This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Gore Mutual Foundation. To kick-off this milestone, Gore Mutual has donated more than $90,000 to 28 charities in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.
Gore Mutual is Canada’s oldest property and casualty insurer, and giving back has been a priority for the company since it was founded in 1839. The Gore Mutual Foundation was established in 1998 to support Gore Mutual’s broker partners and their communities through dollar-matching incentives and granting funds across three main charitable categories that include youth, community and safety. To date, the Foundation has given over $10 million to help more than 650 charities.
“As a modern mutual company, we are built on the idea of people helping people,” said Heidi Sevcik, President and CEO at Gore Mutual. “Giving has always been an integral part of our DNA and we have a long history of giving that goes back 179 years. We thought it was important to formalize our giving 20 years ago to improve its impact and focus our company’s philanthropic strategies. Our Foundation is a reflection of our company’s purpose and values – mutual protection, integrity, and community.”
Organizations receiving grants from Gore Mutual Foundation this spring include Childcan, Carousel Theatre for Young People, Trillium Health Partners Foundation, Precious Minds Support Services, oneROOF Youth Services, High River Food for Thought, Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation and more.
Josslin Insurance is one of the insurance brokerages who applied for a Gore Mutual Foundation grant. They nominated Strong Start Charitable Organization to receive a $4,750 donation.
“Gore Mutual has strong community roots and a reputation for supporting grassroots projects that make a real difference in the community,” said Scott Wagler, Partner and Director of Operations at Josslin Insurance. “Because of this, we saw a lot of similarities between Gore Mutual’s values and our own. We knew that we could go to them and say, ‘We believe very strongly in this, can we get some help in supporting them?’, and they would be willing to help.”
A. F. Sandy Forbes Insurance Broker chose to support the Canadian Cancer Society by nominating them for a $3,500 Gore Mutual Foundation grant.
“If you take a look at the many, many causes the Gore Mutual Foundation has contributed to over the years, it is amazing all the good that has been done,” said Kathryn Forbes, the Principal Broker at A. F. Sandy Forbes Insurance Broker. “I wanted to work together with them because of our long-standing business relationship with Gore Mutual and the fact that we share the same philosophy of giving. It is very important to me to give back to our community and to do what I can to make a difference.”
Gore Mutual Foundation will be accepting charity nominations from brokers throughout 2018. As part of the Foundation’s 20th anniversary, Gore Mutual is also starting an employee matching grant program to further benefit local communities.
For more information about Gore Mutual Foundation or to nominate a charity, please visit here.
