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The Difference We Make Building Communities, Changing Lives AETNA ANNUAL GIVING REPORT 2007

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Page 1: MAC Communities Lives Building Communities, Changing Lives › foundation › about › assets › 2007_Aetna_Annual_G… · Building communities, changing lives… Aetna and the

The Difference We Make

Building Communities, Changing Lives

AetnA AnnuAL GivinG RepoRt 2007

Design: Aetna Creative Services

Printing: Allied Printing Services, Inc.

CD Creation: Downstream, Idea Factory and Aetna Television Studios

CD Production: Action Duplication

Photography:

Pages 2 and 14: ©Lou Jones

Page 4 (left): Samantha Burgan

Page 8: Kate Dowd

Page 12 (left): Eric Foster

Page 13: De Kine Photo LLC

Timeline Photography:

Arthur R. Ashe, Jr. ©Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

2005 Award for Excellence, Carmine Filloramo

Aetna Website Resources

©2008 Aetna Inc.31.05.903.1-07 (4/08)

10%

Cert no. SW-COC-1215

the Journey Back — With the help of the Chrysalis Center, Inc., Tracy Poplasky moved beyond the boundaries of drug abuse and depression to start a new life.

Honor & Remembrance — A parade captures a renewed spirit of patriotism in New England and pays tribute to the sacrifices of World War II veterans such as Ben Cooper.

through grants, sponsorships and volunteerism, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation are building communities and changing lives every day. We hope you enjoy this video presentation in which people share stories about how their lives have been touched by the support of Aetna and its community partners.

Spark of Discovery — The children of Noah Webster Elementary School find new excitement in mathematics due to the enthusiastic tutoring of volunteer Stephen Sawyer.

Rhythm & Renewal — Members of the Uptown Troops Color Guard march to the beat of success through the guidance of Aetna volunteer Veta Rodriguez.

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Building Communities, Changing Lives

System Requirements:Recommended for –Windows XP or above–Mac OSX

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Aetna Foundationwww.aetna.com/foundation

Diversity at Aetnawww.aetna.com/about/aetna/diversity

Aetna Corporate Responsibilitywww.aetna.com/about/aetna/cr

Aetna On the Issueswww.aetna.com/about/aoti

transforming Health Care in Americawww.aetna.com/about/america

Aetna Annual Report 2007www.aetna.com/investor

This

CD

is p

rovid

ed to

the u

ser “

AS IS”

without warranties express or implied of any kind. We recommend that you back up important data and run virus scans before installing any C

D softw

are. Aetna shall not be liable for any loss, dam

age, or disruption to data or computing processes that may occur while using this CD or its

conten

ts. 2

008 A

etna

Inc.

All

right

s re

serv

ed.

1. the Journey Back — Tracy Poplasky

2. Honor & Remembrance — Ben Cooper

3. Spark of Discovery — Stephen Sawyer

4. Rhythm & Renewal — Veta Rodriguez

Stories of Hope, Dedication and Courage

Building Communities, Changing Lives

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From the Chairman ................................................................................................2

Making good health a way of life ...........................................................................4

Nurturing well-being across America ......................................................................6

Broadening opportunities for all .............................................................................8

Sustaining our volunteer spirit ..............................................................................10

Building pride in Connecticut ...............................................................................12

Aetna Foundation leadership ...............................................................................14

2007 giving summary ..........................................................................................16

Video and 35th-anniversary timeline ....................................................................17

Giving:

over $334 million since 1980

Aetna and the Aetna Foundation: Celebrating our culture of caring

1931 ■ During the Great Depression, Aetna’s annual

employee United Way/Combined Health Charities Appeal Campaign begins.

1944 ■ After a tragic circus fire in Hartford,

Connecticut, Aetna opens its 50-bed infirmary to receive casualties.

1956 ■ When St. Joseph’s Cathedral

in Hartford burns to the ground, Aetna welcomes parishioners as the cathedral is rebuilt.

1958 ■ Aetna’s Statement of Principles proclaims

a commitment “to participate in activities benefiting the community, state and nation.”

1959 ■ Aetna President Henry S. Beers makes

corporate responsibility and employee volunteerism business objectives.

1960■ Henry Beers delivers “Responsibility of

Business to Society” address at the American Management Association.

1963 ■ Aetna implements an Equal Opportunity

policy.

■ Henry Beers retires; Olcott D. Smith is appointed chairman.

1965 ■ Aetna launches minority training programs.

1967 ■ Aetna joins the life insurance industry’s

first “Billion Dollar Fund” to finance urban investments.

1971 ■ Aetna creates a Corporate Social

Responsibility department, led by Edwin B. Knauft.

1972 ■ Olcott Smith retires; John H. Filer is

appointed chairman.

■ John Filer creates the Aetna Foundation, Aetna’s independent, philanthropic arm.

■ Aetna implements an Affirmative Action program.

1973 ■ Aetna launches its “Dollars for Doers”

program to encourage civic participation by employees.

■ President Richard Nixon appoints John Filer to lead the Commission on Private Philanthropy and Public Needs.

1974■ Aetna pledges over $1 million to the

Children’s Television Workshop to help underwrite a public television series on health.

1975 ■ The Hartford Civic Center opens, built by

a public-private partnership between Aetna and the city of Hartford — the first of its kind in the nation.

1976 ■ Aetna introduces the Asylum Hill

neighborhood residential loan program in Hartford.

1977 ■ Aetna establishes the Corporate

Responsibility Investment Committee.

1997 ■ Aetna and the Aetna

Foundation commit $7 million to the American Heart Association’s National Women’s Heart Disease and Stroke Campaign.

■ Aetna and the National Conference for Community and Justice host first “Conversation on Race, Ethnicity and Culture.”

■ Quality of Care Research Fund is established with a $15 million, five-year commitment.

1998 ■ Foundation adopts financial literacy as its

education focus.

■ Aetna and the Aetna Foundation introduce a comprehensive visual and performing arts initiative.

■ Richard L. Huber succeeds Ronald Compton as Aetna chairman.

1999 ■ Foundation and Aetna make a $5 million

commitment to help found the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance.

2000 ■ Aetna Volunteer Council expands to

26 chapters.

■ William H. Donaldson succeeds Richard Huber as chairman of Aetna.

2001 ■ Foundation implements a Regional Grants

Program focused on community grants, emerging markets and volunteerism.

■ John W. Rowe, M.D., succeeds William Donaldson as chairman of Aetna.

2002 ■ Regional Grants Program targets

women’s health, children’s health and disparities in health.

1986 ■ Sanford Cloud, Jr. succeeds Alison Coolbrith

as executive director of the Foundation.

1987■ Foundation initiates international grants

program in Asia and South America.

1988 ■ Foundation adds AIDS to its priority list;

grants focus on community-based services.

1989 ■ Aetna launches its “Eye on DUI” program,

an effort to combat drunk driving.

1991 ■ Foundation targets immunization and

primary health care for disadvantaged children and higher education for minority students.

1992■ James Lynn retires; Ronald E. Compton is

appointed chairman.

1993 ■ Michael C. Alexander succeeds Sanford

Cloud, Jr. as executive director of the Foundation.

1994 ■ Foundation creates the Aetna

Voice of Conscience Award to honor former Aetna Board Director and Foundation Chairman Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.

1995 ■ Foundation focuses its grant making on

primary and preventative care for at-risk children and academic enrichment programs.

1996 ■ Marilda L. Gándara succeeds Michael

Alexander as the Foundation’s executive director.

1978 ■ Foundation begins FOCUS program

to address the needs of Aetna’s field office communities.

■ Foundation starts the Neighborhood Investment Program, an urban investment program.

1979■ Aetna’s Corporate Responsibility

Investment Committee makes 53 socially responsible investments representing over $120 million.

1980■ FOCUS expands to 12 cities.

1981 ■ Aetna initiates the volunteer-led

Corporate Lawyers Legal Aid to the Elderly program.

1982 ■ Corporate Social Responsibility

changes its name to Corporate Public Involvement; Alison G. Coolbrith appointed executive director.

1984 ■ John Filer retires; James T. Lynn is

appointed chairman.

■ Aetna’s Saturday Academy begins in Hartford, providing educational enrichment to urban students.

1985 ■ Aetna Volunteer Council is established

to help promote workplace volunteering and foster employee community involvement.

2003 ■ Foundation launches Aetna Employees

Reaching Out (AERO) to build on employees’ enthusiasm for volunteerism.

■ Foundation’s giving centers on racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

2004 ■ Foundation introduces a Quality of

Care Grants Program to address racial and ethnic disparities in health and end-of-life care.

2005 ■ Aetna awarded one

of six 2005 Awards for Excellence in the Workplace Volunteer Programs from the Points of Light Foundation.

2006 ■ Ronald A. Williams succeeds

John Rowe, M.D., as chairman of Aetna and the Aetna Foundation.

■ AERO achieves milestone of documenting 1 million hours of volunteer service completed by employees.

2007 ■ Foundation hosts “Health Policy Forum on

Transparency and Choice in Health Care.”

■ Chairman and CEO Ronald A. Williams accepts A. Leon Higginbotham Corporate Leadership Award, recognizing Aetna’s long-standing record of diversity and corporate social responsibility.

■ Foundation celebrates 35th anniversary.

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Building communities, changing lives…

Aetna and the Aetna Foundation are proud to work with nonprofits, national philanthropic organizations, community groups, hospitals, universities and many others to shape a healthier America. In this report we highlight some of the ways in which we make a difference in our communities and in people’s lives:

Improving health care quality with a special focus on reaching underserved populations. In 2007, over $4 million was awarded to increase racial and ethnic health equality, with over $19 million directed toward this issue since 2001.

Sustaining momentum for solutions to health-related challenges — such as end-of-life care, depression and obesity — through funding for community programs, events and training for health care professionals.

Promoting diversity through a range of grants and initiatives that expand horizons and improve the quality of life in urban communities.

Encouraging volunteerism through an award-winning program and network of highly engaged employee volunteer councils. In 2007, Aetna employees logged 295,000 hours of community service, with more than 1.3 million hours since 2003.

Enhancing our home state by supporting Connecticut organizations that are helping to improve health, education, diversity, arts and neighborhoods.

Touching lives nationwide with our Healthy Community Grants Program, through which $6 million was awarded in communities across the country in 2007.

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Ronald A. Williams and Aetna Foundation staff members join with Hartford

schoolchildren who are being tutored by Aetna employees to celebrate the

Foundation’s 35th anniversary and its 30-year relationship with ConnectiKids,

a nonprofit youth development agency. Currently, 25 Aetna employees serve

as tutors and mentors, helping the students achieve their true potential.

Since 1993, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have provided over $150,000

toward ConnectiKids and its programs, and three Aetna employees currently

serve on the agency’s board of directors. Our enduring relationship with

ConnectiKids earned Aetna its first of many Daily Point of Light Awards from

the Points of Light & Hands On Network.2

From the Chairman

Pictured with the students, left to right, Marilda Gándara, Ronald A. Williams, Christopher Montross and Sharon Dalton.

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Every day, across the nation, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation are making a difference in communities and lives. Through its products and services, Aetna helps people protect their finances against health-related risks, get access to care that restores their health, and achieve healthier lifestyles. At the same time, the Aetna Foundation builds alliances to reach deeply into our communities, providing support, hope and a better quality of life.

Our charitable giving programs continued to evolve in 2007. We brought together government, health care and industry leaders to discuss ways to reform our health system. We deepened our commitment in key communities where Aetna’s business leaders have helped to make a focused, profound impact on local needs. These activities have extended and strengthened our ongoing efforts to reach underserved communities, support diversity, and uphold our tradition of corporate citizenship in our home state.

Successful philanthropy makes a real difference in people’s lives. In this report, you will meet people whose lives have been impacted by activities supported by Aetna and the Aetna Foundation. They include children who are creating beauty in the midst of urban decay; a World War II veteran whose quiet sacrifice has been transformed into a beacon of community pride; and a volunteer whose dedication to raising awareness of organ and tissue donation has turned into a personal mission.

Such transformations are emblematic of an Aetna tradition of community involvement that extends back over 150 years. In 1972, to formalize and nourish this tradition, the late John Filer, Aetna chairman and visionary, created the Aetna Foundation. Over the next 35 years, Aetna Foundation initiatives helped revitalize urban communities, immunize disadvantaged children, raise awareness of heart disease among women, and amplify volunteer impact. We are pleased to share highlights of these years in a special timeline and to provide a video in which people share stories about how their lives have been touched by our community engagement.

Recently, I spent time with Hartford schoolchildren who are being tutored one-on-one by Aetna employees as part of a 30-year partnership with ConnectiKids (see photo). As chairman, I am proud of the extraordinary work Aetna employees and the Aetna Foundation have done, and am honored to build on this tradition.

Dedication to our communities — through our business, giving and volunteering — will continue to define our company in the years ahead as we strive to make a difference in many lives, and in many communities, all across America.

Ronald A. Williams Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Aetna Inc.

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Successful philanthropy makes a real difference in people’s lives.

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“This partnership with the AHA is engaging our employees in a positive way, and improving their health and fitness,” he said. “It also enhances our customers’ and the public’s understanding of Aetna’s real concern about improving people’s health, both as a business and as a corporate citizen.”

In Chicago, walking is encouraged with daily routes — from the office to locations such as the “Oprah Show” studio or the Picasso sculpture — or employees can walk a premeasured mile inside the building. They can monitor their steps using pedometers and then track their progress using the program’s web-based tools at MyStart! Online. Recognitions include gift certificates, jackets, backpacks and a vacation day for completing 100 miles of walking.

The four, along with many other Aetna Chicago employees, are participating in Start! — a national movement of the American Heart Association (AHA) that promotes physical activity in the workplace to help Americans live longer, healthier lives through walking. The AHA launched the program in 2007 as part of its overall mission of reducing coronary heart disease and stroke.

Through Start! companies set up walking routes, encourage employees to use them, and reward those who achieve a more active lifestyle. In 2007, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation awarded $577,500 to fund Start! programs in workplaces across America. Aetna’s offices in Chicago, Kansas City, and Greater Washington, D.C. are taking part.

According to Robert Mendonsa, general manager of Aetna’s north central region, in less than a year the program has transformed Chicago’s office culture.

Greater fitness springs from each step for Chicago employees

For Lolita Thompson, the approach of lunchtime signals that it’s time to lace up the walking shoes and hit the pavement. Lolita is one of four Chicago employees calling themselves the “Dedicated Divas” to reflect their logging of hundreds of miles, in rain, slush and blazing heat, since joining an office-wide fitness program a year ago.

