By: Mallory Cornell | IIAW Vice President and Director of Risk Management

This article was originally featured in our October 2020 Wisconsin Independent Agent. You can read the full October 2020 magazine, which focused on our Exclusive Supporting Company Members here. 

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” - Henry Ford

By now, we hope that you recognize this quote from Henry Ford as it has become somewhat of a compass for us here at the IIAW. On March 12th, the IIAW launched its COVID-19 website and vowed to bring together our community and offer support, encouragement, and direction in any way that we could. Likewise, we saw our members step up in ways they never have before. Yes, there was a continued focus on customers, but also a new sense of urgency and attention for communities and employees.

As we continue our focus on “staying together”, the IIAW will be launching an Online Community to help facilitate networking, connecting, and supporting one another. And your participation will not go unnoticed. The IIAW wants to support your local communities through donations to area restaurants and non-profit organizations and will regularly be recognizing our conversation starters, thought leaders and reputable users in the Online Community.

We couldn’t have done this without direction and support from our Exclusive Company Members, featured in this month’s publication. The amount of kindness and compassion that has spread across the state and the nation is beyond belief. Here are just a few ways that our Exclusive Company Members have had an impact on their communities in the past six months:

AAA: This company has done a great job of continuing to raise awareness of safe driving and is doing so by giving back to the community. The company joined forces with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the MSG2TEENS Driving Safety Video contest. In addition to this campaign, AAA donated over $100,000 in grants to assist public health, safety and law enforcement partners addressing the issue of marijuana impaired driving.

Acuity: Acuity is well-known for its community programs which have not skipped a beat during the last few months. The organization announced a $450,000 donation to the UW-Whitewater Cyber Defense Program to support the university’s commitment to providing education and awareness of cyber attacks. Acuity also recognized independent agents who were going above and beyond in serving their communities through their Acuity Agents Have Heart campaign.

Burns & Wilcox: The giving spirit runs deep throughout Burns & Wilcox and their efforts did not slow down during the pandemic. The company continued to support employees and their communities by dedicating the month of May as a month of giving. In addition, Burns & Wilcox donated $63,840 to benefit hunger-relief organizations including Feeding America and Forgotten Harvest.

IMT Insurance: With the headquarters in Iowa, the team at IMT acted when it came to storm clean up needs after Derecho devastated many areas of the state. The company also supported the American Cancer Society with sponsorships on multiple projects and supported local community projects by partnering with independent insurance agents during their 2020 Community Contest.

Integrity Insurance: The team at Integrity gave back in a big way and the employees were an important part of their efforts. Through support of local community blood drives and filling backpacks for kids going to back to school, the team did not disappoint. In addition to these local events, the Grange Enterprise Gives campaign raised $490,160 to support the communities of their employees.

Liberty Mutual/Safeco: The team at Liberty Mutual took a strong stand in support of systemic racism and we applaud their efforts. The company donated $1,000,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative and matched employee donations to similar organizations. In a time of need, the Safeco team mobilized and headed West to set up Mobile Response Vehicle support centers for individuals impacted by the destructive wildfires in places like California, Oregon and Washington.

Penn National: The United Way does amazing things for local communities and Penn National showed their support this year by donating $50,000 towards COVID relief efforts. In addition to their financial support, the company donated 19,000 face masks to a Pennsylvania hospital to show support for the tireless work of healthcare professionals.

Progressive: Progressive is no stranger to giving back to communities, but this year it is the Big “I” that is extending a huge thank you. The company donated $2,000,000 to establish the Trusted Choice COVID-19 Relief Fund. The fund allowed independent insurance agencies to apply for grants through the national Big “I” and provided financial relief for many agencies during a time of uncertainty.

SECURA: This company has put in the time, effort and hard work to help their community and was recognized for their efforts. SECURA was named one of the Top 10 Generous Workplaces by the United Way of the Fox Cities. Whether they are partnering with local independent agents to provide financial support for community programs or holding their first annual plant sale in the parking lot, this team is giving back!

SFM: The SFM Work Comp Experts are dedicated to their communities and to helping provide future opportunities for young people looking to further their education. This year, the SFM Foundation awarded 14 post-secondary scholarships totaling $250,000. When the future can seem daunting, we thank you for making it a little brighter for these students!

Society Insurance: During these times, many families struggled to put food on the table due to the economic impact of the pandemic. That is where Society stepped up in a big way. The company provided financial support to the Coronavirus Rapid Response Fund at Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin. They also partnered with local independent agents to donate 375 meals to organizations helping people in need.

West Bend Mutual Insurance: The West Bend Mutual Insurance Charitable Trust provided grants to more than 20 nonprofit organizations to directly support COVID relief efforts in local communities. Two of these organizations were Feeding America and the Red Cross of Southeast Wisconsin who each received $50,000 to help with their relief efforts during these uncertain times.

This is truly remarkable…and only a piece of what you have done to support the people within your communities. During a time where there is so much negative media, the Facebook posts and Twitter feeds filled with stories of people supporting one another remind us how powerful we can be when we work together. Watch for an invitation to join the IIAW Online Community so that we can continue to support our communities, together. Keep up the great work!