We are deeply committed
to supporting the neighborhoods where we live and work. Our giving and volunteerism are targeted at improving academic and career success, developing thriving neighborhoods and creating culturally enriched communities – all within the context of equity and inclusion. While we kept our focus on these priorities last year, we also continued to address the broader community needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this report, you’ll find stories from our employees and community partners that highlight our charitable initiatives in 2021.
By the Numbers
We gave $24 million to our communities in 2021, bringing us to a total of approximately $228 million over the past decade.
Employee Involvement
Employees raised more than $712,000 through the company’s virtual Community Connections Campaign, which supported the United Way and its partner organizations.
Jason Ramos was among 4,000 employees who participated in the campaign this year. He serves as a field coordinator for our company’s New York offices, regularly organizing and sharing volunteer opportunities with his colleagues throughout the year.
Jason Ramos Claim, New YorkParticipating in the company’s Community Connections Campaign provides me with confidence knowing that my volunteer work and donations effectively contribute to our nonprofit partners and the communities they serve.
Our employees also donated $1.8 million through the company’s matching gift and volunteer rewards program.
Improving Academic and Career Success
Providing educational opportunities to students and preparing
them for college and careers.
In 2021, we dedicated
$5.4 million
to support educational initiatives for 73 organizations, including our signature education program, Travelers EDGE®.Travelers EDGE: Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment
Travelers EDGE provides a holistic approach to academic success and career preparation through partnerships with high schools, colleges, universities and community-based programs.
The program helps historically underrepresented students earn bachelor’s degrees and prepare for careers at Travelers or within the insurance and financial services industry.
-
82
students received a direct scholarship or stipend.
-
17
students completed bachelor’s degrees.
-
55
students secured internships at Travelers.
-
6
graduates obtained full-time positions at Travelers.
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563
students received a direct scholarship or stipend.
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302
students completed bachelor’s degrees.
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298
students secured internships at Travelers.
-
102
graduates obtained full-time positions at Travelers.
Helping Students Succeed
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted students’ lives more than we could have imagined.
In response, our employees stepped forward to virtually volunteer for education-related initiatives.
Click below to see a few of their stories.
- Junior Achievement
-
Genesys Works
Jenny Beauchamp was one of many employees who provided one-on-one mentoring and career advice through…
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The Opportunity Network
Marwan Youssef joined nine other employees to provide professional development and career advice to…
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Usher’s New Look
Elisa Camacho joined a virtual mentoring event where she provided career and resume advice to high…
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Read to a Child
Carolyn Bighinatti was one of several employees who served as a mentor to children across the…
Nick Jones and Helen Lynch were among 430 employees who volunteered with Junior Achievement to help generate financial literacy-focused activities and curriculum for teachers and students. Travelers also had a virtual booth at Junior Achievement – North’s JA Inspire Virtual Career Fair in Minnesota, where employees joined and answered questions about working in the industry.
Nick Jones Claim, New YorkVolunteering with Junior Achievement has been a great way to serve the community. It’s extremely rewarding and inspiring to see a student learn and develop new skills in such a short time. Having the opportunity to facilitate their growth is a unique experience and I’m proud to be a part of it.
Helen Lynch Communications, CanadaIt was an honor to volunteer with Junior Achievement and serve my community. I participated in the program in middle school, so being able to support the next generation of leaders was a nostalgic and rewarding experience.
Jenny Beauchamp was one of many employees who provided one-on-one mentoring and career advice through a partnership with Genesys Works.
Jenny Beauchamp Human Resources, MinnesotaI have volunteered with Genesys Works for the past 10 years. Meeting with students for mock interviews is truly a pleasure. They are so engaged and genuinely appreciate the feedback that I share with them – it’s a rewarding experience for me every year.
Marwan Youssef joined nine other employees to provide professional development and career advice to high school students through a new partnership with The Opportunity Network (OppNet).
Marwan Youssef PI Tech, ConnecticutThanks to OppNet, 11th graders are getting professional resume guidance from industry-leading companies, including Travelers. Through this partnership, I was able to give back to the community. I had a lot of fun volunteering and thank Travelers and OppNet for caring about students’ futures.
Elisa Camacho joined a virtual mentoring event where she provided career and resume advice to high school students with Usher’s New Look.
Elisa Camacho Business Insurance Sales, TexasIt was amazing to work with children at Usher’s New Look as they pursue their goals of obtaining an education. To be able to connect with the kids and know that you are making a difference is so rewarding. Thanks, Travelers, for providing employees with the opportunity to volunteer with organizations that do such meaningful work.
