People matter
Grants and scholarships
We support organizations that share our values and commitment to strengthening our communities.
Our efforts focus on underserved women, youth and students, and on programs that address homelessness and housing affordability, barrier reduction and scholarships for these populations.
Support where it matters most
In 2024, we expanded our support through scholarships, nonprofit partnerships and grant funding. Together, these efforts made a meaningful difference in communities.
645
Services and scholarships
645 students supported.
1,997
Nonprofits supported
1,997 nonprofits supported nationwide.
20
Empowers grants
20 Empowers grants between $20-$50K.
Empowering change
Barrier reduction
Our grants support organizations empowering BIPOC women and at-risk youth to achieve their goals through entrepreneurship, leadership training and education.
Aurora Women and Girls Foundation
The Aurora Foundation aims to remove obstacles and empower low-income women of color and first-generation students as they pursue higher education and careers that pay a family-sustaining wage. Symetra’s $25,000 grant will support college success programs for 250 students enrolled at four colleges in the Greater Hartford area. Services include intensive mentoring and coaching, academic support, wraparound services and tuition support for low-income, Latinx, Black and immigrant women students.
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Hartford
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford serves over 3,500 disadvantaged youth through membership and community outreach. Most people in the community are BIPOC and many families are in single-parent households. Symetra’s $20,000 grant will seed support for parents of children being served by the clubs. Programming will include information about community-based services and activities designed to support parenting.
National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW)
NCBW advocates on behalf of black women and girls to promote leadership development and gender equity in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment. Symetra’s funding supports mentoring and STEAM programs, scholarships for students in need, voter registration, health and wellness, leadership development training and economic empowerment.
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence
Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, REACH supports survivors of domestic violence and focuses on four areas of intervention: safety and shelter, education and prevention, community-based advocacy and community engagement. Symetra will direct $50,000 over two years to support 20-25 individuals in the Know Your Rights (KYR) program. The program provides participants with bilingual legal and community resources that aid domestic abuse survivors.
YWCA Hartford
YWCA Hartford Region is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Our programs, services and advocacy help women, youth and families bridge educational, career and financial gaps, preparing them for economic security and life-long stability. This is achieved through programs that serve nearly 1,800 people annually and include early learning, youth leadership development, career readiness, emergency and supportive housing and financial literacy.
YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish
An inclusive and thriving community with social justice for all people. YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. A healthy community transformed by racial and gender equity, where women and girls of color have equal access to opportunity, and there is social justice for all people.
YWCA USA
An inclusive and thriving community with social justice for all people. YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. A healthy community transformed by racial and gender equity, where women and girls of color have equal access to opportunity, and there is social justice for all people.
Degrees of Change
Degrees of Change partners with community organizations, high schools, colleges and employers to provide cohort-based leadership training, college success support and career development programming to underrepresented students and graduates who desire to lead and serve their home communities.
GSBA (Greater Seattle Business Association)
GSBA serves as a connector across the Northwest by bringing the community together through business, while advocating for civil rights and small business, promoting LGBTQ+ tourism and investing in the next generation of leaders. The GSBA Scholarship Fund expands access to education among all LGBTQ+ people, including those who are economically, racially, socially, geographically or politically disenfranchised. Symetra’s funding supports annual scholarships and scholars enrolled in the Leadership Academy.
Treehouse for Kids
Treehouse strives to create a world where every child that has experienced foster care has opportunities and support to pursue their dreams and launch successfully into adulthood. Symetra’s funding supports post-high-school programming offering graduates continued support until they achieve stable housing, a degree or credential and a living wage. With Symetra’s support, Treehouse provided basic needs interventions, plus education-, career- and housing-related interventions.
United Way of King County
UWKC works toward racial justice by transforming inequitable systems to create communities where all people have homes, students graduate, and families are financially stable. Symetra’s funding supports UWKC’s Bridge to Finish Emergency Grant services for 40 students pursuing degrees or certificates at local colleges by providing access to emergency grants that provided income and financial education support.
University of Iowa Realizing Education and Career Hopes (REACH)
UI REACH (Realizing Educational and Career Hopes) is nested in the UI College of Education and is a comprehensive transition program for college-age students with intellectual, cognitive and learning disabilities. UI REACH offers an integrated college experience in a caring and structured environment. Academics, career and transition, social growth and campus life are areas of focus. UI REACH is a four-year program with early graduation options.
Morgan State University
The Morgan State University Foundation is an incorporated non-profit organized for the purpose of promoting the growth, progress and general welfare of Morgan State University. Symetra’s funding supports scholarships for students enrolled in the Actuarial Science program.
Education and scholarships
Our grants fund scholarships and programs that expand access to education for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC students, and youth who have experienced foster care.
Housing and homelessness
Our grants support programs and organizations that address the disproportionate effects of homelessness and housing affordability for underserved populations.
Central Iowa Shelter & Services
Central Iowa Shelter & Services is committed to providing low-barrier shelter at no cost to our clients, meaning people who would be turned away at other shelters can come to CISS to get services.
Housing Connector
Housing Connector is a tech-for-good nonprofit that increases access to housing for individuals most in need by solving financial and resident challenges for property owners so they can open doors to more people in the community, and by streamlining the housing search experience for case managers.
Mary’s Place
Ensuring that no child sleeps outside by centering on equity and opportunity for women and families.
The Sophia Way
The Sophia Way is a place of hope and change for women, supporting them on their journey from homelessness to safe and stable living.
YouthCare
YouthCare works to end youth homelessness and ensure that young people are valued for who they are and empowered to achieve their potential.
Testimonials and moments of impact
Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford RKidz program
"At Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, we know that a child’s first school experience lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning. Thanks to Symetra’s support, our RKidz program provides a nurturing environment where families—especially those with young children in our Early Learning Center—feel supported every step of the way.
This is the heart of our work—ensuring that every family, whether they’re navigating their child’s first school experience or looking for ongoing support, has the tools, encouragement, and community they need to thrive. We love partnering with Symetra because together we’re not just providing programs, we’re creating meaningful change in the lives of those who need it most."
— Chantel Gray, Director of Program Services , Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford
Mary’s Place
"We are deeply grateful for Symetra's generous support, which continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of families experiencing homelessness. Their commitment to uplifting women and youth has strengthened our ability to provide safe shelter, vital services, and pathways to stability for vulnerable families in our community. This partnership exemplifies how compassionate corporate leadership can help break the cycle of homelessness and create lasting positive change for generations to come."
— Dominique Alex, CEO, Mary’s Place
YWCA Hartford
“[YW Career Women] not only impacts my future but also my son’s life. As a single parent, I strive daily to create a stable and secure life for him. Thanks to your support, I am setting an example of perseverance, resilience, and ambition, showing him that anything is possible with hard work and the right support system. YWCA Hartford Region is making a profound difference in the lives of women and families. Thank you for believing in me and so many others. I hope to pay it forward with the kindness and skills the program has shared.”
— May 2025 Graduate of YW Career Women program and now Respiratory Specialist at Yale New Haven Hospital
Giving guidelines
Symetra’s corporate giving priorities are underserved women, youth and students, and addressing housing affordability and homelessness. These priorities reflect our diversity, equity and inclusion values.
Symetra makes grants that align with our giving priorities, primarily to organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (limited exceptions require special approval).
We do not make grants in support of capital campaigns to build or purchase buildings for nonprofit organizations. At this time, Symetra does not accept unsolicited grant requests.
The following are not eligible for corporate giving:
• Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or on the basis of any other protected class
• Individuals, GoFundMe accounts, individuals’ medical expenses, individuals’ legal funds, employee sports teams, raffles or auctions, golf tournament sponsorships or similar sponsorships or fundraising for special events
• Private foundations
• University-level athletic or alumni associations, memberships or funds
• Churches, religious organizations, seminaries or Bible colleges focused primarily on religious studies
• Fraternal, social, labor, trade or political organizations
• Organizations with addresses outside the United States
• Federal candidates
• Federal political action committees
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Symetra Life Insurance Company (est. 1957) is a direct subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation. First Symetra National Life Insurance Company of New York (est. 1990) is a direct subsidiary of Symetra Life Insurance Company and is an indirect subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation (collectively, “Symetra”). Neither Symetra Financial Corporation nor Symetra Life Insurance Company solicits business in the state of New York, and they are not authorized to do so. Each company is responsible for its own financial obligations.
Symetra Life Insurance Company, 777 108th Avenue NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue, WA 98004.
First Symetra National Life Insurance Company of New York, New York, NY. Mailing address: P.O. Box 34690, Seattle, WA 98124.