Corporate Social Responsibility

Athene Game Changer Scholarship 

The Athene Game Changer Scholarship provides 40 scholarships each year to support Iowa students pursuing higher education. The program is designed to help Iowa students of all socioeconomic backgrounds achieve their educational and career goals. Since the program began in 2021, over $475,000 has been distributed in scholarships to Iowa students.

Bermuda College Scholarship

The Bermuda College Scholarship helps expand access to higher education for students pursuing fields connected to the insurance and international business sectors. Each year, Athene covers the full cost of up to five students’ associate degree programs at Bermuda College.

Athene Life Career Expo

Bermuda is a global (re)insurance hub. The Athene Life Career Expo is a free event that helps high school and college students, recent graduates and career shifters learn more about life (re)insurance careers and the different pathways available to them. The event brings life (re)insurance companies, industry organizations and community members together to connect with local talent, share resources and offer industry insight.

The Athene Life Career Expo helps make high-growth career opportunities in Bermuda’s life (re)insurance industry more accessible and easier to understand. Over 90% of surveyed attendees said the event was valuable, and 96% indicated interest in pursuing a career in reinsurance after attending.

Stuff the Bus

Each year, Athene hosts a community book drive for United Way of Central Iowa’s Stuff the Bus initiative. Employees donate books and volunteer to support early literacy for children in the area. 

The books are delivered to childcare centers and educational programs that serve children from low-income families. In 2025, Athene donated 12,766 books. Since 2015, Athene has donated 156,985 books to help young readers build a stronger foundation for learning. Employees also volunteer in elementary schools to read for students as part of this program.  

Vision to Learn

Athene is proud to support Iowa’s Vision to Learn program, which removes a simple but significant barrier to learning by providing free eye exams and two pairs of glasses to students in central Iowa who need them. 

Workplace Mentor Program

Athene partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa for its Workplace Mentor Program. Through the program, employees help junior high school students explore education and career goals while building confidence, purpose and a stronger sense of possibility for the future.

Great Outdoors Foundation 

Athene was the seed funder of the Great Outdoors Foundation’s Conservation Acceleration Fund, an initiative launched to accelerate water quality progress in Iowa. Athene’s $3 million gift helps support environmental solutions such as wetland and oxbow restoration, streambank restoration, grade stabilization, agricultural edge-of-field practices and urban stormwater treatment. 

Athene’s support of the Great Outdoors Foundation also extends to its partner organizations, ICON Water Trails and Polk County Conservation. In 2025, Athene coordinated five volunteer events with these partners to support conservation-focused work in the community.

Athene Pedestrian Bridge 

The Athene Pedestrian Bridge connects Raccoon River Park and Walnut Woods Park in West Des Moines. The project supports a more connected network of parks, trails and outdoor spaces across central Iowa.

By creating a safer, more accessible route for pedestrians and cyclists, the bridge encourages low-impact ways to move between public spaces and strengthens the area’s broader outdoor recreation network.

Athene contributed $750,000 to support the project, which is part of the Great Outdoors Foundation and the City of West Des Moines Five Waters Project Partnership. The partnership is focused on improving recreational opportunities and preserving natural resources across the area. The project was also previously recognized as a Cultural Story of the Year by the Business Record.

Read more about Athene Pedestrian Bridge  

Technology donations

Athene also supports sustainability by extending the life of technology and donating equipment to nonprofit and community organizations that can put it to meaningful use.

In 2025, Athene donated 446 technology devices through its United Way campaign efforts. Since 2020, Athene has donated more than 2,500 pieces of technology equipment.

Athene Therapy Gym at ChildServe 

ChildServe helps children with special healthcare needs live a great life. ChildServe recently opened its new Des Moines building, which includes the Athene Therapy Gym. Athene donated $1 million to the project to help more children and families access specialized therapy, rehabilitation and care in a space designed to meet their needs. The new space significantly expands ChildServe’s capacity, increasing the number of children it can serve from 60 to 600.

Athene North Shore Recreation Area

Athene donated $1 million to support the Athene North Shore Recreation Area at Easter Lake Park, an accessible waterfront park designed so more people can enjoy the outdoors. Athene partnered with Polk County Conservation and the Great Outdoors Foundation on the project. The park includes features such as zero-entry water access, wide pathways, adaptive equipment and a pontoon boat designed for users with disabilities. 

In 2025, the park welcomed nearly 470,000 visitors and was honored with the Innovation in Equity Award by the National Recreation and Park Association.

Read more about the Athene North Shore  

WesleyLife Meals on Wheels

Athene has committed $300,000 gift to WesleyLife’s Meals on Wheels program. The gift is expected to fund 31,000 meals from 2024 through 2026. In 2025, the program saved 17 lives, a powerful reminder that Meals on Wheels provides more than meals.

The partnership helps provide nutritious meals and meaningful connection for older adults in the community. In 2025, 200 Athene employees volunteered at four events, where they delivered meals and tended to WesleyLife’s hydroponic garden. 

Athene Youth Kickstart Cup

In 2025, Athene launched the inaugural Athene Youth Kickstart Cup, a free youth soccer tournament in Bermuda that encouraged children to be active and take part in one of the island’s most beloved sports.

More than 1,000 young athletes participated in the first tournament, and the tournament was supported by professional soccer leaders. Leslie “Tiger” Fitzpatrick of the New York Red Bulls and Ross Embleton of West Ham United Football Club led skills training sessions and presented trophies at the tournament. 

Athene@Work 

Developed in partnership with Easterseals Iowa, Athene@Work creates full-time employment opportunities for individuals who are neurodiverse. Launched in 2023, the program supports recruitment, hiring and retention while recognizing the valuable skills, perspectives and strengths neurodiverse employees bring to the workplace.

In 2025, Athene received the Iowa Workforce Development Champion for Disability Employment Award for its commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities through employment and community involvement. The recognition reflects Athene’s work to build more inclusive pathways to meaningful careers.

Coats & Boots

For more than 30 years, the Athene Charitable Foundation has helped keep children warm through our signature Coats & Boots program. Each year, Athene purchases and distributes new coats and boots to elementary students in Des Moines Public Schools who need them most. 

In 2025, more than 2,600 students across six schools received winter clothing through the program. 

Habitat for Humanity

Athene has committed over $1 million to Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity in recent years to help address housing needs in the community. This support includes funding for Habitat Heroes, the organization’s volunteer initiative.

In addition to financial contributions, Athene employees have volunteered more than 760 hours with Habitat during the past year. In 2025, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity recognized Athene for its corporate stewardship and presented the organization with the Key Award.

Adopt-A-Family

Athene’s Adopt-A-Family efforts are fully planned, funded and executed by employees to help bring essential support and holiday cheer to families who could benefit from additional assistance.

In 2025, nearly 1,500 Athene employees came together to support 41 families at Des Moines-area schools and organizations. Through donations, volunteer hours and thoughtful coordination, employees helped provide practical items and meaningful holiday support to families in the community.

ERG-led sponsorships in the community

At Athene, employee resource groups (ERGs) do more than build connections between employees. They help extend our impact in communities as well. Each ERG works with the Foundation to identify causes, organizations and events that reflect the priorities of its members. ERGs are then given dedicated budgets to help bring that support to life. 

Each year, our ERGs support a wide range of signature community events, including: