RISKY BUSINESS
THE POWER OF PEOPLE “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 22
| OCTOBER 2020 |
wisconsin INDEPENDENT AGENT
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
