Volunteering

The Manulife Volunteer Commitment Bike and Hike

Millions of Canadians rely on Manulife to help them prepare for the future. And when you think about it, Canada looks to its volunteers for much the same thing. An hour at a time, they’re helping build strong, resilient communities.

Inspired by the longstanding community work of our employees and the financial advisors who represent us, Manulife is making a major commitment to volunteerism in Canada.

A two-pronged approach Dragon Boat

We see ourselves living this commitment in two key ways. First, we’ll be reaching out to Canadians to inspire them and to encourage them to find their own volunteer opportunity. Second, we’ll be supporting a host of initiatives, in partnership with some of Canada’s leading volunteer organizations and non-profits, which promote volunteer opportunities that capitalize on people’s unique skills.

Our initiatives

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There’s a great volunteer in everyone, and it’s all about finding an opportunity that fits. So we’re working with Volunteer Canada to create an online hub that will help Canadians find volunteer opportunities that match their interests, skills and schedule.

To increase the knowledge around volunteerism so that everyone’s efforts can work more effectively, we’re commissioning a landmark research report on today’s volunteers with our partners Volunteer Canada and The Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development. We’ll explore today’s volunteers and potential volunteers, and learn who they are, what they’re looking for and what they can offer.

We also want to move volunteerism from behind the scenes to center stage, so we’re joining forces with CBC News and Outpost Magazine to bring Canada an all-new multi-media program, Canada’s Champions of Change. This citizen-driven promotion will celebrate Canada’s most passionate volunteers, and inspire a whole new generation to rise to the challenge. Visit www.cbc.ca/change.

The volunteers among us

Bike and Hike Man

The driving force of our commitment will be, and always has been, our employees and their long tradition of giving back. Last year alone, our employees in Canada donated more 20,000 volunteer hours to issues that matter to them. Like Canadians everywhere, our people pedal, walk and run to raise money for important causes, lift hammers for Habitat for Humanity, and support countless good works being done in the communities where they live and work.

We try to support their efforts in a number of ways. Our Community Spirit Days offer employees a day off with pay to volunteer for a charity of their choice. Through our Helping Hands program, employees who volunteer 25 hours or more for a registered charity can apply for a $500 grant for the charity. And if an employee raises money for a registered fundraising event, our PowerMatch Program will match it up to $150.

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A stronger future, one hour at a time

The way we see it, every volunteer, every volunteer act, and every hour given back helps Canadians prepare to build a stronger future for our country. And preparing for the future is something that Manulife gets behind every day.

For more information on Manulife’s corporate giving here and abroad, please visit www.manulife.com/community.