Community Involvement
At Natixis Investment Managers we believe it’s our civic responsibility to help improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work. A robust philanthropic initiative, coupled with our community involvement program, Together for Better®, combines our organizational resources, our employees’ dedication, talents, and passions, together with the collective power of our community partners to fulfill this important mission.
We focus our efforts particularly on ensuring educational access and enhancement, coupled with career-related resources to help provide individuals with the necessary tools to achieve their own personal success. This mission corresponds with our business goal of helping investors to live better financial lives. We furthermore support increasing diversity within our industry, and we view many of our partnerships as a step in that direction.
A Comprehensive Approach
We believe our multi-faceted approach to giving is distinctive in that we give in the broadest sense – via financial support and actively giving of our skills, talents, and most importantly, our time.
Our collaboration with the core charitable partners listed below – local non-profit human service providers, housing shelters, volunteer groups, community support, educational programming, and schools – aims to assist the most vulnerable populations. We work to enhance educational experiences and opportunities by providing direct support in mentoring and reading programs, supplying computer equipment, undertaking improvement projects, funding scholarships for students, and supporting career skills and success in various forms.
Academy of the Pacific Rim
A nationally recognized free public charter school in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood offering a rigorous college prep program to 5th–12th graders. Their stated mission is to empower students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to achieve their intellectual and social potential with “a focused mind and a big heart” and to prepare them to succeed in post-secondary education, careers, and civic life.
Our relationship with APR was initiated in 2020 by our MADE (Multi-Cultural & Diversity Engagement) Employee Resource Group (ERG). Events in 2020 compelled MADE members to seek out a partner whose focus and philosophy aligned with our own.
Ellis Early Learning
A nonprofit social service agency offering innovative educational and social programs to support a diverse array of needs for working parents and families. Ellis provides high quality, accessible and affordable early childhood education, childcare, and an adult day program. Considered a model for inclusive, equitable quality early education, they support children across the socioeconomic spectrum in a warm, nurturing environment, and treasure diversity in all forms.
Along with philanthropic support, for over 12 years, our partnership with Ellis has included fun-centered volunteer events geared to younger children from arts & crafts and reading programs to a “friendship” celebration, Earth Day festival, and Superhero Parade.
The Home for Little Wanderers
A private, non-profit child and care service agency. Originally founded as an orphanage in 1799, the Home is a leader in delivering services to thousands of children and families through a system of residential, community-based prevention programs, direct care services, and advocacy. The Home’s mission is to create permanent, positive change for vulnerable children and families.
Our 13-year partnership entails annual plans including fundraising events, volunteer activities to beautify residential homes, conduct diaper drives, and more. Understanding the importance of continuity and consistency, a group of Natixis volunteers visits the Harrington House group home every month for cookouts, holiday feasts, and regular activities.
Inspire!
An education business partnership providing career-related programming for primary school through college students, particularly those challenged to succeed in more traditional school settings. Inspire! connects schools with businesses to support effective career education, advice, and guidance. They aim to enhance students’ achievements and aspirations, develop motivation and skills for the working world, and improve their ability to attain positive vocational, learning, and life goals.
One of our earliest projects included creating and funding the music room for the Inspired Directions School geared toward students who may have struggled with mainstream education. Natixis employees’ skills-based volunteer activities have focused on college prep projects such as resume writing.
Life Learning Academy
A public charter high school that supports the social and emotional health of youth who may not have succeeded in larger public schools. LLA aims to ensure students’ academic achievement, employability, and capacity to live healthy successful lives in a welcoming, safe environment. Based on core principles of real-world learning, reciprocal restitution, and accountability, LLA has succeeded in reducing truancy rates, and increased both graduation and college enrollment rates.
We are excited to undertake one of our newest partnerships with LLA in their efforts to support students that have faced adversity. They aim to meet students' needs under one roof, from basic needs like food, to job placement and academic opportunities. One of our early initiatives was funding the school’s food ecology program, supporting the students’ efforts to gather food from their own garden and prepare meals for their classmates. An upcoming goal is to build curriculum around financial literacy.
Pine Street Inn
A homeless shelter and service provider committed to preventing and ending homelessness. Beyond multiple shelters and permanent housing locations, extensive programming and services help clients secure recovery, employment, and opportunity. Comprehensive services include housing, emergency services, and workforce development.
Along with financial support, our 12-year partnership with the Pine Street Inn includes sponsoring fundraising golf and speaker events, including Summer Inn The City, and Home Remedy breakfast. Natixis volunteer activities have included food preparation, job training, resume training, business plan assistance, and celebrating graduates of the Workforce Development Program.
Providence Row
A homeless charity offering integrated services from crisis support, advice, and recovery to learning and training programs. Their mission is to ensure people gain the support and opportunities needed to create a safe, healthy, and sustainable life away from the streets.
Our partnership with Providence Row is closely aligned with Inspire! (noted above), particularly via fundraising efforts from marathons, half-marathons, and extensive bike rides between London and other major European cities. Proceeds from such sponsorship events are shared between the two organizations. Our volunteer activities have included food preparation, work on their rooftop garden, and holiday caroling services.
Stone House
An inclusive and essential home/community space for families victimized by domestic violence. Through residential and community support services, the Stone House helps families heal and claim control over their lives. Like a traditional “stone house,” their facility provides protection, safety and a sense of well-being, while tailored programs for care, assistance and personal enrichment help to rebuild lives. Our partnership has comprised one-on-one counseling, voter registration sessions, fund-raising hiking trips, and in-kind donations of iPhones, iPads, and laptops. Ironically, our partnership developed amid Covid, when access to essential communication tools proved critical to safety and normalization of Stone House’s clients at an especially challenging period for those in tenuous and dangerous situations.
John Winthrop Elementary School
A grade school for kids from pre-K to grade 6. The student body is diverse and from a relatively economically disadvantaged neighborhood. This is one of Natixis’ most effective and longstanding partnerships, dating back to 2012.
Our relationship was notable at its inception as a rare example of corporate engagement with a single school. Our commitment began with computer, iPad, and supply donations to bolster the school’s educational and art programming. Over the past ten years, we’ve worked to help Winthrop effect sustainable, positive change via both corporate funding and volunteer events such as mentoring and reading, beautification activities for the school’s grounds and gardens, and Frosty’s Friends – our holiday gift-giving program.
Employee Involvement & Leadership
A fundamental component of our philanthropic model is our employees’ collaborative project work, being directly involved with our “community partners.” A dedicated team of Natixis “Champions” partners with each organization’s staff to spearhead a unique road map of solutions. A tailored annual plan ensures ongoing and changing needs are addressed, combining the appropriate mix of financial contributions – both corporate and employee – in-kind donations, employee expertise, resources and networks, mentoring, staff training, and more.
We have worked to create a philanthropic model that engages and collaborates with our community partners to ensure Natixis’ efforts are aligned with their goals and maximized to generate the strongest results possible. We believe an open and interactive working relationship enables us to provide the kind of direct and specific support that these organizations need from their corporate partners.
Widespread Recognition
Most Generous Employees
Natixis Investment Managers was highly ranked by the Boston Business Journal in the Most Generous Employees category1 .
Largest Charitable Corporations
Natixis Investment Managers was named among the top charitable corporations by the Boston Business Journal, placing 48th out of 95 firms.1
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