“Walking a lot and watching what I eat have made a huge difference. My blood pressure and cholesterol have improved significantly,” said Lolita, whose road-ready colleagues include Dolores Jacobs-White, Christine Carr-Winford and Dell McWoodson.

Making good health a way of life

4

T H E D I F F E R E N C E W E M A K E

Dedicated Chicago walkers, left to right, Christine Carr-Winford, Dell McWoodson, Dolores Jacobs-White and Lolita Thompson.

Aetna’s Samantha Burgan, left, and Brigitte Nettesheim brave the chill for Start! Walk in Chicago.

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Forging a vision for health care transparency, quality, choice

In October 2007, Aetna brought together leading employers, academics, policy makers and financial services executives to discuss the value of transparency and choice in health care; consumer readiness for the role of health care decision maker; and opportunities for employers, health plans, health care providers and government to work together to craft solutions for health reform. The event, sponsored by the Aetna Foundation and hosted by Aetna Chairman and CEO Ronald A. Williams, took place in New York City.

Forum sessions included a presentation and discussion on transparency and choice in health care from a quality-of-care standpoint, led by Carolyn Clancy, M.D., director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Another presentation examined the transformative role the financial services industry played in retirement planning and in the evolution from defined benefit to defined contribution plans. Led by Robert Pozen, chairman of MFS Investment Management, this session included a discussion about what lessons the health care industry can learn from the shift in the dominant type of retirement plan.

George Loewenstein, Ph.D., Herbert A. Simon professor of economics and psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, led the final presentation, which examined models for protecting people from making poor health care decisions.

Ensuring medicines cause no harm

Many Americans take more than one medication to control diseases and conditions. In most cases, this practice is safe and effective. Yet combinations of certain drugs can be harmful or even fatal.

In 2007, the Aetna Foundation partnered with Aetna Pharmacy Management to award $38,500 to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) of Horsham, Pa., for a project that seeks to improve medication reconciliation, a process through which health care providers share prescribing information so each has an up-to-date picture of a patient’s overall medication regimen.

“Aetna and ISMP are forging an important relationship that will lead to safer patient transitions between different points in the health care system,” says Allen J. Vaida, Pharm.D., executive vice president of ISMP. The Aetna Foundation grant, he said, is providing the first research to date on how well community pharmacies understand the medication reconciliation issue, and the degree to which they and hospital emergency departments are sharing information.

For Dolores, being one of the group has meant solidifying friendships as well as health. When the new program kicked off just weeks after she joined Aetna, she was among the first to sign up. “I love to walk, bike and hike. The program has helped me keep up the pace and stay toned,” she said.

Christine has “truly become addicted” to walking, and is helping her husband increase his activity and alter his eating habits. “He’s trying. He’s seen the difference in me. I have more energy, my clothes fit better, and I’m more alert,” she said, adding that better health is all about prevention. “I’d rather get it right now than have to fix it up later!”

Dell has lost 12 pounds since joining the program, and her weekday workouts have led to a tradition of family power walks on weekends. “The kids really look forward to it. They all have pedometers, so we have a healthy competition going on,” Dell said. “And my youngest is like a little policeman: He’s always watching to make sure I eat right.”

“I have more energy, my clothes fit better and I’m more alert.”—Christine Carr-Winford

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Children’s wellness program strengthens bodies and spirits

In fall 2006, Sarah Leberman was at a crossroads. At 16, she suffered from high blood pressure, and her attempts to lose weight through health clubs and diets had failed. She was, in her own words, chronically “tired, dragged down and very self-conscious.”

Then, while visiting her cardiologist’s office at WellStar Health System in Atlanta, Sarah learned of a pilot program called Be Well 101, which was helping young people overcome weight-related health problems. She decided to give it a try.

“Every week they have different exercises, like Pilates, cycling, dance and yoga, so you can see what you like. Dance class was a ton of fun,” Sarah said. “They also had you bring in different recipes and taught you about portions and ingredients — and foods that are good for you to eat. I’m not a vegetable person, but I kept an open mind. Now I actually like onions, peppers and broccoli.”

Sarah’s mother, Janet Pappanduros, credits this success to Be Well 101’s attention to the whole person — encompassing not just diet and exercise, but the emotional side as well. “The change has been dramatic. She’s doing better in school and her self-image has improved. She’s making better choices,” Janet said.

The innovative six-month course is offered by the WellStar Institute for Better Health, which benefited from a $50,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation in 2007. According to Dr. Marcia Delk, senior vice president of Medical Affairs and chief quality officer for WellStar, the program was created with the help of pediatric cardiologist Dr. Eduardo Montana to address increasing high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and related health issues among young patients.

“The program gives children the knowledge they need to exercise, choose what to eat and overcome some of the emotional issues with being obese,” said Dr. Delk. “Meanwhile, the structured and monitored exercise program helps children actually achieve results.”

During the weekly sessions the children, and often their parents, learn how to create healthier meals and snacks, exercise, and receive insights from clinicians about the difficulty of living with the chronic diseases for which they are at risk. Overall, program participants have improved their levels of serum insulin, cholesterol and triglycerides; lost weight; and improved their strength and mobility. Emotionally, the results are just as positive.

“You can see the change in their faces,” Dr. Delk said. “When the class first starts, they’re quiet and reserved. They rarely make eye contact with the world around them. Then, by the end of the program, they come into the class bubbling with energy, talking and interacting with their peers and parents. You can’t help but feel their happiness and get enthusiastic with them. It’s really a transformation.”

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Nurturing well-being across America

“I’m not a vegetable person, but I kept an open mind. Now I actually like onions, peppers and broccoli.”—Sarah Leberman

T H E D I F F E R E N C E W E M A K E

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Diabetes is an urgent health problem among Latinos: one in eight has the disease, compared to one in 20 non-Latino whites, according to the ADA. Henry said the disease has taken a terrible toll on his own family: Of his 12 siblings, only four are alive, and none of his brothers has survived past the age of 48.

“I have seen what this disease can do. I have to fight it every day in my own life. So I know how important it is to get the word out to the Latino community,” Henry said.

He points out that exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. For example, you can fight diabetes and depression, a common complication of the disease, by dancing the salsa. “People can change their lives, and it can be fun!” he said.

Saturday fair in the park strives to save Latino lives

In New York City parks, you can enjoy a range of free events, from Shakespeare, to dance groups, to popular bands. But something was special about a fair that took place one autumn day in a South Bronx park.

“Bottom line: We saved lives that day,” said Henry Cruz, associate manager of Latino Initiatives for the American Diabetes Association (ADA), who coordinated Feria de Salud Por Tu Familia. This annual health fair, which Aetna sponsored in 2007 with $20,000, helps Latino families understand their health risks and take positive action.

Intermingled with music, dancing and games were demonstrations of healthy and savory cooking, talks on diabetes and exercise, and booths with health-related products and services. But the fair’s most powerful offering was a no-cost glucose test aimed at detecting diabetes.

“An older couple was taken to the hospital by ambulance because their glucose levels were dangerously high. A number of others, including a young mother, were sent to the hospital for the same reason,” Henry said. By discovering hidden health problems, he said, the screening likely saved several lives and alerted many people to their pressing need to reduce diabetes risk through lifestyle change.

