Neighbors 〉

Helping Puerto Rico Rebuild

When John Vaccaro, head of MassMutual Financial Advisors, flew to Puerto Rico to deliver medical supplies after Hurricane Irma, he witnessed devastation before even stepping off the plane. “What I thought were blue roofs I soon realized were not roofs at all, but tarps distributed by FEMA for homes that had been destroyed,” Vaccaro says. The tour of destruction continued from there as the MassMutual team visited a responder staging area and met with our San Juan advisors. Beyond the team’s delivery of 2,000 pounds of supplies, the MassMutual Foundation approved a $250,000 grant to the Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico Fund to support relief efforts. “For me, the trip was a reminder that we are a great company focused on helping people,” Vaccaro says. “In a world full of challenges, great companies will continue to serve others.”

$250,000
MassMutual Foundation donation to the Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico Fund 11
Full bins of winter clothes donated, in collaboration with ALMMA 230+
Families helped through donations and assistance programs in 2017

2017 Community Initiatives

Everyone needs a helping hand now and then. MassMutual is committed to giving back to those in need and showing support for the causes that matter to our employees.

Using Data for Good in Our Hometown

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) is responsible for increasing communication, cooperation, and coordination among government, business, and civic organizations in central Massachusetts, where MassMutual is headquartered. We aligned with PVPC during our Data Days for Good initiative, where we dedicate our team’s time and skillsets to fill capacity or expertise gaps for MassMutual partner organizations that advance social good. In support of a recently established collaboration between MassMutual Foundation, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, and the Davis Foundation, PVPC leveraged our data scientists to develop an interactive map-based tool for users to explore the progress and trends related to key social indicators of a thriving community within the Pioneer Valley. The tool will allow for informed discussion and decision-making related to a variety of issues in the region. Ultimately, the collaboration will expand to other community partners with the goal of promoting data-driven decision-making for nonprofits and funders alike.

22 grants
totaling $225,000 to local nonprofits in 2017

Multiplying Our Financial Professionals’ Impact

We’re stronger when we come together as a community. MassMutual’s Community Service Awards recognize our financial professionals who embody this spirit by supporting nonprofits in their own neighborhoods. In the awards program’s 21st year, MassMutual presented grants to nonprofit organizations with which our financial professionals volunteer, based on the demonstrated value of the individual’s involvement over the past 12 months, the nature of their impact, and a holistic view of the organization’s mission and impact in the areas they serve. The two $25,000 grants made in 2017 went to the Boys & Girls Club of Grand Rapids and For Love of Children, a D.C.-based education nonprofit

Helping Inner-City Businesses Grow

Initiative for a Competitive Inner City is a national nonprofit research and advisory organization and the leading authority on U.S. inner-city economies and the businesses that thrive there. Among its programs is Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC), which meets the unique needs of inner-city entrepreneurs. ICCC provides capacity-building executive education, coaching, mentoring, and access to capital, contracting opportunities, and business networks. A MassMutual Foundation grant brought ICCC to Springfield, supporting 75 local businesses with a full-day seminar featuring experienced practitioners and professors from top institutions. The program will help participating companies raise capital, grow revenue, and create jobs – which in turn will promote economic development in the Springfield area.