Giving Back, Giving Together

This is the 9th year that Insurance Journal editors have the pleasure of publishing the very best news in the industry — the good news about good deeds happening across the world thanks to dedicated insurance industry professionals.

We have enjoyed pulling together this special issue of Insurance Journal — The Charity Issue — that is filled with stories of charitable efforts by agents, brokers and carrier partners. It’s always a difficult task to narrow down the stories to a number we could fit in this report, but it a challenge we treasure.

While the insurance industry financially supports many worthy causes year-round, insurance professionals often give much more than dollars. Sharing of money and time is not only important to the charity but it’s critical to those who are giving, too.

Studies show that giving can actually boost your physical and mental health. Volunteering provides a sense of purpose and teaches valuable skills while strengthening existing relationships and creating new ones. But this isn’t news to the insurance industry or to Insurance Journal. Countless agencies, brokerages and insurance companies give their employees paid time off to volunteer and help nonprofit organizations raise the funds necessary to support their organizations’ efforts.

Supporting the community is a team effort, says Darren Cartwright, claims practice leader, senior vice president at Woodruff Sawyer. Cartwright serves as the chair for the WS’s CARE program, which stands for “Community, Action, Responsibility, Enhancement,” he said. CARE supports nonprofit organizations through monetary contributions and volunteer service.

“Each of our geographic areas has its own unit for CARE, led by one or two individuals, and then we have a national CARE,” Cartwright said. This approach allows the agency to help local efforts, as well as one larger national effort. This year, the national focus was hunger with a goal to provide $25,000 to Feeding America by year-end. Working together as a team in different geographic regions is part of the fun, Cartwright said. “Activities where you can get people out and together as a team gets people motivated.” This year, WS boosted giving morale by implementing a TikTok contest. “For every $500 donation milestone reached, a video of one our WS leaders was released on our internal Slack account,” he said.

This is just one of many stories of charitable deeds done by the insurance industry. We hope you will be inspired like we have been over the years by the industry’s generosity and kindness. And to all of you who have given and will continue to give, thank you.

Best wishes to our Insurance Journal readers for a healthy and prosperous 2022!