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Helping loved ones make final journeys with dignity

Every day at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital in Texas, medical teams use their best talent and technology to try to save the lives of the severely injured and gravely ill. At times, despite all the work and effort to save a patient’s life, some patients still do not survive.

For Charlsea Prichard, a trauma nurse in the hospital’s intensive care unit, providing care for terminal patients once represented a tough challenge. Nurses such as Charlsea have significant training and experience in giving extremely ill patients exceptional care. But, end-of-life care demands even more.

“It’s not just about the patient, it’s about family. You have to focus on what they’re going through and help ensure the process is handled in the best possible way,” Charlsea said. “Unfortunately, they don’t teach you how to do this in nursing school.”

Now, Harris Methodist and its parent company, Texas Health Resources (THR), are helping to make end-of-life care a strong point through a comprehensive training program. Funded in part by a $35,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation, the program uses a “train-the-trainer” approach: Nurses complete palliative courses, then teach other THR staff how to deliver compassionate care to dying patients and how to communicate effectively with families.

For Charlsea, the training reinforced the knowledge she gained in helping her own grandmother make her final journey 18 months ago at Harris Methodist.

“We’ve got a long history with Harris Methodist. I was born here. So were my three children. My mom works here, too,” Charlsea said. “When my grandmother was dying, we brought her here for her care. It was very meaningful to be able to help her in her final days.”

Entertainment with a health message at Feria de Salud.

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“GlassRoots teaches us how to become entrepreneurs, how to make and sell things at a reasonable price,” Jasielina said. “Right now I’m working on bracelets to sell at an event at Rutgers University, Newark. They’re my own secret design.”

Jasielina says that making items of glass has taught her the value of commitment. “You have to stay optimistic and not be discouraged. It takes practice,” she said. “And don’t worry about messing up. There are always ways to fix it.”

Erick Graham, 17, has been interning at GlassRoots for six weeks, honing his glassmaking skills by day and going to school in the evening. A football player and breakdancer, Erick finds synergy between these dynamic athletics and the light touch of glassmaking.

“It’s all about control and balance. When you work with glass or breakdance, you need to control your muscles, be very steady,” he said, adding that he is particularly proud of a recent creation: a delicate ornamental baby rattle.

The Aetna Foundation provided a $5,000 grant to the group in 2007, as it had the previous year, helping GlassRoots keep up with blossoming community interest: GlassRoots provided programs for 700 children in 2007, compared to 100 in 2002.

In creating glass art, Pat said, children are personally transformed through positive risk-taking projects. “Just as fire softens the glass in order to make it ultimately strong and beautiful, the work the kids do helps them develop a tough, more resilient character.”

The organization recently invested in a glassblowing furnace that allows teens to complete increasingly challenging projects as they move through the program. One such participant is Jasielina Baez, 14, who has been coming to GlassRoots since she was 11. Jasielina said her first project was to create one round bead. Now she has advanced to designing and making her own jewelry, often giving them to friends and family as gifts. Thanks to GlassRoots’ inclusion of business principles in its program, Jasielina is also poised to market her wares.

Glass creations a source of strength, inspiration for Newark kids

As a city persistently ranked among America’s most dangerous, Newark, N.J., is a place with significant poverty and tough neighborhoods. For many who live there, growing up can be an experience filled with much brokenness and not nearly enough beauty.

In autumn 2001, that began to change when a new organization opened its doors. GlassRoots gives at-risk youth the opportunity to create vibrant art from glass and to learn valuable business skills in the process. The after-school program challenges children to blend fire and glass into one-of-a-kind pieces — from simple beads and jewelry, to lamps and vases.

“At school, there tends to be support for the child who’s a super athlete or actor, or one who has a great academic record. But there is too little support for art,” said Pat Kettenring, executive director of GlassRoots. “Our program fills this void with the support of companies like Aetna to give these children a means for artistic expression.”

“Just as fire softens the glass in order to make it ultimately strong and beautiful, the work the kids do helps them develop a tough, more resilient character.”— Pat Kettenring

GlassRoots student forms a new creation.

Broadening opportunities for all

T H E D I F F E R E N C E W E M A K E

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Inaugural Hispanic calendar celebrates homelands, culture

Aetna marked Hispanic Heritage Month 2007 with the launch of its first calendar paying tribute to the contributions Hispanic Americans have made to our nation. “Calendario Hispano de Aetna, en celebración de la cultura latina” features the evocative landscapes of 12 Central and South America countries, the cultural homes of many of Aetna’s members.

The bilingual calendar is the latest manifestation of Aetna’s respect and support for the Latino community, which includes a Spanish-language website (www.aetna.com/espanol), disease prevention outreach by bilingual nurse case managers, and Aetna and Aetna Foundation funding for organizations such as Hispanics in Philanthropy, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, PRIMER, and many others.

Since 1982, Aetna also has published an annual African American History Calendar to highlight African American leaders and illuminate the significant contributions of African American culture to the nation.

Visit www.aetna.com/about/aetna/diversity/aahcalendar.html to view calendars online.

Aetna’s Christopher McCloskey, R.N., attended the event last year, as he has in previous years, but this year had particular significance.

“I was one of three volunteer coordinators, managing more than 300 volunteers. It was very rewarding to meet so many people and to act as a mentor for some of the newcomers,” said Chris, who also manned Aetna’s exhibition booth.

“It was amazing how many clients came up to say hello and to remark on the company’s support of GLBT issues and its progressive stance,” Chris said, adding that he joined Aetna’s GLBT employee group, Angle, in 1997. “Aetna was a leader back then, and it continues to be out front.”

This assessment of Aetna was recently affirmed by The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF), which annually scores companies on factors such as policies regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, domestic partner benefits, and support of GLBT employee resource groups. In 2007, Aetna was among the 195 companies given a perfect score of 100, and was one of only 11 companies to achieve that score in each of the six years HRCF has published the report.

Shining a light on issues of workplace equality

In recent decades, American businesses have made great strides in reducing discrimination in the workplace — evolving from simply respecting people’s differences to making diversity a competitive advantage.

Such advances don’t happen by chance: Organizations and their employees must learn from the experiences of others to find the best path forward. When it comes to understanding the workplace challenges experienced by the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community, San Francisco-based Out & Equal™ Workplace Advocates leads the way.

Out & Equal provides organizations, HR professionals, employee resource groups and individuals with programs and services to help bring about equal workplace policies, opportunities and benefits for GLBT members. One of the ways it does this is through its annual workplace summit, which lets participants share best practices and create strategies for establishing greater workplace equality. Held in Washington, D.C., and sponsored in part by a $10,000 award from Aetna, the 2007 summit drew 2,300 participants from across the country.

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Honoring the spirit of Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.

The Aetna Voice of Conscience Award honors the late Arthur R. Ashe, Jr., tennis great, Aetna board director and chairman of the Aetna Foundation at the time of his passing in 1993. The award recognizes Aetna employees and national figures for extraordinary achievements in education, equality, advancing human rights and civic leadership.

2007 employee award recipients were Marty Castro, vice president of external affairs for Diverse Markets Strategy in Chicago, Ill.; and Chris Snoberger, underwriting technical lead in Arlington, Texas.

■ Marty spends much of his leisure time serving the less fortunate and has helped countless minority youths with social equity efforts. He chairs the boards of many Chicago-based organizations and volunteers in leadership roles for several others.

