Making a mark in our communities
How we give back plays a critical role in Ontario Teachers’ enterprise-wide approach to making a positive impact
From food drives in Toronto to cleaning up the Thames in London to packing school supplies for underprivileged children in Hong Kong, we organized multiple volunteer activities across global offices to encourage and enable employees to give back to their communities and the causes important to them.
For the second consecutive year, we supported employees worldwide to volunteer in their communities. More than 450 employee volunteers collectively dedicated over 1,000 hours – making an impact that the entire company can take pride in.
450+ 
volunteers collectively dedicated time to make a positive impact
Making a mark through employee donations
Giving our time is important, but we also know non-profits couldn’t do their essential work without funding to support them. Ontario Teachers’ employees have supported community causes through an annual giving campaign for over 30 years.
To deepen our community impact, we introduced OTPP Cares, an online, always-on, global giving platform powered by Benevity, for employees to direct personal donations to the charities of their choice. The 2023 annual fundraiser saw employees worldwide raise C$701,000 via the online platform, with an impressive 65% of employees participating – over double the industry benchmark. In doing so, employees supported 419 causes in 20 countries, extending the breadth and diversity of giving through each donation.
Clearing litter and testing water quality in Toronto
Toronto volunteers and A Greener Future – an environmental non-profit – cleaned up Marie Curtis Park. The group picked up over 19,600 pieces of plastic pellets and litter and tested the water quality of the community park.
Helping newcomers to Toronto prepare for life in Canada
Immigrants contribute significantly to our economy and workforce, and the Greater Toronto Area receives the highest number of newcomers in Canada. Volunteers in our Toronto office partnered with ACCES Employment to host a holistic job readiness workshop.
$700k+
raised by employees for local causes around the world1
419
causes supported across
20 countries
1 The giving campaign is employee-led and does not include corporate funds.
Offering a “train the trainers” session on public speaking and personal finance for a Mumbai charity educating underprivileged girls in India.
Cleaning up the coastline in Hong Kong with the World Wildlife Fund.
Volunteering at local food banks in Toronto and San Francisco.
Stocking shelves and sorting through donated items at a Singapore charity shop that benefits migrant workers.
The majority of our global team donated to our first campaign – a great reflection of our shared commitment to making a mark at a time when donations are sorely needed.
