Significant Expansion from 2020 to 2025
Storyknife, March/April 2025 edition
Since its creation, Calista has provided $160.1 million in total distributions to Shareholders. Over half of this amount—$85 million—has been declared since 2020. During this same period, Calista also has experienced a large expansion in enrollment, digital services and customer service.
Following are some numbers and information related to these important trends.
Did you know? Calista’s Board of Directors must approve all Shareholder distributions. Here is a background on the three types of distributions made to Calista Shareholders.
Spring Distribution:
- Provided to all Shareholders, usually in April
- Total to date: $115.1 million
- How it’s calculated: The formula to determine the amount of each spring distribution is based on 3.5%of the average Shareholders’ equity for the past three years.
- Shareholders equity is the total of all of a corporation’s assets (what’s owned, cash, etc.) and subtracting all the liabilities (what is owed, like loans and other debts).
Akilista Distribution:
- Provided to all Shareholders, usually in November
- Total to date: $32.5 million
- How it’s calculated: The formula to determine the amount is based on 4% of the average Akilista investment portfolio balance for the past three years. Akilista is an investment fund created to provide a perpetual source of distributions not dependent on business operations.
Elders’ Benefit Program:
- Provided to original Shareholders 65 years of age or older, usually in December
- Total: $12.4 million
- How it’s calculated: The Elders’ Benefit distribution is a set amount per eligible Elder, not per share. The fixed amount per eligible Elder is approved by the Board of Directors based on a financial analysis performed by management.
- Shareholders voted to approve this program through an advisory resolution vote during the 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Chevak.
How Distributions are Paid:
- The average Shareholder has 100 shares, but some have less and others have more due to inheritance or gifting.
- The two distributions are spread equally by share across an ever-growing number of Shareholders.
- The number of shares grew from 1,330,000 in 1972 to over 4,154,000 in early 2025.
More Shareholders, More Customer Service, More Paper
- Shareholders voted to open enrollment to Descendants and those who missed enrollment in 1971. The number of Shareholders has increased significantly from approximately 13,000 to over 38,400 Shareholders.
- The increase in Shareholders keeps Calista staff busy! In 2024, Shareholder Services received over 56,000 contacts (calls, emails, visits, etc.).
- Additionally, the increase in Shareholders results in a large amount of paper being used for Annual Meeting materials—11,000 pounds in 2024.
Growth in Digital Services
A growing number of Shareholders are internet-savvy and want Calista to provide digital services. Here are some examples of the growth in our digital services:
- Over 8,500 MyCalista accounts, compared to 6,600 in 2020
- Over 16,600 signups for direct deposit, compared to 10,000 in 2020
- Over 2,000 signups for electronic Annual Meeting materials (saved 1,900 pounds of paper in 2024)
- 82 percent of Shareholders who voted in the 2024 Annual Meeting voted online, compared to 2.5 percent in 2014; more than 1 in 3 Elders have voted online in the past few years