■ Chris has distinguished herself as chair of the Arlington Aetna Volunteer Council, one of the most active participating councils, and through her work as a tireless animal rescuer and 13-year Habitat for Humanity volunteer.

Both are powerful examples of the difference an individual can make in the lives of others and in the community overall.

could undergo testing for eventual placement on the transplant list. He was lucky: Two days after Michael’s name was added to the list, his donor lungs arrived at the hospital, a gift from a dying stranger.

“The nurse called me from the operating room to tell me the helicopter was about to land. And as I watched I was thinking about the kind of heart it takes to do this for someone else. I was overwhelmed with gratitude toward this donor family. There truly is goodwill in the world,” Barbara said.

The surgery was a success and now Michael can eat, walk and drive — activities that eluded him before his lung transplant. For Michael, every breath is a gift. For Barbara and her colleagues, this breakthrough affirms the importance of spreading the word about organ donation far and wide.

Barbara no longer leads the volunteer council, but she maintains her passion for volunteering and encourages others to try it. “I tell people to volunteer just once. Go on a fundraising walk — I’ll even walk with you! Once they feel that positive energy and see the enormity of the challenges we face, they’re hooked.”

Organ donation work becomes personal quest for Aetna volunteer

During her seven years as leader of the Aetna Volunteer Council in Rancho Cucamonga/Santa Ana, Calif., Barbara Streppone organized a range of community events. She helped raise donations for a children’s hospital, rallied walkers to support cancer research, organized community blood drives and gathered items for a children’s shelter.

To mark Aetna Donor Awareness Day in her office, Barbara invited two transplant recipients to the office to share their stories with employees. Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have long sponsored these awareness days in an effort to prevent the deaths of an estimated 6,500 people each year. As Barbara ran the emotionally charged event, she couldn’t have known that her husband, Michael, soon would become a candidate for a double-lung transplant due to the advance of an autoimmune disease called scleroderma.

With support from Aetna’s National Medical Excellence Program®, the Streppones traveled to UCLA so Michael

Michael and Barbara Streppone

Sustaining our volunteer spirit

T H E D I F F E R E N C E W E M A K E

“I tell people to volunteer just once. Go on a fundraising walk — I’ ll even walk with you!”—Barbara Streppone

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Volunteer Councils make all the difference

Aetna Volunteer Councils, employee teams that focus and enhance the volunteer efforts of their office colleagues, are an essential part of Aetna’s nationally recognized volunteer program.

Over 40 councils take part in fundraisers, team projects, disaster relief and a range of other activities. In addition to spearheading volunteer opportunities for employees, council members gain knowledge about current health and social issues, and learn valuable leadership and project

Points of Light brighten lives

The Daily Point of Light Award, presented by the Points of Light & Hands On Network, honors volunteers who help meet critical needs in their communities. Each weekday, one volunteer or volunteer effort in the country receives a Daily Point of Light Award. In 2007, three Aetna employees received this honor.

■ Wendy Martin-Glick is chair of the Aetna Volunteer Council in Fort Wayne, Ind. Her achievements include work for the American Cancer Society, for which she has volunteered 2,000 hours and helped to raise over $150,000 in the last five years.

■ Sylvia Hicks is a transplant claim analyst in Cranbury, N.J. Among her achievements were organizing events to promote organ donation, work that led to 77 employees signing up as donors during Organ Donation Month in April 2005 and 2006.

■ Denise Zachmann, head of the Hartford Aetna Volunteer Council since 2004, coordinates multiple projects, including managing two teams of over 35 volunteers who provide food and cleaning supplies for four families suffering from devastating medical situations, as well as clip coupons for military families trying to stretch their budgets.

management skills. In 2007, Aetna Volunteer Councils organized over 500 volunteer opportunities in which employees sewed quilts for wounded soldiers, increased the registry of bone marrow donors by hundreds of individuals and donated more than 3,000 pints of blood.

States with Aetna Volunteer Council presence

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Volunteering:

Over 1.3 million hours logged by Aetna volunteers since 2003

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From the shadow of war to the radiance of remembrance

Like many of Connecticut’s World War II veterans, Ben Cooper came home in triumph, yet spent most of his life never speaking of war. When he returned from Europe in 1945, he hung up his uniform, packed away his battlefield relics and quietly went to work in his father’s package store.

Of course, Ben had stories he could have told, stories that haunted him. As a combat medic assigned to the U.S. Army’s 45th Infantry Division, also known as the Thunderbird Division, he had scrambled through shattered fields and villages, tending to the wounded and comforting the dying, many of them his friends. In Germany on May 1, 1945, Ben was sent with a detail to be a witness to the then-unknown Dachau Concentration Camp that his outfit had liberated on April 29, 1945, and where the skeletal survivors of Nazi genocide would tell of the horrors even darker than war.

Ben’s prolonged silence came to an end in 1990 when a teacher friend invited him to speak to students about his experiences. For that talk and for the many that would follow, Ben had to reach back to revisit painful memories, but he did so with a clear purpose: to help today’s youth understand the reality of war and remember the Holocaust.

“Most people experience war in the movies or in games. It often seems glamorous. So when I talk of my experience in war and show actual artifacts, it makes it real for people,” Ben said. “It’s important to understand that war is a terrible thing, regardless of which side you’re on. I always tell the kids this: No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

In 2004, Ben’s enduring dedication to sharing his message with numerous school groups and organizations across the region captured the attention of

12

organizers of the Connecticut Veterans Day Parade. They invited Ben to be the Honorary Grand Marshal of that year’s parade. The Aetna Foundation was a driving force in reinvigorating this Hartford tradition in 2000; since then Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed $130,000 to support the annual event. Tens of thousands of spectators cheer as thousands of veterans, bands, community groups and others march in what has become the largest event of its kind in New England.

On that November day, waving to the cheering crowds, Ben felt that he had truly come home. “It was unbelievable. It’s a magical day that brings everybody together,” Ben said. “It’s great to see all these marchers, not just veterans but everyone who serves, and also to pay homage to those who gave their lives. It’s so meaningful and such an important event for Connecticut.”

“I always tell the kids this: No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”—Ben Cooper

T H E D I F F E R E N C E W E M A K E

Building pride in Connecticut

Ben CooperGirl Scouts were among many civic groups marching in the parade.

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Sparking the spirit of entrepreneurs

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, yet launching a business is filled with uncertainty, especially for minority entrepreneurs who may have limited access to training, tools and mentors to help them achieve success.

Entrepreneurs in and around Middlesex County, Conn., find help in an innovative program: Side Street to Main Street Business & Leadership Development Program, an initiative sponsored for more than a decade by the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce. Over 14 weekly workshop sessions, participants learn how to achieve success through business planning, sales and management skills.

The cost for such an intensive program would be too high for most of the 16 participants in this annual program. However, their fees, like those of graduating classes stretching back to the first one in 1998, were covered by funding from Aetna and the Aetna Foundation. As the program’s sole funders, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have awarded over $350,000 to give businesspeople valuable keys to success while helping Middlesex County build a more vibrant business community.

A fitting home for disabled veterans

For disabled veterans, coming home from war often has meant facing significant challenges to ensure that their houses could meet their often-complex physical needs. Five such veterans will be getting help in the coming months through a program sponsored by Rebuilding Together Hartford.

The organization, part of a network of 220 affiliates nationally, brings together volunteers to help low-income Hartford residents live in warmth, safety and independence through home renovations and repairs.

