Insurance Community Provides $50,000 in Educational Grants

Insuring the Children (ITC), a program of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), awarded two grants totaling $50,000 grants to Orangewood Children’s Foundation and the Center for Insurance Studies at California State University, Fullerton. Local community grant funds were raised through the ITC’s Annual Educational Forum, which takes a critical look at the opportunities, challenges and emerging trends within the insurance industry.

Published on July 22, 2011

Insuring the Children is a regional Southern California program dedicated to raising funds and awareness to fight child abuse and neglect. Comprised of professionals from the across the industry, Insuring the Children represents a united industry effort to significantly reduce child abuse by funding prevention programs, emergency care and other assistance to children in the local community. Since 2006, ITC has raised over $1 million specifically directed towards Southern California nonprofit organizations focusing on child abuse prevention and eradication.

 “We are very grateful to the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation for their continued support of foster youth through the Insuring the Children program,” remarked Cal Winslow, CEO, Orangewood Children’s Foundation. “[ITC’s] contribution will support our Guardian Scholars program. This innovative program provides college scholarships and collaborative support to over 325 former Orange County foster youth as they overcome their past and look to the future with excitement and hope.”

Orangewood’s Guardian Scholars program is a comprehensive program that enables emancipated foster youth to successfully engage in higher education by offering financial aid, life coaching, mentoring and housing. Originally established at California State University, Fullerton in 1998, the Guardian’s Program boasts over 100 graduates with eighteen partner educational institutions.

Along with the funds provided to Orangewood, ITC also awarded a $25,000 grant for student scholarships to the Center for Insurance Studies. California State University, Fullerton’s Center for Insurance Studies is the largest insurance studies program west of the Mississippi with nearly 1000 students enrolled in undergraduate and MBA study.

"In addition to raising funds for the prevention and reduction of child abuse and neglect, the Insuring the Children Forum also seeks to build stronger insurance communities and support insurance education,” commented Dr. Weili Lu, Director of the Center for Insurance Studies and Insuring the Children Educational Forum Chair.  “We greatly appreciate the participation of leading executives from Pacific Life, Zenith, Lloyd’s, and Blue Cross, sharing their insight into the trends and challenges facing the industry, their work to protect children from abuse and neglect, and their unflagging dedication to supporting insurance education," continued Lu.

ITC represents a Southern California manifestation of the IICF’s mission: helping communities and enriching lives through harnessing the collective strengths of the insurance industry to provide leadership, community service and grants. Nationally, the IICF has contributed over $17 million and 140,000 volunteer hours to hundreds of community nonprofits.

To learn more about the industry foundation or to become part of this united philanthropic movement please visit www.iicf.org or contact the Foundation Office at (925) 280-8009.