The Standard Charitable Foundation

What The Standard Charitable Foundation does

The Standard Charitable Foundation is the philanthropic arm of The Standard, a financial services enterprise that has operated continuously since 1906 and is owned by StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: SFG). The Foundation runs the enterprise's charitable giving and community impact programs, awarding grants to nonprofit organizations and coordinating employee giving and volunteering. In 2025 the Foundation granted $200,000 across five nonprofits, supported employee giving that raised $6.4 million from 1,939 participants benefiting 2,630 nonprofits, and contributed to total donations of $8.4 million. The Foundation is closely tied to the broader Standard enterprise, which provides financial protection products and services through Standard Insurance Company (Portland, Oregon), The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York (White Plains, New York), and American Heritage Life Insurance Company (Jacksonville, Florida).

The broader Standard enterprise offers a comprehensive suite of workplace benefits and retirement solutions. Core products include group and individual disability insurance, group life and AD&D, dental and vision, supplemental benefits (accident, cancer, critical illness, hospital indemnity, voluntary life), paid family and medical leave administration, 401(k) and retirement plans, APEX stable value funds, and a family of annuities (fixed index, multi-year guaranteed, and immediate). Distribution is organized around three customer segments: Individuals & Families, Businesses & Organizations (the primary employer-facing channel), and Brokers & Advisors. Employer benefits are sold through a dedicated field sales motion; individual annuities are distributed through an extensive channel network of 21+ bank and broker-dealer partners including Arvest Bank, Cetera Financial Group, Citizens, Fifth Third Bank, Raymond James, LPL Financial, and TD Bank, supported by an Annuity Producer Portal, marketing toolkits, and a monthly Annuity Buzz newsletter.

Underlying technology includes an Annuity Producer Portal providing brokers with policy information, documents, dynamic reporting, illustrations, and calculator tools; benefits administration delivered through partnerships; and the Workplace Possibilities Program, a proactive disability management service supported by immersive interactive learning centers in Portland and Dallas. Revenue mechanics for the enterprise are predominantly subscription-recurring premiums on group and individual insurance policies, retirement plan fees, and stable value fund fees. The Foundation itself has no direct revenue stream and is funded through parent contributions and employee giving, with no pricing or product offering of its own.

Name

The Standard Charitable Foundation

Legal name

The Standard Charitable Foundation

Website

https://standard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Standard Charitable Foundation is the philanthropic arm of The Standard, a Portland-based financial services enterprise operating since 1906. It runs charitable grant-making and employee giving programs that supported 2,630 nonprofits and $8.4 million in donations in 2025, tied to a broader insurance and retirement products business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Corporate philanthropic grants
• Charitable foundation
• Community impact funding
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Employee giving programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Group and Individual Disability Insurance: Disability insurance products providing income protection for individuals unable to work due to illness or injury. Sold to employers for employees (group) and directly to individuals.
2. Group Life and AD&D Insurance: Life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment coverage offered to employers for their workforce.
3. Group Dental and Vision Insurance: Voluntary and employer-sponsored dental and vision coverage for employees.
4. Voluntary and Supplemental Benefits: Supplemental insurance products including accident, cancer, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and voluntary life. These are employee-paid benefits offered through workplace.
5. Absence Management and Paid Family Leave Services: Services helping employers manage employee leaves and absences, including paid family leave administration.
6. Retirement Plans Products and Services: 401(k) and retirement benefit products and services for employers and their employees.
7. Individual Annuities: Fixed index annuities, multi-year guaranteed annuities, and immediate annuities providing retirement income solutions. Distributed through bank partners and insurance brokers.
8. Stable Value Funds: APEX Stable Value Products and APEX Select Funds for retirement plan participants seeking capital preservation with growth potential.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Standard Charitable Foundation is the philanthropic arm of The Standard insurance enterprise, providing charitable grants to nonprofit organizations focused on community support, disability, accessibility, and inclusion. In 2025, the foundation awarded $200,000 in grants across five nonprofits — Dougy Center ($100,000 over two years), Mission House ($50,000), Oregon Museum of Science and Industry ($20,000), Special Olympics Georgia ($15,000), and Special Olympics Minnesota ($15,000) — and supported The Standard's Employee Giving 365 program, which engaged 1,939 employee participants, raised $6.4 million from employees, supported 2,630 nonprofits, and generated $8.4 million in total donations.