Carolyn Bighinatti was one of several employees who served as a mentor to children across the country through Read to a Child.
Carolyn Bighinatti Tech & Ops, ConnecticutI’ve enjoyed participating in the Read to a Child program for five years now, and whether it’s in person or virtual, I look forward to it every week. It’s an incredible opportunity to share the gift of reading and storytelling with students who bring such a refreshing, and sometimes hilarious, perspective. I’m grateful that I found this program through Travelers’ giving campaign!
2021 Featured Service Project
Operation Food for Thought
In 2021,
we set out to address an issue that affects students of all ages:
the lack of access to nutritious foods outside of school.
This initiative not only provided children with the food they need but also gave Travelers employees the opportunity to reach students on a global scale.
Donations were made to programs in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Travelers employees virtually volunteered for educational programs that made a difference in students’ lives – whether that was speaking on a career panel or signing up to be a tutor. These volunteer hours then translated into packages of food that were delivered to children.
Through this campaign:
volunteer hours were logged by employees.
students will receive packages of food every weekend for an academic year.
Judy O’Neill Claim, Travelers EuropeI was able to spend an afternoon speed-networking with students on the Insuring Futures Program, which was run by the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity in London. My time with the young adults was rewarding and energetic. It made me feel proud to be a part of the Travelers team that volunteered during the peak of the pandemic, and I was so impressed with the talent of the future.
Erin Kerr CEO, Blessings in a BackpackBlessings is truly inspired by and grateful for our partnership with Travelers. Together, Blessings and Travelers are committed to serving others and closing the weekend nutrition gap for kids within our communities. Simply put, thank you from the bottom of our backpacks.
Navigating a New Way of Learning
As part of our efforts to help students in need during the pandemic, we donated $50,000 to Sterling Elementary School in North Carolina to fund the purchase of laptops for students to use as they continued to learn remotely. Our employees also partnered with Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas to provide virtual financial literacy lessons to Sterling Elementary School students.
Tanya Diggs Assistant Principal, Sterling Elementary SchoolWith this donation, our students are now able to engage academically while at home, which is something they could not do otherwise. Students are excited that they own laptops, and we are grateful that they have the resources they need to succeed as they continue into middle school and beyond.
Developing Thriving Neighborhoods
Helping to shape and maintain safe, stable and resilient neighborhoods.
In 2021, we provided $4.1 million to organizations dedicated to helping our communities thrive.
Donating Meals to Our Communities
In early 2020, we repurposed our kitchens in Hartford, Connecticut, in partnership with our food service vendor FLIK to make meals for families in need. Since then, we’ve collaborated with nonprofits Hands on Hartford, Community Renewal Team and Open Hearth to provide meals to families across the region.
In 2021, we prepared and delivered more than 85,000 meals, bringing our total to more than 144,000 meals since April 2020.
Kate Shafer Development Director, Hands on HartfordTravelers has been an absolute lifesaver for our Community Meals program, providing hearty and healthy meals four days a week for all of our guests. We are so grateful to Travelers for standing with us to support our Hartford neighbors in this time of great need.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
In the wake of a significant fire at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut, we announced a joint commitment with the Travelers Championship to match up to $1 million in donations to help rebuild the main program complex.
Employees also donated more than $60,000 and requested matching gifts of $50,000. This led to an additional $110,000 in support.
Travelers Fortifies Communities
Through the Travelers Fortifies Communities program, we continue to partner with Habitat for Humanity, SBP and Team Rubicon to build homes to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s FORTIFIED standard.
SBP
In 2019, we provided a grant to launch a pilot program with SBP, a nationally recognized leader in comprehensive disaster resilience and recovery, to rebuild homes in disaster-impacted communities to FORTIFIED standards.
Since our partnership began, 34 SBP staff members have been trained in FORTIFIED construction standards.
In 2021:
92 HOMES
WERE FORTIFIED
in 7 states.
Since 2019:
We have supported the build of
205 FORTIFIED
HOMES
across the country.
SBP reported that after Hurricane Ida, the roofs that were built to FORTIFIED standards withstood the storm better than those on other homes in the neighborhood.
Team Rubicon
We provided $250,000 to Team Rubicon’s low-attention disaster rebuild program, which responds to devastating weather events that are not large enough in scale to draw significant government, media and philanthropic response. Since 2018, we have contributed $1 million to Team Rubicon’s rebuilding efforts.