Recently, the national organization launched a Veterans Housing Initiative program specifically focused on helping disabled veterans deal with a range of needs, from improving access to and within their homes, to making emergency repairs, to increasing energy conservation. The Aetna Foundation is supporting the Hartford initiative with a $25,000 grant.

“This program was prompted by the large number of disabled veterans who are returning home and now need the kind of help we can provide,” said Greg Secord, executive director of Rebuilding Together Hartford. “They have made such sacrifices, and they have served us all. It’s an honor to help them.”

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For Sandra Steele, owner of “Raegan’s A Fashion House” in Middletown, the course was an excellent resource for managing her business through its early stages. She refined her business plan to reflect the facilitators’ insights and classmates’ critiques, and acquired business management tools she continues to use today.

“A key skill I learned was market analysis. I started out with only women’s clothing, but learned that there was a need for men’s suits, jeans and pocketbooks. The churches needed supplies like robes and baptism gowns, so I broadened my inventory,” Sandra said. “To succeed, you always have to be willing to change.”

Photographer Bill De Kine said the course helped him clarify how to package and price his services to meet the needs of a range of corporate and private clients.

“Its value was immeasurable,” Bill said. “I learned a lot, very quickly. They take ideas that you might have in the back of your head, then they emphasize the most important ones and bring the best ones to light. A great thanks to Aetna for funding this program.”

Sandra Steele

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Aetna Foundation Staff:

Back row, left to right, Sharon Ions, Eileen Campbell, Jaimie Kiefer,

Christopher Montross, Denise Earlington, Kathleen Lilley and Dawn Williams

Front row, left to right, Melenie Magnotta, Marilda Gándara and Sharon Dalton

Aetna Foundation leadership

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15

Aetna Management

Ronald A. WilliamsChairman and Chief Executive Officer

Mark T. BertoliniPresident

Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H.Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer

Laurie BrubakerChief Operating OfficerConsumer Markets

Sheryl A. BurkeExecutive DirectorNational Accounts

Margaret M. McCarthy*Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice PresidentProcurement and Real Estate

Elease E. WrightSenior Vice PresidentHuman Resources

Aetna Inc. Board Members

Molly J. Coye, M.D.Chief Executive OfficerHealth Technology Center

Jeffrey E. GartenJuan Trippe Professor in the Practice of International Trade, Finance and BusinessYale University

ChairmanGarten Rothkopf

Earl G. GravesChairmanEarl G. Graves, Ltd.

PublisherBlack Enterprise magazine

Joseph P. NewhouseJohn D. MacArthur Professor of Health Policy and ManagementHarvard University

Aetna Foundation Staff

Marilda L. GándaraPresident

Sharon C. DaltonVice President

Christopher A. MontrossVice President and Assistant Controller

Eileen R. CampbellProgram Consultant

Denise C. EarlingtonExecutive Assistant

Sharon R. IonsProgram Consultant

Jaimie L. KieferProgram Consultant

Kathleen S. LilleyProgram Officer

Melenie O. MagnottaProgram Consultant

Dawn Williams Program Officer

Aetna Foundation Board of Directors

*Term commences on May 29, 2008

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2007 Giving

■Health $11.6 Million 47%

■ Volunteerism and Matching Gifts

$4.8 Million 20%

■Civic and Community $3.2 Million 13%

■Diversity $2.2 Million 9%

■Education $1.5 Million 6%

■ Arts and Culture $1.2 Million 5%

For a list of 2007 grants, please visit www.aetna.com/foundation

5%6%

9%

13%

20%

47%

$24.5 millionGrants and sponsorships contributed by Aetna and the Aetna Foundation in 2007

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The Difference We Make

Building Communities, Changing Lives

AetnA AnnuAL GivinG RepoRt 2007

Design: Aetna Creative Services

Printing: Allied Printing Services, Inc.

CD Creation: Downstream, Idea Factory and Aetna Television Studios

CD Production: Action Duplication

Photography:

Pages 2 and 14: ©Lou Jones

Page 4 (left): Samantha Burgan

Page 8: Kate Dowd

Page 12 (left): Eric Foster

Page 13: De Kine Photo LLC

Timeline Photography:

Arthur R. Ashe, Jr. ©Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

2005 Award for Excellence, Carmine Filloramo

Aetna Website Resources

©2008 Aetna Inc.31.05.903.1-07 (4/08)

10%

Cert no. SW-COC-1215

the Journey Back — With the help of the Chrysalis Center, Inc., Tracy Poplasky moved beyond the boundaries of drug abuse and depression to start a new life.

Honor & Remembrance — A parade captures a renewed spirit of patriotism in New England and pays tribute to the sacrifices of World War II veterans such as Ben Cooper.

through grants, sponsorships and volunteerism, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation are building communities and changing lives every day. We hope you enjoy this video presentation in which people share stories about how their lives have been touched by the support of Aetna and its community partners.

Spark of Discovery — The children of Noah Webster Elementary School find new excitement in mathematics due to the enthusiastic tutoring of volunteer Stephen Sawyer.

Rhythm & Renewal — Members of the Uptown Troops Color Guard march to the beat of success through the guidance of Aetna volunteer Veta Rodriguez.

17

Building Communities, Changing Lives

System Requirements:Recommended for –Windows XP or above–Mac OSX

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Aetna Foundationwww.aetna.com/foundation

Diversity at Aetnawww.aetna.com/about/aetna/diversity

Aetna Corporate Responsibilitywww.aetna.com/about/aetna/cr

Aetna On the Issueswww.aetna.com/about/aoti

transforming Health Care in Americawww.aetna.com/about/america

Aetna Annual Report 2007www.aetna.com/investor

This

CD

is p

rovid

ed to

the u

ser “

AS IS”

without warranties express or implied of any kind. We recommend that you back up important data and run virus scans before installing any C

D softw

are. Aetna shall not be liable for any loss, dam

age, or disruption to data or computing processes that may occur while using this CD or its

conten

ts. 2

008 A

etna

Inc.

All

right

s re

serv

ed.

1. the Journey Back — Tracy Poplasky

2. Honor & Remembrance — Ben Cooper

3. Spark of Discovery — Stephen Sawyer

4. Rhythm & Renewal — Veta Rodriguez

Stories of Hope, Dedication and Courage

Building Communities, Changing Lives

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From the Chairman ................................................................................................2

Making good health a way of life ...........................................................................4

Nurturing well-being across America ......................................................................6

Broadening opportunities for all .............................................................................8

Sustaining our volunteer spirit ..............................................................................10

Building pride in Connecticut ...............................................................................12

Aetna Foundation leadership ...............................................................................14

2007 giving summary ..........................................................................................16

Video and 35th-anniversary timeline ....................................................................17

Giving:

over $334 million since 1980

Aetna and the Aetna Foundation: Celebrating our culture of caring

1931 ■ During the Great Depression, Aetna’s annual

employee United Way/Combined Health Charities Appeal Campaign begins.

1944 ■ After a tragic circus fire in Hartford,

Connecticut, Aetna opens its 50-bed infirmary to receive casualties.

1956 ■ When St. Joseph’s Cathedral

in Hartford burns to the ground, Aetna welcomes parishioners as the cathedral is rebuilt.

1958 ■ Aetna’s Statement of Principles proclaims

a commitment “to participate in activities benefiting the community, state and nation.”

