Building a more prosperous planet

2019 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Our corporate social responsibility strategy is central to who we are as a company. We are committed to the communities, institutions, and the environment that surround us, sustain us, and influence our values and our lives. We believe that when people and communities thrive, our mission is fulfilled. And we want to continue to make our initiatives in the areas of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) transparent. This is part of our commitment to corporate citizenship because trust in our business—to do the right thing, in the right way—is the foundation of a strong future.

Philanthropic investment

Principal^® Foundation makes charitable grants to community partner organizations that work to help people learn more, earn more, and save more, as well as build strong communities. In 2019, we invested more than $16.5 million in non-governmental organizations around the world. More than 450 organizations worldwide benefit from local action supported and organized by the Principal Foundation. Learn more about our grantmaking. 

In partnership with the Principal Foundation, we produce  programs such as YouthCan, investing in projects that help young people ages 15–30 earn and save more, support  global microlending platform Kiva, and have  pioneered  our own Financial Security Collaborative to  better connect with socioeconomic groups traditionally underserved by the financial industry.

Principal Foundation also encourages charitable involvement by Principal employees through volunteer and match giving programs. Our employee United Way campaign is the leader in central Iowa, impacting more than 178 local United Way chapters and agencies across the U.S. alone.

We host the Principal Charity Classic, which has leveraged the power of partnerships to raise more than $23 million for kids’ causes since 2007.