In year's past, the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation's Northeast Benefit Dinner was a celebratory, well-attended holiday fundraiser designed to honor the industry's significant philanthropic efforts and spotlight insurance leaders who make service a cornerstone of their business. This year was no exception, despite the fact that IICF, like most professional groups in 2020, moved its event to a virtual format. But this wasn't the usual glitchy Zoom meeting. The IICF managed to keep the event's festive tone by premiering a fast-paced online presentation on Dec. 9, 2020, that included top-shelf entertainment and a series of celebrity cameos. "Tonight, we are here to celebrate the amazing work the insurance industry does every day, restoring people's lives and enabling companies to operate and contribute to society," IICF Board Chair Jim Romanelli, senior vice president with CNA, said at the start of the benefit. The presentation that followed included stories about how IICF donations impact nonprofits and provided a chance for industry leaders to sound off about why they think philanthropy and insurance work go hand-in-hand. It follows that the 2020 IICF Annual Benefit Event raised more than $880,000. More than 380 insurance professionals attended the virtual event, according to IICF, and the benefit boasted more than 75 sponsors. Related: Insurance Speak Podcast: An inside look at the IICF |

Capitalizing on the remote format

The virtual presentation managed to avoid the suit-and-tie stuffiness of some business dinners by peppering the presentation with distanced performances by the Young People's Chorus of New York City. A pool of sports celebrities also helped spice up the agenda. It included two-time FIFA Women's World Cup soccer champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brandi Chastain; former New York Rangers Goaltender and founder of an eponymous philanthropic foundation, Henrik Lundqvist, who's now with the Washington Capitals; former New York Yankee and World Series Champion Tino Martinez; and New York Giants President, CEO and Co-Owner John Mara. Speaking prior to the benefit, IICF CEO Bill Ross said that 2020's distinct challenges spurred by the global pandemic and the need to practice social distancing and curtail travel challenged professionals in every sector to get creative about how they connect with colleagues. "A lot of people see these changes as here to say," said Ross, who added that 2020's hurdles never changed the IICF's mandate to reinforce volunteer activities and foster insurance-industry leadership around service. "The insurance business has to be focused on community, whether that's the business community or local residents," Ross said. "The IICF believes that there is great value when this industry comes together around a common cause." This year's IICF initiatives included the COVID-19 Crisis: Children's Relief Fund, which raised $1.3 million to benefit kids at risk of food insecurity, educational disruption, family homelessness and other circumstances exacerbated by the pandemic. "This industry is particularly generous when it focuses on the needs of the local community," Ross said. Several of the charities that have benefitted from this year's IICF fundraising gave brief presentations during the virtual event. They included: |

• Table to Table, which provides 7 million pounds of food annually to those struggling with hunger through fresh produce markets along with school, church and social-service organization distribution.
• The Children's Health Fund, a non-profit organization that provides health care to children and families on mobile medical clinics throughout the United States.
• Fulfill, a New Jersey nonprofit that runs food banks in Monmouth and Ocean counties; and
• The Mount Kisco Child Care Center, a nonprofit childcare and educational organization that caters to working families.

Leading by example

This year's IICF Northeast Benefit Event turned a spotlight on Gallagher. The global insurance and risk management consultancy was honored with the prestigious "Double I" Award for its notable community-service work. "They have something called 'The Gallagher Way,' which emphasizes the importance of shared values and effective culture, ethics and service," Ross said. "When you look at their involvement in the communities where they operate, they are a leader in the community, and I believe a leader in the industry as well." Barbara Bufkin, senior advisor at AmWINS Access and outgoing chair of the IICF International Board of Governors, said she considers philanthropy and insurance work to be inextricably linked. For Bufkin, "the benefit dinner presents not only an opportunity to celebrate another extraordinary year of charitable giving and volunteerism but also the opportunity to reflect on my three years as chair of the IICF International Board of Governors. I've been honored to serve as chair of the premier insurance industry philanthropic foundation, to participate in regional events (including the women's conference series, now Inclusion in Insurance), and work with the incredibly talented IICF team and partners on IICF's tremendously successful grant-giving campaigns." The nonprofit IICF includes four regional divisions in the U.S. as well as a wing in the U.K. Since it's founding in 1994, IICF has contributed $40 million in community grants along with 300,000 volunteer hours by more than 110,000 industry professionals. "Through this annual event, the insurance industry has been able to support thousands of lives in our communities," Betsy Myatt, executive director of the IICF Northeast Division and IICF vice president and chief program officer, said in a statement issued after the benefit. "This year, that support is more critical than ever as the COVID-19 pandemic has created more challenges for our most vulnerable community members." Myatt noted that the annual benefit has become a holiday tradition, and this year was no exception. "While we are disappointed that we could not meet in person for this amazing event this year, we were delighted at the incredible turnout for the virtual celebration and the generosity of our member companies, event sponsors and insurance industry professionals." Keep reading... |

• IICF gets creative about giving back during COVID-19
• IICF raises over $1.1 million at 13th annual benefit dinner
• Philanthropy in the new normal: Taking charitable events and volunteering virtual