Special Report: The Charity Issue – Photos of Giving
Frank Winston Crum Insurance
FWCI has an enterprise philosophy of philanthropy with a primary focus on helping people who cannot help themselves. FWCI has supported the Tampa Bay community for more than a decade with a commitment to helping the homeless and hungry. The FrankCrum Golf Invitational began in 2007 to benefit Trinity Cafe in Tampa. Since then, the annual event has raised $1,348,723.
Badger Mutual Insurance
Badger Mutual attended Make-AWish Wisconsin’s Walk for Wishes on Saturday, August 24. Throughout the summer, the company’s employees rallied together to raise more than $20,000 to grant wishes for Wisconsin children living with life-threatening medical conditions. Specifically, the money raised granted the wishes of two kids battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Juniper, a 5-year-old from Milwaukee, and Harlow, a 9-year-old from Hartland.
AssuredPartners – Indianapolis, Ind.
AssuredPartners is not just in the insurance business. It is in the business of developing strong, lasting relationships, which include its employees, business partners and community.
USI Insurance Services
USI has created a corporate social responsibility program known as USI Gives Back, where associates give back to their local communities. Since the program’s inception in 2014, more than 7,000 employees have volunteered, impacting nearly two million lives. In 2019 alone, USI associates participated in more than 325 local community service events across the U.S. and Europe, totaling more than 24,000 hours of volunteerism.
Lee Reed Insurance
Lee Reed Insurance provided 50 backpacks stuffed with school supplies to area families.
York International
York International is a sponsor of the Boys and Girls Club of Mount Vernon Thanksgiving Community Dinner. York employees and family members help shop, decorate, prepare and serve over 200 meals to the seniors, veterans and club members for the past eight years.
Chubb
In September, teams competed in the 20th annual Chubb Charity Challenge tournament finals, held at The American Club in Kohler, Wisc. This year, two teams tied for first place and were crowned champions of the annual event: Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers, playing on behalf of Little Warriors of Edmonton, Ala.; and IMA Select, playing on behalf of Hillcrest Ministries of MidAmerica Inc. of Kansas City. Each of the winning teams will present a $50,000 check to its chosen charity. In total, more than 300 teams participated, raising more than $1 million.
AmWINS
AmWINS Brokerage of New York Assistant Vice President Tracy Andrews ran the NYC marathon and raised more than $3,600 in support of the Pink Agenda. She did a fantastic job training for this race while working hard at her job and being a mom to 17-month-old Noah, who was cheering her on in NYC, along with her husband, Seth.
Hunter Insurance
Hunter Insurance collected new, unwrapped toys for the Children’s Wishes Holiday Toy Drive. Toys, including dolls, trucks, board games, DVDs, sporting goods and books, were collected for children ranging in age from 2 to 18 years old. The nonprofit Children’s Wishes provides life-enhancing experiences to children facing significant medical challenges.
LP Insurance Services
LP Insurance Services WC Claims Specialists Christi Johnson and Claudia Aguilar volunteer at St. Vincent’s Dining Room, which is a part of Catholic Charities in Northern Nevada.
Worldwide Facilities LLC
Worldwide Facilities participated in IICF’s Week of Giving. The Anaheim and Irvine offices teamed up to volunteer in the Second Harvest Food Bank Food Distribution Center in Irvine, Calif. Together, the team bagged almost 6,000 pounds of onions and potatoes to be sent to local pantries where they will be distributed to Orange County residents who would otherwise go hungry.
Harden
For the past 30 years, Harden staff members purchased Christmas gifts and toys for the children in the Child Life Program pediatrics ward at University of Florida Health Hospital Jacksonville (formerly known as Shands Children’s Hospital). Many of the children have been in the hospital for several months, some in transition from abusive situations, some in long-term physical therapy for injuries and post-surgical care, and some who have been so neglected that they must learn trust and affection. Each year, many Harden associates also volunteer to help wrap and deliver the gifts to the children at the hospital.
Atlas Insurance Agency
Atlas Insurance Agency teamed up with Island Holdings (Island Insurance and Pacxa) for its Annual Halloween Party for the children at Kapiolani Medical Center. The party stirs up some emotions as the kids may come to the party connected to medical equipment or are visibly in a serious health condition, however, the joy the party brings to their faces is a remarkable sight and is a reminder of how brave these little keiki are. The purpose of this party is to help take their mind off of their medical challenges and discomfort by having some Halloween fun. The party featured Halloween themed games, crafts and much more entertainment.
