Assurant Solutions/Assurant Specialty Property

Our Mission

Assurant recognizes its responsibilities to our communities and is aware that their health and welfare is essential to our long-term success as a business enterprise. This is accomplished in part through our United Way Gift Matching Program and our Targeted Giving Program.

Consistent with our efforts to promote volunteerism, Assurant supports associates who want to help their communities with the opportunity of a paid day off annually to volunteer at company-approved organizations for community projects and activities. Associates are encouraged to participate in the volunteer program to support their community. In 2008 the program accounted for approximately 3,740 hours of volunteer time in our domestic U.S. locations and Canada.

2008 Charitable Giving Highlights

Over the past seven years, Assurant Solutions/Assurant Specialty Property has contributed a total of $9,193,492 to charitable organizations and programs in the areas of education, health and human services and art and culture organizations, with a special interest in affordable housing and the provision of food for the less fortunate.

In 2008, Assurant contributed $1,598,180 designated as follows: $211,482 to education programs, $107,669 to arts and culture, and $1,239,029 to various health and human services programs, of which $715,751 was directed to United Way organizations corporate-wide through our gift matching program. A total of $40,000 was allocated to other giving.

Major Recipients ($10,000 and over)

Arts and Culture

• Actor’s Playhouse - $10,000 to sponsor the opening season production of the Musical, “1776.”
• Miami Art Museum - $10,000 to support the educational programs for young audiences.
• Miami Children’s Museum - $10,000 to support the Healthy Families Program.
• Miami City Ballet - $10,000 to support the New Works Program.
• New World Symphony - $10,000 to support the Audience and Community Engagement Program.
• Woodruff Arts Center - $30,000 to support the annual corporate campaign for the Center and its Divisions.

Education

• Cache School Education Foundation - $10,000 to provide scholarships for local students and grants for local teachers in Lawton.
• Education Fund - $27,500 to sponsor the “Plant a Thousand Gardens Collaborative Nutrition Initiative in a Miami-Dade school, support the Teacher Mini-Grants program, and sponsor a video honoring our previous CEO, Mr. R. Kirk Landon, at the “Arts of Found Objects” charity auction.
• Everybody Wins - $10,000 to support the Power Lunch Reading Program at Pine Lake Elementary.
• Barry University, Florida International University, Florida Memorial University, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University, United Negro College Fund - $65,000 collectively toward their scholarship programs for MIS, accounting, math, industrial engineering, actuarial, and business administration majors.
• Kennesaw State University - $10,000 to sponsor the 2008 National Collegiate Sales Competition.
• Georgia State University - $10,000 to support the Risk Management and Insurance program.
• Georgia State University - $10,000 to sponsor the Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility evening forum and annual membership in the Executive Circle Group.
• Great Plains Technology Center - $10,000 to support scholarships and emergency grants to student in Lawton, Oklahoma.
• Literacy Action - $15,000 to support the GED preparation programs in 2009.

Health and Human Services

• American Cancer Society - $30,000 collectively as sponsors and participants of the 2008 Relay for Life events in Atlanta, California, Miami, and Florence.
• American Heart Association - $22,000 collectively to support the Start program in Atlanta, Miami and Duluth in addition to Heart Walks to help fund research, education and community involvement projects in Atlanta, Miami, Duluth and Florence to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular disease and stroke.
• Atlanta Community Food Bank - $10,000 to provide general operating support to help feed the hungry in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters – $12,000 collectively as sponsors of the Bowling for Kids Sake event, Arby’s golf fundraiser, and a general holiday donation for operating expenses in Scottsdale.
• Boys and Girls Club - $10,000 to provide funding for local youth programs in Lawton.
• Community Food Bank of South Dakota - $10,000 to support the Black Hills Regional Food Bank serving the western South Dakota region and surrounding communities.
• Farm Share - $10,000 to assist with the cost of an additional box truck to transport donated food.
• Habitat for Humanity - $124,230 collectively for 2008 projects in Atlanta, Miami, Orange, and Canada.
• Hands on Miami - $15,000 to support a 12-month volunteer initiative/employee engagement plan through Diversified Financial Services.
• Junior Achievement Canada - $ 12,800 to sponsor table for the Canadian Business Hall of Fame annual fundraiser, to support the Titan and Dream Big programs, and four economic programs toward local Kingston schools reaching 120 students.
• Lawton Food Bank - $10,000 to help feed the needy in the Lawton, Oklahoma community.
• Miami-Dade Police Athletic League - $10,000 to support “Don’t Let Alcohol be your Last Taste of Life” and “Join a Team Not a Gang” Programs.
• Salvation Army - $10,000 to provide support for local emergency assistance and low income families in Lawton.
• United Way - $713,485 to match pledges from associates toward the annual campaign.
• United Way - $10,000 to support the loaned executive program for local campaigns.
• YMCA - $22,500 to support the Strong Kids Campaign as Queen sponsors, the coach recognition awards event, and the holiday camp for at-risk teen males.

Other

• Zoological Society of Florida - $25,000 to support the 2008 educational programs and conservation efforts and projects.
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden - $15,000 to support the 2009 Fairchild Challenge Education Programs.