1959 ■ Aetna President Henry S. Beers makes

corporate responsibility and employee volunteerism business objectives.

1960■ Henry Beers delivers “Responsibility of

Business to Society” address at the American Management Association.

1963 ■ Aetna implements an Equal Opportunity

policy.

■ Henry Beers retires; Olcott D. Smith is appointed chairman.

1965 ■ Aetna launches minority training programs.

1967 ■ Aetna joins the life insurance industry’s

first “Billion Dollar Fund” to finance urban investments.

1971 ■ Aetna creates a Corporate Social

Responsibility department, led by Edwin B. Knauft.

1972 ■ Olcott Smith retires; John H. Filer is

appointed chairman.

■ John Filer creates the Aetna Foundation, Aetna’s independent, philanthropic arm.

■ Aetna implements an Affirmative Action program.

1973 ■ Aetna launches its “Dollars for Doers”

program to encourage civic participation by employees.

■ President Richard Nixon appoints John Filer to lead the Commission on Private Philanthropy and Public Needs.

1974■ Aetna pledges over $1 million to the

Children’s Television Workshop to help underwrite a public television series on health.

1975 ■ The Hartford Civic Center opens, built by

a public-private partnership between Aetna and the city of Hartford — the first of its kind in the nation.

1976 ■ Aetna introduces the Asylum Hill

neighborhood residential loan program in Hartford.

1977 ■ Aetna establishes the Corporate

Responsibility Investment Committee.

1997 ■ Aetna and the Aetna

Foundation commit $7 million to the American Heart Association’s National Women’s Heart Disease and Stroke Campaign.

■ Aetna and the National Conference for Community and Justice host first “Conversation on Race, Ethnicity and Culture.”

■ Quality of Care Research Fund is established with a $15 million, five-year commitment.

1998 ■ Foundation adopts financial literacy as its

education focus.

■ Aetna and the Aetna Foundation introduce a comprehensive visual and performing arts initiative.

■ Richard L. Huber succeeds Ronald Compton as Aetna chairman.

1999 ■ Foundation and Aetna make a $5 million

commitment to help found the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance.

2000 ■ Aetna Volunteer Council expands to

26 chapters.

■ William H. Donaldson succeeds Richard Huber as chairman of Aetna.

2001 ■ Foundation implements a Regional Grants

Program focused on community grants, emerging markets and volunteerism.

■ John W. Rowe, M.D., succeeds William Donaldson as chairman of Aetna.

2002 ■ Regional Grants Program targets

women’s health, children’s health and disparities in health.

1986 ■ Sanford Cloud, Jr. succeeds Alison Coolbrith

as executive director of the Foundation.

1987■ Foundation initiates international grants

program in Asia and South America.

1988 ■ Foundation adds AIDS to its priority list;

grants focus on community-based services.

1989 ■ Aetna launches its “Eye on DUI” program,

an effort to combat drunk driving.

1991 ■ Foundation targets immunization and

primary health care for disadvantaged children and higher education for minority students.

1992■ James Lynn retires; Ronald E. Compton is

appointed chairman.

1993 ■ Michael C. Alexander succeeds Sanford

Cloud, Jr. as executive director of the Foundation.

1994 ■ Foundation creates the Aetna

Voice of Conscience Award to honor former Aetna Board Director and Foundation Chairman Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.

1995 ■ Foundation focuses its grant making on

primary and preventative care for at-risk children and academic enrichment programs.

1996 ■ Marilda L. Gándara succeeds Michael

Alexander as the Foundation’s executive director.

1978 ■ Foundation begins FOCUS program

to address the needs of Aetna’s field office communities.

■ Foundation starts the Neighborhood Investment Program, an urban investment program.

1979■ Aetna’s Corporate Responsibility

Investment Committee makes 53 socially responsible investments representing over $120 million.

1980■ FOCUS expands to 12 cities.

1981 ■ Aetna initiates the volunteer-led

Corporate Lawyers Legal Aid to the Elderly program.

1982 ■ Corporate Social Responsibility

changes its name to Corporate Public Involvement; Alison G. Coolbrith appointed executive director.

1984 ■ John Filer retires; James T. Lynn is

appointed chairman.

■ Aetna’s Saturday Academy begins in Hartford, providing educational enrichment to urban students.

1985 ■ Aetna Volunteer Council is established

to help promote workplace volunteering and foster employee community involvement.

2003 ■ Foundation launches Aetna Employees

Reaching Out (AERO) to build on employees’ enthusiasm for volunteerism.

■ Foundation’s giving centers on racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

2004 ■ Foundation introduces a Quality of

Care Grants Program to address racial and ethnic disparities in health and end-of-life care.

2005 ■ Aetna awarded one

of six 2005 Awards for Excellence in the Workplace Volunteer Programs from the Points of Light Foundation.

2006 ■ Ronald A. Williams succeeds

John Rowe, M.D., as chairman of Aetna and the Aetna Foundation.

■ AERO achieves milestone of documenting 1 million hours of volunteer service completed by employees.

2007 ■ Foundation hosts “Health Policy Forum on

Transparency and Choice in Health Care.”

■ Chairman and CEO Ronald A. Williams accepts A. Leon Higginbotham Corporate Leadership Award, recognizing Aetna’s long-standing record of diversity and corporate social responsibility.

■ Foundation celebrates 35th anniversary.

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Page 21: MAC Communities Lives Building Communities, Changing Lives › foundation › about › assets › 2007_Aetna_Annual_G… · Building communities, changing lives… Aetna and the

From the Chairman ................................................................................................2

Making good health a way of life ...........................................................................4

Nurturing well-being across America ......................................................................6

Broadening opportunities for all .............................................................................8

Sustaining our volunteer spirit ..............................................................................10

Building pride in Connecticut ...............................................................................12

Aetna Foundation leadership ...............................................................................14

2007 giving summary ..........................................................................................16

Video and 35th-anniversary timeline ....................................................................17

Giving:

over $334 million since 1980

Aetna and the Aetna Foundation: Celebrating our culture of caring

1931 ■ During the Great Depression, Aetna’s annual

employee United Way/Combined Health Charities Appeal Campaign begins.

1944 ■ After a tragic circus fire in Hartford,

Connecticut, Aetna opens its 50-bed infirmary to receive casualties.

1956 ■ When St. Joseph’s Cathedral

in Hartford burns to the ground, Aetna welcomes parishioners as the cathedral is rebuilt.

1958 ■ Aetna’s Statement of Principles proclaims

a commitment “to participate in activities benefiting the community, state and nation.”

1959 ■ Aetna President Henry S. Beers makes

corporate responsibility and employee volunteerism business objectives.

1960■ Henry Beers delivers “Responsibility of

Business to Society” address at the American Management Association.

1963 ■ Aetna implements an Equal Opportunity

policy.

■ Henry Beers retires; Olcott D. Smith is appointed chairman.

1965 ■ Aetna launches minority training programs.

1967 ■ Aetna joins the life insurance industry’s

first “Billion Dollar Fund” to finance urban investments.

1971 ■ Aetna creates a Corporate Social

Responsibility department, led by Edwin B. Knauft.

1972 ■ Olcott Smith retires; John H. Filer is

appointed chairman.

■ John Filer creates the Aetna Foundation, Aetna’s independent, philanthropic arm.

■ Aetna implements an Affirmative Action program.