Lamb Insurance Services
Lamb Insurance Services has given back more than $3 million in charitable contributions to its clients’ causes and collectively volunteers for more than 500 hours annually, which is more than five hours per employee every year. Lamb has also established a Volunteer Committee. This group engages employees with volunteer opportunities throughout the year, including a November Month of Giving that includes employees volunteering with Share, a program committed to ensuring that no hungry individual or family is turned away from a food cupboard.
South & Western
South & Western continues to support Texas Little Cuties, a 501(3)(c) non-profit dog and cat rescue located near its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. It holds several fundraisers each year, where its employees enjoy donating much needed supplies and funds to this small all-volunteer shelter that brings a second chance at life for abandoned animals.
Chesapeake Employers Insurance
Chesapeake Employers Insurance Company strives to positively impact the lives of Marylanders in need by supporting charitable organizations and causes that are based in Maryland or have a local chapter in the state. It volunteers its time, donates money, and provides resources in a variety of ways. This includes volunteering in the community, awarding grants to Maryland-based charities, holding food drives within its company, and supporting Kids’ Chance of Maryland, a scholarship fund to benefit children of catastrophically or fatally injured workers in Maryland.
Higginbotham
In 2019, Higginbotham sent 16 employees on a 10-day mission trip to Africa with the Zoe Empowers Program, which works to equip orphans and vulnerable children to overcome poverty. It’s the first of a three-year commitment by which Higginbotham is sending a group with the program to witness how it helps children. This year’s participants returned home with renewed hope that will spur all the firm’s employees to support the fund. The fund was established in 2011 to engage employees in philanthropy. Since inception, the fund has raised $2.7 million and granted $2.2 million to nonprofits in its markets.
HUB International Northeast
Over the past nine years, employees from HUB International Northeast have supported various nonprofits to support the annual Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation Week of Giving. For the 2019 IICF Week of Giving from Oct. 14-18, HUB Northeast chose to again support Feeding America, whose mission is to collect food and deliver it to soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters and other community food programs.
NetVU
On May 21 at Accelerate, powered by NetVU, conference attendees came together in Cincinnati to give back to the local community. This annual event, Day of Caring, was coordinated by the U-VU Ohio NetVU Chapter.
Georgia Agency Partners Inc.
Georgia Agency Partners Inc., (GAP) held their 4th Annual Charity Poker Tournament to benefit ALS Society of Georgia. GAP Partners along with our many carrier, broker and vendor partners enjoyed a great evening of Poker and partnership. GAP and our mutual partners raised over $60,000 for this great cause. GAP is proud to support ALS Society of Georgia.
Heffernan Foundation
Giving back to the communities it serves, whether through volunteer opportunities or donations, is a core value of Heffernan Insurance Brokers. Since its inception in 1988, Heffernan has given close to $12 million to charities.
Badger Mutual Insurance
Since winter has decided to make an early appearance in the Midwest, Badger Mutual decided to tap into its holiday spirit! The Badger elves started their busy holiday season on Thursday, November 14, delivering dozens of homemade Christmas cookies to the hardworking officers at Milwaukee Police Department – Districts Two and Three to say thank you to all officers for serving and protecting their communities.
American Integrity Insurance
American Integrity Insurance Group’s philanthropic efforts have been ingrained within the company culture since its inception, a fact that became even more evident in 2019. Recognizing how blessed Florida was to escape the wrath of Hurricane Dorian, American Integrity employees wanted to give to those in the Bahamas who were devastated by the storm. The company contributed more than $50,000 to recovery efforts.
Gowrie Group
Every year between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1, Gowrie Group challenges local community of businesses to team together to raise money for The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries. This year, Gowrie Group set an ambitious goal of raising $175,000 for the SSKP. Gowrie Group has focused their charitable giving on supporting The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries every year since 2004, raising more than $1.6 million to benefit the SSKP.
National Council on Compensation Insurance
On Nov. 15, the National Council on Compensation Insurance held its fourth annual Day of Giving. Over 400 employees spent their day volunteering at 14 nonprofit organizations throughout Palm Beach and Broward Counties. NCCI volunteers fanned out across South Florida, giving back to organizations including Boca Helping Hands, Child Rescue Coalition, Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA, and Sea Angels. Volunteer activities involved reading to elementary school children, cleaning our beaches, sorting and handing out food, refurbishing shoes, building homes, and more.
