AXA in the community

AXA Community Investment

At AXA, we believe we have a responsibility to support the local communities in which we conduct business and where our employees live and work.

AXA’s core business around the world is financial protection and helping people to cope with life’s unforeseen and sometimes unfortunate events. AXA believes that whilst you can’t plan for every eventuality in life, you can plan for living. Therefore, through sustainable solutions, AXA’s community investment activities within Australia and New Zealand aims to assist families and children who are experiencing difficulties due to illness or are disadvantaged due to circumstances beyond their control.

Strategic relationships have been developed with a number of community partners across the region including:

Australia:

Brotherhood of St Laurence	Very Special Kids	The Smith Family
Ronald McDonald House	Starlight Children's Foundation	The Salvation Army

The Reach Foundation	Little Athletics

New Zealand:

Canteen	He Huarahi Tamariki School	Mary Potter Hospice
Ronald McDonald House	The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind	Wellington City Mission

AXA Charitable Trust

In July 2005, the AXA Charitable Trust was established, which led to the expansion of greater funding and volunteering opportunities. Strategic relationships have been formed with our community partners which include:

• Community partners are invited to apply for funding for multi-year projects consistent with AXA’s specified areas of impact.
• Key senior employees at AXA are actively involved with the Boards and Steering Committees of these community partners.
• Community partners are invited to be actively involved with key employee engagement activities.
• AXA employees are invited to make pre-tax payroll donations to our community partners through Workplace Giving, which is matched through the Charitable Trust. In Australia and New Zealand, this raised over AUD$250,000 in 2009.

AXA ‘Hearts in Action’ is a global AXA Group community based volunteering programme that forges partnerships with local community organisations and enables employees to actively engage with the community by contributing their time and skills to make a difference. Globally over 15,000 AXA employees volunteer their time each year.

In 2008, over 1,600 Australian and New Zealand employees took part in community activities contributing over 5,000 hours. Fundraising undertaken and initiated by employees are matched by the Charitable Trust.

AXA Grants Programme

In addition to funding selected projects and initiatives with our strategic community partners, a Grants Programme has been established to respond to applications for funds from other community organisations to support worthy initiatives which focuses on sick or disadvantaged children, poverty and homelessness.

Next : Application Guidelines