Product overview

The Standard is a comprehensive financial services company offering a broad portfolio of workplace benefits and retirement solutions. The core offerings include group insurance products (life, disability, dental, vision, accident, cancer, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and voluntary life) and retirement solutions (401k plans, annuities, and stable value funds). The company distributes through employers via the Businesses & Organizations segment, directly to individuals and families, and through brokers and advisors. The Workplace Possibilities Program provides specialized disability management support. Annuity products include Fixed Index Annuities (Index Select Annuity, Enhanced Choice Index Plus), Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuities (Focused Growth, Multi-Choice, Flexible-Premium Deferred), and Immediate Annuities (Restricted SPIA, Tailored Income Annuity). Recent additions include Thrive Plus Fixed Indexed Annuity and APEX Select Funds. The company operates through Standard Insurance Company (Portland, Oregon), The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, and American Heritage Life Insurance Company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Community Grants Program Charitable grant program awarding direct funding to nonprofit organizations supporting community, accessibility, disability, and inclusion causes. In 2025, the foundation awarded $200,000 in grants across five nonprofits.
• Employee Giving 365 Program Year-round employee giving and volunteer engagement program tied to The Standard's workforce. In 2025, the program engaged 1,939 participants, raised $6.4 million via employees, supported 2,630 nonprofits, and generated $8.4 million in total donations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 score on Disability Equality Index - recognized as 'A Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion' for three consecutive years
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pacific Guardian LifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Standard and Pacific Guardian Life announced a definitive agreement for The Standard to transition its individual annuities business to Pacific Guardian Life, representing a strategic business transition arrangement.
• Ignite PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Thrive Plus Fixed Indexed Annuity product through strategic partnership with Ignite Partners, a distributor for the annuity product.
• University of Texas at DallasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Standard partnered with UT Dallas to provide a scholarship for students pursuing a degree in actuarial science who need financial assistance, supporting future talent development in the industry.
• Arvest BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBank partner distributing The Standard's annuity products to customers.
• Cetera Financial GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinancial services distributor partner for The Standard's annuity products.
• Fifth Third BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBank partner distributing The Standard's annuity products.
• Raymond JamescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinancial services firm distributing The Standard's annuity products.
• LPL FinancialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent broker-dealer partner distributing The Standard's annuity products including Prudential (LPL Enterprise) arrangement.
• TD BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBank partner distributing The Standard's annuity products.
• Citizens, First Citizens, Frost Bank, Synovus, Santander Bank, Key Investment Services, Legacy Marketing Group, Legend Financial Marketing Services, Osaic Institutions, United Brokerage Services, WesBanco, and otherscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional bank and financial distributor partners for The Standard's annuity products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Principal Financial Group Foundation: Principal Financial Group offers retirement plans, disability, and group benefits — closely mirroring The Standard's product portfolio — and runs a corporate foundation focused on education, financial inclusion, and community impact. Comparable as a parallel insurance carrier with a similar philanthropic structure.
• MetLife Foundation: MetLife is a global insurance leader whose foundation supports financial inclusion and community resilience. Comparable as a corporate foundation tied to a major insurance enterprise with workplace benefits as a core line.
• Lincoln Financial Foundation / Lincoln Financial Group: Lincoln Financial Group is a diversified insurance and retirement services company with a corporate foundation that supports disability inclusion, financial literacy, and community development. Directly comparable as a mid-sized insurance carrier with a parallel philanthropic arm targeting workplace benefits customers.
• MassMutual Foundation: MassMutual is a mutual insurer with a corporate foundation supporting education, family wellness, and community development. Comparable as a corporate giving vehicle of a large mutual life and disability insurer.
• New York Life Foundation: New York Life is a mutual insurer with a foundation focused on childhood bereavement, mentoring, and education. Comparable as a corporate foundation associated with a mutual insurance parent emphasizing community impact.
• Prudential Financial / Prudential Foundation: Prudential is a much larger insurance and retirement services firm with a foundation focused on financial inclusion, disaster recovery, and community development. Comparable as a corporate foundation associated with an insurance parent, though at significantly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Unum Group: Unum is a leading provider of disability insurance and leave management services — The Standard's closest direct competitor in group disability and absence management. Operates a corporate foundation with similar workforce-focused giving priorities.
• Mutual of Omaha Foundation: Mutual of Omaha is a private insurance company offering individual and group insurance, retirement, and supplemental benefits. Comparable as a privately held carrier with a community-focused corporate foundation and a similar horizontal product mix.
• Guardian Life Insurance Company: Guardian Life is a mutual insurer offering group disability, dental, life, and voluntary benefits — directly overlapping The Standard's product set. Comparable as a privately held carrier with an active corporate giving program in community and inclusion.

Regional players

• Oregon Community Foundation: Oregon Community Foundation is a major statewide community foundation based in Portland. Comparable as a community foundation operating in the same geographic footprint as The Standard Charitable Foundation, with overlapping grantee populations in Oregon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments5 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Standard Charitable Foundation