AIS Auto Insurance Specialists
AIS was active in philanthropy again this year. AIS’s annual Day of Giving supported the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. In addition to a financial donation, AIS employees worked assembly lines preparing thousands of pounds of groceries for children, families and seniors in our community. AIS raised over $5,000 on Red Nose Day to fight child poverty and helped to combat food insecurity for children in Southern California. AIS team members also participated in the Walk to End MS, raising close to $9,000.
Confie
Confie contributes to several charitable efforts. For the third year in a row, Confie is a corporate sponsor of Toys for Tots, an organization that collects and distributes unwrapped toys to children during the holiday season. In previous years, Confie donated over $2 million in advertising services to help spread the word about the charity. It also donated over 2,500 toys for children to enjoy. As a part of the IICF Week of Giving, the company also hosted a Hygiene Build Kit event at its corporate office in Huntington Beach, where members of the community could get basic self-care supplies.
HBT/Leavitt Group
Every year Bob Klontz, Bill Cowart, and a group of employees join the Auburn Food bank to deliver Thanksgiving meals to shut-ins. The group prepares the meals, visits and brings happiness to the people in need. This year the firm started a new tradition to help out local charities. Each office was ordered a Christmas tree and a set of instructions. Each choose a charity, got a list of items the charity was in need of, and had a tree decorating competition using those items.
Stephens & Hobdy Insurance
Susan Harris, a producer at Stephens & Hobdy Insurance, is a participant in Leadership Natchez. While touring the local food bank, The Stewpot, she identified a need for a meat slicer, brought this up to the office staff and the staff jumped on it. They decided to team up with the local Dairy Queen and purchased an industrial slicer just in time for Thanksgiving and the holidays.
Ross & Yerger Insurance Inc.
Ross & Yerger is committed to charitable giving and sees the need to be a good corporate citizen as part of the firm’s identity. Producers are given funds for the purpose of supporting local and national organization. The agency also provides funds to an employee-directed committee to give to local charitable organizations. The agency also allows each employee time during the work week to participate as volunteers. Volunteer opportunities include landscaping work for a local children’s home, assisting elementary school children with reading, and volunteering to serve meals at a local homeless shelter.
The Leavitt Group of Boise
The Leavitt Group of Boise recently implemented an initiative they call Leavitt Acts of Kindness. The goal was to bring joy and support to members of their community. One month they made goodies for delivery service people (USPS, FedEx, Amazon). Another project consisted of gathering essentials for a family whose home burned down. Their most recent project was partnering with the Idaho Anti-Trafficking Coalition to furnish a safe house and provide backpacks with personal care kits for women that have been victims of human trafficking.
The Horton Group
Part of the mission at Horton is to strive to be good for its employees and good for the community. Horton’s Helping Hands is an employee-funded charity campaign where employees’ time, talent, and dedication are invested in local causes to make a big difference. The ongoing focus of the program is to perpetuate the campaign and outreach to foster employee involvement while providing visibility, support, and transparency of our community involvement and charitable financial support.
ReSource Pro
Over the last year, ReSource Pro’s U.S.-based teams devoted time to painting homes for Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln, hosting 4 blood drives, and threw an ice cream social for 80 at-risk youth in New York City. It also partnered with the insurance fraternity Gamma Iota Sigma to create cards for patients at the Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. In ReSource Pro’s China office, the team partners with Caring for Stray Animals to feed the animals and make repairs around the facility.
Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance
Over the last three years, SIAA raised more than $520,000 for organizations benefiting and assisting veterans and people battling cancer. Around Veteran’s Day, SIAA issued a $15,000 match challenge to their member agencies, master agencies and partner companies. A total of $34,675 was raised for the Wounded Warrior Project. A Pink Evening in Boston with SIAA raised over $80,000 this year and $200,000 over the last three years for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/The Jimmy Fund to fight cancer.
Ansay & Associates
Ansay & Associates provides all associates four paid volunteer days each year to use toward the charity or community event of their choice. Ansay & Associates volunteers and donates to local charities by sponsoring and supporting community events like the UW-Madison Carbone Cancer Center 5K Walk/Run. The Humane Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Junior Achievement, Toys for Tots and Portal Inc. are other local community groups they support throughout the year.