1973 ■ Aetna launches its “Dollars for Doers”

program to encourage civic participation by employees.

■ President Richard Nixon appoints John Filer to lead the Commission on Private Philanthropy and Public Needs.

1974■ Aetna pledges over $1 million to the

Children’s Television Workshop to help underwrite a public television series on health.

1975 ■ The Hartford Civic Center opens, built by

a public-private partnership between Aetna and the city of Hartford — the first of its kind in the nation.

1976 ■ Aetna introduces the Asylum Hill

neighborhood residential loan program in Hartford.

1977 ■ Aetna establishes the Corporate

Responsibility Investment Committee.

1997 ■ Aetna and the Aetna

Foundation commit $7 million to the American Heart Association’s National Women’s Heart Disease and Stroke Campaign.

■ Aetna and the National Conference for Community and Justice host first “Conversation on Race, Ethnicity and Culture.”

■ Quality of Care Research Fund is established with a $15 million, five-year commitment.

1998 ■ Foundation adopts financial literacy as its

education focus.

■ Aetna and the Aetna Foundation introduce a comprehensive visual and performing arts initiative.

■ Richard L. Huber succeeds Ronald Compton as Aetna chairman.

1999 ■ Foundation and Aetna make a $5 million

commitment to help found the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance.

2000 ■ Aetna Volunteer Council expands to

26 chapters.

■ William H. Donaldson succeeds Richard Huber as chairman of Aetna.

2001 ■ Foundation implements a Regional Grants

Program focused on community grants, emerging markets and volunteerism.

■ John W. Rowe, M.D., succeeds William Donaldson as chairman of Aetna.

2002 ■ Regional Grants Program targets

women’s health, children’s health and disparities in health.

1986 ■ Sanford Cloud, Jr. succeeds Alison Coolbrith

as executive director of the Foundation.

1987■ Foundation initiates international grants

program in Asia and South America.

1988 ■ Foundation adds AIDS to its priority list;

grants focus on community-based services.

1989 ■ Aetna launches its “Eye on DUI” program,

an effort to combat drunk driving.

1991 ■ Foundation targets immunization and

primary health care for disadvantaged children and higher education for minority students.

1992■ James Lynn retires; Ronald E. Compton is

appointed chairman.

1993 ■ Michael C. Alexander succeeds Sanford

Cloud, Jr. as executive director of the Foundation.

1994 ■ Foundation creates the Aetna

Voice of Conscience Award to honor former Aetna Board Director and Foundation Chairman Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.

1995 ■ Foundation focuses its grant making on

primary and preventative care for at-risk children and academic enrichment programs.

1996 ■ Marilda L. Gándara succeeds Michael

Alexander as the Foundation’s executive director.

1978 ■ Foundation begins FOCUS program

to address the needs of Aetna’s field office communities.

■ Foundation starts the Neighborhood Investment Program, an urban investment program.

1979■ Aetna’s Corporate Responsibility

Investment Committee makes 53 socially responsible investments representing over $120 million.

1980■ FOCUS expands to 12 cities.

1981 ■ Aetna initiates the volunteer-led

Corporate Lawyers Legal Aid to the Elderly program.

1982 ■ Corporate Social Responsibility

changes its name to Corporate Public Involvement; Alison G. Coolbrith appointed executive director.

1984 ■ John Filer retires; James T. Lynn is

appointed chairman.

■ Aetna’s Saturday Academy begins in Hartford, providing educational enrichment to urban students.

1985 ■ Aetna Volunteer Council is established

to help promote workplace volunteering and foster employee community involvement.

2003 ■ Foundation launches Aetna Employees

Reaching Out (AERO) to build on employees’ enthusiasm for volunteerism.

■ Foundation’s giving centers on racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

2004 ■ Foundation introduces a Quality of

Care Grants Program to address racial and ethnic disparities in health and end-of-life care.

2005 ■ Aetna awarded one

of six 2005 Awards for Excellence in the Workplace Volunteer Programs from the Points of Light Foundation.

2006 ■ Ronald A. Williams succeeds

John Rowe, M.D., as chairman of Aetna and the Aetna Foundation.

■ AERO achieves milestone of documenting 1 million hours of volunteer service completed by employees.

2007 ■ Foundation hosts “Health Policy Forum on

Transparency and Choice in Health Care.”

■ Chairman and CEO Ronald A. Williams accepts A. Leon Higginbotham Corporate Leadership Award, recognizing Aetna’s long-standing record of diversity and corporate social responsibility.

■ Foundation celebrates 35th anniversary.

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Page 22: MAC Communities Lives Building Communities, Changing Lives › foundation › about › assets › 2007_Aetna_Annual_G… · Building communities, changing lives… Aetna and the

The Difference We Make

Building Communities, Changing Lives

AetnA AnnuAL GivinG RepoRt 2007

Design: Aetna Creative Services

Printing: Allied Printing Services, Inc.

CD Creation: Downstream, Idea Factory and Aetna Television Studios

CD Production: Action Duplication

Photography:

Pages 2 and 14: ©Lou Jones

Page 4 (left): Samantha Burgan

Page 8: Kate Dowd

Page 12 (left): Eric Foster

Page 13: De Kine Photo LLC

Timeline Photography:

Arthur R. Ashe, Jr. ©Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

2005 Award for Excellence, Carmine Filloramo

Aetna Website Resources

©2008 Aetna Inc.31.05.903.1-07 (4/08)

10%

Cert no. SW-COC-1215

the Journey Back — With the help of the Chrysalis Center, Inc., Tracy Poplasky moved beyond the boundaries of drug abuse and depression to start a new life.

Honor & Remembrance — A parade captures a renewed spirit of patriotism in New England and pays tribute to the sacrifices of World War II veterans such as Ben Cooper.

through grants, sponsorships and volunteerism, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation are building communities and changing lives every day. We hope you enjoy this video presentation in which people share stories about how their lives have been touched by the support of Aetna and its community partners.

Spark of Discovery — The children of Noah Webster Elementary School find new excitement in mathematics due to the enthusiastic tutoring of volunteer Stephen Sawyer.

Rhythm & Renewal — Members of the Uptown Troops Color Guard march to the beat of success through the guidance of Aetna volunteer Veta Rodriguez.

17

Building Communities, Changing Lives

System Requirements:Recommended for –Windows XP or above–Mac OSX

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Aetna Foundationwww.aetna.com/foundation

Diversity at Aetnawww.aetna.com/about/aetna/diversity

Aetna Corporate Responsibilitywww.aetna.com/about/aetna/cr

Aetna On the Issueswww.aetna.com/about/aoti

transforming Health Care in Americawww.aetna.com/about/america

Aetna Annual Report 2007www.aetna.com/investor

This

CD

is p

rovid

ed to

the u

ser “

AS IS”

without warranties express or implied of any kind. We recommend that you back up important data and run virus scans before installing any C

D softw

are. Aetna shall not be liable for any loss, dam

age, or disruption to data or computing processes that may occur while using this CD or its

conten

ts. 2

008 A

etna

Inc.

All

right

s re

serv

ed.

1. the Journey Back — Tracy Poplasky

2. Honor & Remembrance — Ben Cooper

3. Spark of Discovery — Stephen Sawyer

4. Rhythm & Renewal — Veta Rodriguez

Stories of Hope, Dedication and Courage

Building Communities, Changing Lives