In 2021:
17 homes
were built to FORTIFIED standards in 4 states.
Since 2018:
70 of 156 homes
have been rebuilt to FORTIFIED standards in Texas and Florida.
452 of 502 roofs
have been rebuilt to FORTIFIED standards in Puerto Rico.
Art delaCruz CEO, Team RubiconTeam Rubicon is grateful to Travelers for its continued support. Since 2015, Travelers has been a thoughtful and engaged partner, helping us deliver needed disaster services to vulnerable communities across the country.
Supporting Entrepreneurs
We continued to provide entrepreneurs across the U.S. with the tools and resources they need to help them sustain and grow their businesses – and even turn their knowledge into a competitive advantage.
In 2021, we launched a partnership with Village Capital, Black Innovation Alliance and other corporate funders to form Resource, an initiative aimed at supporting the efforts of entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) led by, and focused on, people of color. The partnership provides the ESOs with training and networking opportunities as well as connections to possible funders.
Our employees also volunteered to serve as mentors to the ESOs, offering their expertise in business operations, fundraising and strategic planning.
Melinda Weekes-Laidlow Founder/CEO, Beautiful VenturesBeing a part of Resource was a gift – it strengthened and accelerated the work that we do for creative entrepreneurs in my area. Thanks to the partnership with Travelers, Village Capital and Black Innovation Alliance were able to curate a tailor-made community that supported entrepreneurs across the country.
We also partnered with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) to offer virtual workshops to veteran- and military-connected entrepreneurs. Over the past five years, we have supported more than 500 veteran-owned small businesses through partnerships with organizations like IVMF.
Creating Culturally
Enriched Communities
Supporting organizations that enrich lives through arts and culture.
In 2021, we provided $3.4 million in funding to 33 organizations focused on arts and culture.
Performing Arts
We continued our Global sponsorship of New York City Ballet – a partnership we’ve had since 2014.
We hosted dancers from New York City Ballet for a special event in Hartford, Connecticut, where more than 130 students watched excerpts from the holiday classic George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™.
Supporting Local Artists
We received the 2021 Arts Inspiration Award from the Greater Hartford Arts Council for supporting artists in the Hartford region.
Kate McOmber Interim CEO, Greater Hartford Arts CouncilTravelers has been a long-standing partner with the Greater Hartford Arts Council and a steadfast investor in arts and culture in our region. The company understands the important impact the arts have in our communities as it relates to educating and inspiring all generations and creating shared experiences that bring people together. We are so thankful for their partnership and investment in the arts in Greater Hartford.
Kimberly Kersey Executive Director, The Amistad Center for Art & CultureThe Impact Grant that Travelers provided has allowed The Amistad Center to expand its perennially popular summer Teen Photography Course into the fall semester. High school students from the Greater Hartford region come together weekly in our gallery to hone their photography skills under the direction of a master teaching artist.
This funding is key to our 2021 youth education outreach, and we are so grateful for Travelers and their support.
Art with a Heart
Our employees and Travelers EDGE scholars created clay art pieces that became part of a mosaic for the “Heart of Baltimore” sculpture, which was gifted to the city in celebration of Art with a Heart’s 20th anniversary.
Ivelisse Maldonado Enterprise Diversity & Inclusion, Travelers, FloridaOur scholars benefit from connecting with their communities and each other. This event allowed them to come together, learn about one of our community partners and experience art in a way that was fun and relaxing.
Madison Krchnavy Community Service and Volunteer Coordinator, Art with a HeartWorking with Travelers on this project was an incredible experience. Although we couldn’t be together in person, we were fortunate to have Travelers EDGE scholars help us complete a meaningful work of public art that is sure to inspire Baltimore City.
Art Speaks
Art Speaks is an employee-focused program that leverages our investment in arts and cultural organizations to spark meaningful and thought-provoking dialogue around diversity and inclusion.
In 2021:
250 employees attended a virtual event hosted by The Connecticut Forum featuring famous authors, including Jacqueline Woodson, Lauren Groff and Colson Whitehead.
More than 300 employees attended a virtual Juneteenth discussion in partnership with The Amistad Center for Art & Culture.
More than 130 employees participated in a virtual event with the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and learned about the literary works of Harriet Beecher Stowe, James Baldwin and Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr., set to a soundscape curated by DJ Q BOOGIE.
Click below to find more information about Travelers’ community involvement.
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