Ames & Gough
Ames & Gough’s McLean, Va., office worked with Doorways for Women & Families to adopt four individuals for the holidays. A giving tree was set up so its employees could purchase requested gifts of clothing, other necessities and gift cards for distribution to families at the organization’s first annual holiday bazaar. Ames & Gough’s Boston office worked wwith DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended) to adopt a family of four through DOVE’s Holiday Assistance Program. The office purchased food, toiletries, clothing, and gift cards for the parent to buy children’s gifts.
Arch Insurance Group/McNeil
In August, members of the Arch Insurance Strategy and Distribution team along with senior leaders from McNeil & Co. partnered on a Habitat build in upstate New York. The site includes a home renovation and the construction of two new houses. Employees installed roof trusses for one of the new structures.
Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co.
The team at Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co. participated in the United Way Employee Giving Campaign. In October 2019, PLM supported local charities throughout the country and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Impact Fund with fundraising and volunteer activities. More than $175,000 was pledged to 200-plus organizations around the country.
Pacific Specialty Insurance Company
Pacific Specialty participated in the 2019 Smile Makers Angel Gift Project and have been involved with this charity since 2015. The Counsel on Aging gave the company a small stack of “Angels” that have the first name of the individual, their clothing size, age and what item they would like for the holidays. Employees choose an Angel (or more than one!) and go shopping for what they need. They are then delivered back to the Counsel on Aging in Orange County where volunteers wrap, deliver and help fulfill holiday wishes for a senior.
Jackson Sumner & Associates
Jackson Sumner and Associates employees choose the charity they wish to raise money for and holds several small fundraisers throughout the year for employees to participate in. There is a chili cookoff, cookie-grams, penny wars, an ugly Christmas sweater contest, an annual corn hole tournament and more to raise money. Last year, more than $4,000, was collected and matched by management. The company also does an adopt-ahighway litter clean-up twice a year, gives every employee five hours of paid volunteer service time off, and collected children’s books for the iLead IIANC library drive and canned goods for the Brantley Center at Appalachian State University.
Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.
Fisher Brown Bottrell associates volunteered at the Mississippi Food Network (MFN) and helped prepare over 500 boxes of food for distribution. MFN is the only food bank in Mississippi and distributes nearly 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually to help feed the hungry.
MAPFRE USA
Fundación MAPFRE, a nonprofit organization created by MAPFRE that is active in 30 countries, teamed with the City of Boston on Look Both Ways, Boston, to reduce traffic-related fatalities and serious crashes and collisions. The kickoff event in September featured hands-on virtual reality driving stations and other interactive exhibits. Look Both Ways, Boston supports the City’s Vision Zero plan and aligns with the Fundación’s focus on prevention and road safety.
BRP Group Inc.
After Hurricane Dorian caused so much devastation in the Bahamas BRP colleagues came together to gather supplies to help the region with its relief efforts. Numerous supplies were donated by BRP colleagues.
UFG Insurance
UFG Insurance provides time-off hours for each employee to use for volunteering. The company created its Go Beyond award in 2015, which gifts two nonprofits $5,000 each to honor the volunteerism of Go Beyond winners, like Mark Christman of AssuredPartners in Louisiana (pictured). Additionally, UFG sponsored more than 70 community-bettering efforts in 2019. Through its distracted-driving awareness program, UFG representatives have hosted more than 330 free educational sessions nationwide.
ABD Insurance and Financial Services
ABD encourages its team to be actively involved in community and charity groups as donors, volunteers, and leaders. ABD’s Giving Committee coordinates support for events including the IICF, the Foundation for Agency Management Excellence (FAME) Scholarship Program, annual Alzheimer’s Association walk, annual on-site Red Cross blood drives, and more. In addition, ABD’s annual Golf Tournament for The American Cancer Society has raised more than $350,000 in the last 10 years. ABD’s charitable program Learning Without Limits partners with the Golden State Warriors to provide Bay Area youth with engaging educational experiences. Close to 2,000 students have had the opportunity to experience and learn Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as understanding the value of giving back.
NFP
Numerous NFP offices around the country engaged in fundraising as part of a companywide initiative to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. Collectively, NFP raised $33,739 through fundraisers and Walk to End Alzheimer’s events. In addition to participating in events, throughout 2019 NFP offered resources to employees to increase education surrounding Alzheimer’s disease.
