Social Efforts

MFA Financial's social commitment is to create responsible engagement with the greater society and our most valuable asset – the human capital embodied in our extraordinary team of professionals.

Civic Engagement

  • Our more than 20-year history of purchasing mortgages and mortgage-related investments has provided tens of billions of dollars of support for the U.S. housing market, helping Americans purchase homes for their families.
  • In particular, our investment activity facilitates homeownership for borrowers who typically do not benefit from the U.S. Government-Sponsored Entities’ programs to assist borrowers, whether through lending to self-employed borrowers or business purpose borrowers who do not enjoy access to traditional mortgage lending programs.
  • We have granted deferrals and structured loan modifications for hundreds of borrowers who were negatively impacted by the COVID pandemic. These actions have permitted these borrowers to stay in their homes and retain their equity while they work to recover from the financial hardship suffered as a result of COVID-19.

Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

  • We are proud to have been included in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index (GEI) in 2020, 2021 and 2022. We were included in this index for scoring at or above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect a high level of disclosure and overall performance across the framework's five pillars of: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies and pro-women brand.
  • We have been recognized and included in the 50/50 Women on Boards Gender Diversity Directory and Index for the last three years. Women make up 50% of our independent Board members, the Board Chair is a woman, and 33% of our total combined workforce are women.
  • Our CEO is a signatory to the Statement of Support for the Women’s Empowerment Principals sponsored by the United Nations Global Compact. The Statement encourages business leaders to use the seven Principles as guideposts for actions that advance and empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.

Human Capital

Recruiting, hiring, developing and retaining a talented and diverse workforce is critical to our organizational success. The vibrant culture within our company is a testament to the exceptional team of people who make up our family. In 2021, we were certified as a “Great Place to Work” by the Great Place to Work Institute, based on an anonymous employee engagement survey. We provide a comprehensive and competitive combination of compensation, health/wellness/family benefits and additional personal and professional development opportunities.

Compensation

  • Competitive salary and bonus
  • Long-term equity incentive
  • Company-paid short-term disability insurance
  • Company-paid long-term disability insurance
  • Company-paid life/accidental death and dismemberment insurance
  • 401(k) plan with company match

Health/Wellness/Family

  • Substantially company subsidized medical insurance including HSA option with company contribution to HSA account
  • Company-paid dental and vision coverage
  • Childcare reimbursement
  • Company provided employee assistance program
  • Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care
  • Paid parental leave (12 weeks for primary caregiver and 4 weeks for non-primary caregiver)
  • Elder care reimbursement program
  • Paid vacation, sick and personal days and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) holidays (and recommended early close days)
  • Pre-tax commuter plan for commutation and parking
  • Fitness/gym reimbursement
  • Student loan repayment assistance program
  • 529 college savings plan
  • Charity matching program
  • Employee referral program

Professional/Personal Development

  • Tuition reimbursement program
  • Professional licensing and exam reimbursement program including for prep courses
  • Reimbursement for membership in career-related professional organizations and associations
  • Continuous company-wide learning and development/training including growth mindset, DiSC communication styles and emotional intelligence

Woman at MFA (“W@M”)

  • Formed in 2016 to support the professional development of women working within our team
  • W@M has sponsored training in such topics as unconscious biases, partnered with Elevate and Empowership for networking and development opportunities
  • W@M has organized over 25 different events since inception

Philanthropy/Volunteerism

  • Paid time off for employee volunteer initiatives
  • Toys for Tots: Annual event where our company matches all employee toy donations. Company-sponsored breakfast at which two U.S. Marines speak to the group and collect all donated toys.
  • We have also supported the following organizations:
    • WIN (Women in Need) – the largest provider of family shelter and supportive housing in New York City
    • Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation - collaborative cross-institutional research to identify and correct abnormal gene function that causes cancer
    • Kiva – We have specifically supported women-owned businesses in impoverished countries