectiveness—supporting economic growth in the communities we serve.
Looking Ahead
Our impact is reflected not only in our numbers, but in the experiences of our associates and partners. Quantitatively, we saw strong participation across recognition, development, volunteering, and giving programs, alongside continued growth in community investment throughout 2025. Qualitatively, associates reported greater connection, belonging, and purpose - reinforcing the importance of an inclusive culture and community engagement as drivers of engagement and performance.
As we look ahead, our focus remains on deepening impact across both empowering people and empowering communities - building on the strong foundation already in place by enhancing our programs, tools, and measurement capabilities. This includes continued investment in talent development, community engagement infrastructure, supplier partnerships, and expanded investment options to meet client preferences. We will also continue refining how we measure impact, using data, feedback, and insights to guide decisions and improve outcomes.
Our goal is not just to do more, but to do better by scaling what works while remaining responsive to evolving needs.