Midwest Employers Casualty
At Midwest Employers Casualty (MEC), community service allows our employees to reflect on the difference they are making in society. By volunteering, our employees gain a greater understanding of their roles in the community as well as the impact of their contributions on those in need of service. Operation Food Search is a St. Louis-based non-profit organization dedicated to ending hunger in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Through their work, they serve an estimated 200,000 people in need each month. MEC employees organize campaigns to help Operation Food Search. Through contributions of time, food items, and financial donations, MEC employees give back to our community and lighten the burden on local families.
WCF Insurance
WCF Insurance started the Legacy of Learning Scholarship Program in 1990 to give educational assistance to spouses and children of workers who lost their lives in compensable industrial accidents while working for WCF policyholders. The program helps people realize educational goals that, because of the loss of a breadwinner, they might not have otherwise achieved. With the presentation this year of 28 Legacy of Learning Scholarships, WCF has awarded over 1,200 scholarships in excess of $2.25 million since 1990. The scholarship recipients whose abilities and energy help them overcome life’s challenges are inspiring.
Western National Insurance Group
Over the past decade, Western National has developed a community partnership with Bloomington, Minn.-based VEAP, a non-profit social services organization serving Twin Cities-area communities. Western National launched a program, Driving Away Hunger, in 2011 to annually donate a vehicle to VEAP to support its Transportation Program. In 2017, Western National assisted VEAP in obtaining its first Mobile Food Pantry. In 2019, Western National donated a 2019 11-passenger Nissan van to the organization to be used for various programs.
Texas Mutual Insurance Company
Texas Mutual’s community program, TXM for Texas, focuses on the communities where its employees live and work and supports organizations across Texas that are making an impact in their areas. Every fourth Thursday of the month, Texas Mutual employees staff and manage Central Texas Food Bank’s largest mobile pantry in Austin, Texas. With Thanksgiving on November 28, employees stepped in to volunteer on a Monday morning to help families in need. Volunteers helped unload food and tables from the truck and distributed over 17,000 pounds of food. Senator John Cornyn stopped by to help pass out food and show his support.
The Plexus Groupe
Associates from The Plexus Groupe’s Corporate Office volunteered at Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit organization that builds bunk beds for children who don’t have their own bed to sleep in. In July, Plexus associates and interns spent an afternoon preparing materials for the Build Day. The group finished enough bed components to complete the assembly of 25 beds. Leading up to the Build Day, Plexus associates spent several weeks fundraising and collecting contributions. With the matching company gift, Associates were able to reach their financial goal.
Insurance Office of America
Ronald McDonald House Charities was selected as the community outreach philanthropy for the IOA Western Region in 2019. IOA offices throughout the Western Region volunteered to prepare and serve lunch at several Ronald McDonald House locations, assisted with the Walk for Kids fundraiser in Orange County and sponsored and participated in the Trackman 28th Annual Golf Tournament in San Diego, among other volunteer activities. IOA has invested volunteer hours enhancing a home away from home place of relief for families of critically ill children in nearby hospitals.
Crane Agency
Crane Agency’s employees come together during the holidays and throughout the year to support several charitable initiatives. In 2019, Crane Agency raised funds and donated items to support multiple charities including Feed My People, Operation Food Search and the Toys for Tots Marine Drive. Earlier this year, employees participated in the STLIA School Supply Drive and collected more than 600 items to help local children in need. In November, volunteers partnered with UPC Heartland to help build a ramp at the Ferguson Community Market Garden.
Alliant
Alliant employees nationwide joined in on the company’s first-ever World Food Derby. The companywide event, which centered upon World Food Day on October 16, yielded a bountiful harvest of results: more than $73,000 in combined cash and food donations, more than 1,400 total volunteer hours completed or pledged, hundreds of employee participants and more than 50 organizations served.
Gaspar Insurance Services
The West Valley YMCA is a community-driven organization that Gaspar Insurance is proud to support. For many consecutive years, CEO Tim Gaspar has sat on the Board of Managers and helped sponsor various events. The main focus of the West Valley YMCA is to make a positive impact on the community. It accomplishes this through many programs geared toward health and wellness, families, and kids and teens.
Assurance
A particularly memorable charity event for many employees in 2019 was Assurance’s 10th makeover for Special Spaces Chicagoland. Special Spaces is a nonprofit that creates dream bedrooms for children with life-threatening medical illnesses. With Assurance’s monetary donation and employee’s time, a child’s bedroom is transformed into a place where a child can dream and imagine while addressing their medical needs. One Friday in May, Assurance employees put on their interior design hats and volunteered to makeover a bedroom for a young spunky girl, Siya.