MetLife Foundation
The MetLife Foundation, established in 1976, is the charitable arm of the insurance company MetLife, Inc. The firm was originally founded in 1863 to insure Civil War soldiers against disabilities, until its reorganization as the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1868. By 1909, the company had become the largest life insurer in the United States. The Foundation channels grants, impact investments, and employee volunteering, contributing over $1 billion to charitable programs since its inception. 1 2
Contents
Priority Areas
The MetLife Foundation has four priority areas it focuses on in its giving strategy, which are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including economic empowerment, financial health, resilient communities, and impact investments. 3
Its economic empowerment grants support initiatives like the BRAC Career Hub, which offers career counseling, training, and mental health support to increase employability for young people in Bangladesh; NPower, which provides tech skills training for young adults and veterans; and American Corporate Partners (ACP), which addresses veteran underemployment. 3
The MetLife Foundation’s financial health grants support initiatives such as Trickle Up’s CRECE initiative, which aims to enhance economic resilience and financial management skills for women in poverty in Colombia and Mexico; Accion International’s Inclusive Fintech50 (IF50), an accelerator program identifying early-stage “fintechs” to boost “financial inclusion”; and Village Capital’s ADAPT, which identifies startups in the U.S. and Latin America focusing on economic mobility. 3
The MetLife Foundation’s resilient communities grants support initiatives like Ashoka’s “new longevity” program, which promotes healthy aging to reshape public policy; Vision to Learn’s Focus on the Future program, providing mobile vision clinics; and UNICEF’s efforts to equip young people in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon with technical skills. 3
The MetLife Foundation’s impact investments grants support advocacy for “climate resilience” and other programs, such as Habitat for Humanity International’s MicroBuild Fund. 3
Financial
In 2023, the MetLife Foundation reported revenues of $27,890,465. Expenses totaled $37,662,198, resulting in a net income of -$9,771,733. The organization held net assets of $117,087,275. Notable sources of revenue included contributions received at $18,344,141, accounting for 65.8 percent of total revenue, dividends at $3,290,559 or 11.8 percent, and sales of assets at $6,252,765 or 22.4 percent. Notable expenses included charitable disbursements of $37,557,296, making up 99.7 percent of total expenses, with no compensation reported for officers. Total assets were listed at $127,111,548, with total liabilities at $10,024,273. 4
For the fiscal year 2022 to 2023, total revenues decreased by 23.8 percent. Total grants and contributions dropped during the same period by 40.8 percent, however, investment income and dividends rose by 45.3 percent, and the net gain from the sale of non-inventory assets rose by 18 percent, suggesting a decline in giving to the organization but a rise in sales of assets to compensate for the loss. 4
The major contributor to the organization is the MetLife Insurance Company, which donated $18,344,141 in 2023, which amounted to all contributions received. 5
Grants
MetLife Foundation provides grants to outside nonprofits and supports a number of left-leaning organizations and advocacy positions. Syracuse University received a $900,000 grant for “closing the racial wealth gap.” The Nature Conservancy (TNC) received $750,000. Sesame Workshop received a $823,437 grant for a “global multimedia emotional wellbeing initiative.” Compass Working Capital received its $500,000 grant for “making wealth-building the norm for HUD-assisted residents program.” University of Tokyo (via CAF America) received a grant worth $525,000 for “empowering seniors to develop sustainable local communities program.” Women’s World Banking received a $355,000 grant for “driving awareness and adoption of life insurance for low-income women in India.” The Arbor Day Foundation received a grant for “EMEA regional tree planting initiative” worth $281,350. Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp received a $300,000 grant. BRAC received a $300,000 grant for “Career Hub: A one-stop service center for unemployed youth providing skills matchmaking.” The Urban Institute received a $250,000 grant for the “Black Family Thriving Initiative.” 6
People
As of September 2025, Tia Hodges was the president and chief executive officer of the MetLife Foundation. 7 Hodges has also served as the national program manager for KaBOOM!, a nonprofit focused on ending “playspace inequity for good.” Previously, Hodges was in charge of partnership development for Feeding America’s Eastern Wisconsin division. 8
As of September 2025, Jose Rosado was vice president of corporate giving for the MetLife Foundation. 7 Rosado previously served as a board member at Casa Myrna. 9
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
Expenses Detail
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $150
- Number of Grants: 1
- Number of Funders: 1
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
| Amount | Year | Funder | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150 | 2020 | Wolf & Company Charitable Foundation Inc | Exempt purpose |
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $652,907,582
- Number of Grants: 7,378
- Number of Recipients: 2,401
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years: