TIAA Celebrates Centennial with $1 Million in Grants Honoring Difference Makers in the Nonprofit World

TIAA marks a century of serving the nonprofit sector with the TIAA Difference Maker 100 program

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NEW YORK--()--TIAA is commemorating its 100th anniversary by launching a new initiative to celebrate 100 individuals in the nonprofit world who are making a powerful difference – giving a total of $1 million dollars in grants to honor their outstanding contributions.

TIAA was established a century ago with a $1 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to make a difference in the lives of educators by giving them the financial security they needed and retirement they deserved.

Today, TIAA honors others making a significant impact on the world through the TIAA Difference Maker 100 program, which will shine a spotlight on people who teach, invent, inspire, cure, nurture and serve others. Those recognized will each receive $10,000 for the nonprofit where they are working to create a better world.

To be considered for the program, individuals are invited to submit their own story or recommend a Difference Maker at TIAAdifferencemaker100.org. Submissions will be reviewed based on a variety of criteria including impact, creativity, perseverance and motive, and will be featured in a gallery on the TIAA Difference Maker program hub. The 100 Difference Makers selected will be announced in October 2018.

“For 100 years, TIAA has been a pioneer in working to protect and advance educators and nonprofit professionals’ financial well-being,” said Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. president and CEO of TIAA. “As a mission-driven company, we have a strong commitment to helping these dedicated individuals achieve their financial goals and build financial security so they can focus on the people and communities they serve. The TIAA Difference Maker 100 is about celebrating these extraordinary people who, like TIAA, are inspired to make a positive contribution to the world.”

To build awareness of the TIAA Difference Maker 100, and support those making exceptional contributions in the nonprofit world, TIAA is partnering with world-class athlete and advocate Laila Ali, who will serve as a Difference Maker 100 ambassador. As the former president of the Women’s Sports Foundation, Ali has been a leader and champion of the nonprofit sector, as well as a major supporter of charitable organizations.

TIAA is also working with Oath, a digital media and advertising innovator and Verizon subsidiary, to deliver the Difference Maker 100 program.

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with Oath and TIAA – a company that has been making a positive impact for decades through its purpose-driven business, investing and corporate philanthropy – to celebrate its centennial,” said Laila Ali. “As a Difference Maker 100 ambassador, I will help recognize individuals who work at nonprofits and tirelessly work to move a cause forward, lift up their local community and serve others. This program inspires all of us to give back and make a positive impact.”

A new branded content series including video and editorial created by RYOT Studio will live within the Difference Maker 100 program hub on HuffPost and will be amplified across Oath’s notable media properties, including through native ads powered by Yahoo Gemini.

In addition to launching the Difference Maker 100 program, TIAA is celebrating its centennial with a companywide “100 Days of Difference” campaign that encourages TIAA employees to take part in philanthropic and community service-oriented projects across the country. The company is also recognizing employees who, like the Difference Maker 100, are committed to serving others.

In the early 20th century, when business and philanthropic leader Andrew Carnegie discovered how little financial security university teachers had, he set out to create a retirement system to ensure they could retire with dignity. In 1918, the Carnegie Corporation of New York created the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association to provide guaranteed retirement income and life insurance to educators. Since that time, TIAA has built a legacy of trust and proven results by delivering on its promises to customers throughout periods of both economic growth and downturn.

Today, TIAA is the leading provider of financial services in the academic, research, medical, cultural and government fields with $1 trillion in assets under management and more than five million customers. The firm’s financial strength and stability have been recognized throughout the industry1, with top rating agencies ranking TIAA among the leading organizations in the U.S. Nuveen, TIAA’s investment manager, has been recognized with six Lipper Awards for Best Overall Large Fund Company based on delivering risk-adjusted returns, an unprecedented achievement in the history of the award. Last month, TIAA was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fourth year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

For more information about the TIAA Difference Maker 100 program, visit the online press kit.

About TIAA

TIAA (www.tiaa.org) is a unique financial partner. With an award-winning2 track record for consistent performance, TIAA is the leading provider of financial services in the academic, research, medical, cultural and government fields. TIAA has $1 trillion in assets under management (as of 12/31/20173) and offers a wide range of financial solutions, including investing, banking, advice and education, and retirement services.

© 2018 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., and Nuveen Securities, LLC, Members FINRA and SIPC, distribute securities products.

1For its stability, claims-paying ability and overall financial strength, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) is a member of one of only three insurance groups in the United States to currently hold the highest rating available to U.S. insurers from three of the four leading insurance company rating agencies: A.M. Best (A++ as of 6/17), Fitch (AAA as of 11/17) and Standard & Poor's (AA+ as of 8/17) , and the second highest possible rating from Moody’s Investors Service (Aa1 as of 2/18). There is no guarantee that current ratings will be maintained. The financial strength ratings represent a company’s ability to meet policyholders’ obligations and do not apply to variable annuities or any other product or service not fully backed by TIAA’s claims-paying ability. The ratings also do not apply to the safety or the performance of the variable accounts, which will fluctuate in value.

2The Lipper Large Fund Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years’ Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12 (36 fund companies), 11/30/13 (48), 11/30/14 (48), 11/30/15 (37), 11/30/16 (34) and 11/30/17 (34) with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. For the Mixed-Assets category, TIAA ranked against 39, 36 and 35 fund families for the three-year period ended 11/30/15, 11/30/16 and 11/30/17, respectively. Note these awards pertain to mutual funds within the TIAA-CREF group of mutual funds; other funds distributed by Nuveen Securities were not included. From Thomson Reuters Lipper Awards, © 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Certain funds have fee waivers in effect. Without such waivers ratings could be lower. For current performance, rankings and prospectuses, please visit the Research and Performance section on TIAA.org. Nuveen Securities, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC

3Based on assets under management across Nuveen Investments affiliates and TIAA investment management teams as of 12/31/17.

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