When ‘giving back to the community’ is at the core of an insurer’s business

In November, Ecclesiastical announced the winners of its annual Community Impact Grant (CIG) initiative. For this year, 13 registered charitable organizations across Canada were selected to receive funding from Ecclesiastical for projects that make a “positive and sustained impact.” Specifically, the insurer chose to support charities and non-profits with projects that benefit the youth, vulnerable and under-represented people, or that support unique cultural programs.

But why should insurers participate in charitable efforts? Is there more to giving to non-profits than just the optics? Answering those questions and more is David Huebel (pictured), president of Ecclesiastical Insurance, who once described the insurer’s business model as a “virtuous circle of giving.”

What is Ecclesiastical’s Community Impact Grant program?

Ecclesiastical Insurance’s Community Impact Grant program provides grants to registered charitable organizations across Canada for specific projects that make a positive and sustained impact on the community, by benefiting youth, vulnerable and under-represented people or by supporting our communities’ unique cultural programs.

The grant is awarded under the auspices of Ecclesiastical’s charitable trust owner, Benefact Trust.  Since its inception in 2017, nearly $2.4 million has been awarded to more than 200 Canadian charities through the Community Impact Grant.

How does Ecclesiastical tie in its community work with its business operations?

Giving back is central to our values and our culture; it is our mission and the reason we exist. We’re deeply involved in our communities through partnerships, sponsorships and employee volunteer initiatives that help improve the lives of people in need.

Employees are provided with paid volunteering leave and a donation matching program, to support charities that are meaningful to them. Additionally, volunteer activities are regularly scheduled during work hours with high participation levels.

Ecclesiastical also has a Business Associate Program, which is a rotational career development opportunity designed for recent university graduates, or young people in the workforce. Our associates are placed at a charity or non-profit for two months as an important part of the program, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the organization’s efforts.

We believe that good business leaders must champion corporate social responsibility. Associates who complete these assignments have a far greater respect for the work of non-profits and volunteers, and for the importance of giving back — both personally and corporately.

You previously mentioned that the company aims to donate about $389 million by 2025. How does your company plan to hit that goal?

Ecclesiastical is part of the Benefact Group – a charity owned, international family of financial services companies that gives all available profits to charity and good causes. The Benefact Group has specialty insurance businesses in four countries and each business is a specialist in its field, united by a shared ambition to have a lasting positive impact on the communities we support.

Earlier this year, our parent company, Benefact Group celebrated the achievement of giving more than £100 million (CA$160 million) to good causes. With a goal to donate £250 million (CA$389 million) by 2025, the Benefact Group is recognized as the fourth-largest corporate donor to charity in the UK according to the UK Guide to Company Giving 2021/22.

As we look to the future, we expect the needs of our beneficiaries and charities to grow substantially. And we want to play our part helping to meet those needs. Therefore, we have recently launched a new ambitious group strategy that will see us transform our group over the next five years. In short, we want to innovate and accelerate our growth so that we can give even more money to good causes. Our “next chapter” will see us invest even more in new systems and technology, helping our businesses to innovate with purpose.

In June 2022, HM King Charles III joined hundreds of beneficiaries at a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the £100 million donation milestone. His Majesty was joined at Westminster Abbey by some of the 10,000 charities that have benefited from Benefact Group’s giving and attended the special service on behalf of the Prince’s Foundation.

Apart from donations, how else is Ecclesiastical helping the communities it serves?

The Ecclesiastical team is very involved in our communities through volunteering and donating funds, and we are proud of our employees for volunteering their time.  On average, our 80 employees volunteer over 500 hours a year to charities in our communities.  Charitable donations made by employees are matched through a company matching plan, doubling the impact to charities.

Each year during the holiday season, our offices across Canada participate in raising funds and volunteering at local charities, to help make a difference in their communities.  For example, last year our Ontario team raised funds for The Scott Mission, while our Western Region sponsored a family through the North East Calgary Adopt a Family Society, collecting gifts and a grocery card. Our Eastern Region raised funds for Phoenix Youth, supporting youth and their families in communities across Halifax. And our Pacific Region sponsored a family through the Christmas Bureau, purchasing gifts and food. 

As part of Ecclesiastical’s corporate partnership program, on a rotating basis, we select a national charity that we support, providing funding, volunteering our time, raising awareness and participating at events. In 2022 we entered into a two-year corporate partnership with Food Banks Canada, providing support to the ‘After the Bell – Relieving Child Hunger’ program. This partnership will provide engagement, volunteering and fundraising opportunities for our employees and we will help provide 175,000 packages of healthy food to kids across Canada.

In 2022, our two-year partnership with Alzheimer’s Society drew to a close.  As well as corporate sponsorship, employee volunteer and fundraising initiatives, one of our business associates worked with the Alzheimer’s Society to deliver a customized solution for their volunteer management team.

Also this year, we are pleased to partner with National Trust for Canada and their Next Great Save competition, sponsoring the $50,000 grand prize. The prize money will be used for a project that will adapt, renew or improve a heritage place for the future, and inspire us all in the process.

And, we are partnering with Willowbank School of Restoration Arts, Canada’s premier heritage conservation educational facility, and providing a bursary over three years for students in their program.

For several years Ecclesiastical has also sponsored the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Museums: History Alive! and the Ecclesiastical Insurance Cornerstone Awards presented by National Trust for Canada.

These initiatives provide a snapshot of what our employees do.  Growing our business means that we will provide more of our profits to charities – and we take this role seriously.