Aetna Foundation

John H. Filer is widely recognized as the "Father of Corporate Philanthropy." He strongly believed that corporations have an obligation to their communities, and believed both giving and volunteering are vital to building and maintaining healthy communities. As Aetna's Chairman in 1972, Filer created the Aetna Foundation, the independent philanthropic arm of Aetna. In 1973, President Richard Nixon asked Filer to head the Commission on Private Philanthropy and Public Needs to study the role of philanthropy in the United States. The Commission became known as the "Filer Commission."