Highlights of Charitable/Community Volunteer Projects

• United Way Campaign
  Activities included bake sales, silent auctions, car washes, basketball competitions, game shows, candy grams, gift giveaways, carnival, performances and various item drawings. The campaign raised $715,700 in pledges and fundraisers which, when matched by Assurant, resulted in over $1.4 million for United Way. Employees in Rapid City and Puerto Rico kicked off their campaigns participating in the United Way Day of Caring.
• Habitat For Humanity
  Miami completed their seventh Habitat for Humanity home on April 12, 2008 in the Jordan Commons development of Princeton. This year’s project was part of the Blitz Build, an accelerated building initiative whereby homes are built over a two week period with the help of sponsors, homeowners and volunteers. Atlanta also completed their fifth Habitat for Humanity home on December 13, 2008 in western Cobb County. Approximately 200 Assurant employees, relatives and friends worked on the 10-week project. Canada also partnered with Habitat for Humanity in Kingston through a dedication ceremony on October 17 to celebrate the completion of their third build. Employees in California partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County to sponsor the first “Team Build Day”.
• American Cancer Society-Relay For Life
  Employees in Miami, Atlanta and Florence participated in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, raising nearly $45,000 collectively.
• Community Food Banks
  Scottsdale employees sponsored two volunteer days in April at the St. Mary's Food Bank. Miami sponsored three volunteer opportunities with Farm Share at the Miami-Dade Speedway location. Collectively, forty-five associates volunteered to help pack, sort and distribute foods to the needy in the community. The three groups packed 48 bins of foods and distributed assorted food items to 1,387 families. The October team of volunteers were recognized by the Commodity Manager as setting a record for one days work.
• Great American Bake Sale
  Assurant raised a total of $3,380 to support this initiative, increasing the total contributed over the past five years to over $91,000. Share Our Strength is a leading anti-hunger organization that helps fight childhood hunger across America.
• Other Projects
  
  • Approximately 50 Miami associates, family members and friends participated in the 8th Annual Miami-Dade Walk Now for Autism research help on February 10 at Crandon Park. Assurant’s team raised $2,060 through walk registrations, bake sale and various other fundraising activities.
  • Volunteer fairs were held in Atlanta and Miami. Organizations represented were: American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Atlanta food Bank, Chattahoochee Nature Center, Children’s Restoration Center, Childkind, Habitat for Humanity, March of Dimes, United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Children’s Home Society, Everybody Wins! South Florida, Farm Share, Hands on Miami, KAPOW, Sunrise Community, Education Fund-Great American teach-A-Thon and Florida Breast Health Initiative.
  • Approximately 360 Atlanta associates and family members participated in the Kaiser Permanente Corporate 5K Run/Walk and company picnic on September 27. Assurant won the “Participation Award” for fielding the largest team, an increase of more than 150 participants from 2006, in addition to a plaque for first place participation in the insurance industry category and second place overall award for women runners.
  • Miami associates formed a team of more than 510 employees, family members and friends for the annual 5K (3.1 mile) Mercedes Benz Corporate Run on May 1.
  • Atlanta associates and family members participated in the Kaiser Permanente Corporate 5K Run/Walk on September 25. Assurant won the Silver Cup “Participation Award” for fielding the largest team for the second year in a row, with 457 participants.
  • Sponsorships for other walks included, Multiple Sclerosis Society, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, American Heart Walk, March of Dimes, Juvenile Diabetes, Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk and Autism walks.
  • Project Elf Holiday drives were held in Miami in November/December. The Angel Tree drive provided 600 children (via the Community Health of South Dade) with toys for the holidays. In addition, associates donated over 200 unwrapped toys for the New Toy Drive. Six bicycles were also collected for drawings held at the holiday party.
  • Various food, clothing and toy drives were held for Daily Bread, Atlanta Community, North Texas, Lawton, and St. Mary’s Food Banks, Children’s Restoration Network, Children’s Home Society, North Middle School, SafeSpace, Hope Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters, St. Vincent De Paul Society, Simon Community, Salvation Army, Children’s Hospitals, Hope at the Well, Atlanta Battered Women, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and Toys for Tots. Also, blood drives were held for American Red Cross, Community Blood Center, South Florida Blood Bank, United Blood Services, and Life South.
  • Various other fundraisers were held for American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, National Alliance for Autism, March of Dimes, Ronald McDonald House, St. Mary’s Food Bank, Breast Cancer Research, Orange County Food Bank, Partners in Mission Food Bank, Community Partnership for the Homeless, Cystic Fibrosis, Mercy House, Lawton Food Bank, C. Carter Crane Emergency Homeless Shelter, Children’s Restoration Network, Red Cross National Floods Appeal, Bobby Moore Bowel Cancer Campaign, Childline, Wexham Park Hospital, Children in Need, Children’s Restoration Network, Stonybrook Island Park and Jeans for Genes, Labor’s Community Service Agency, Love Freely Community Outreach, Crime Stoppers Drug Busters, U.S. Army supplies drive, toiletry and calling card drive for troops overseas, Hands on Miami, Shake-A-Leg, United Blood Services, Orange County Food Bank, Juvenile Diabetes Research, Toys for Tots, St. Vincent de Paul clothing drive
  • Other special events included Kids at Work Day in Miami, with a special Assurant version of Are you Smarter Than a 5th Grader.
  • Associates from Miami and Atlanta joined volunteers to improve the community through Hands On Miami, an initiative to reinforce teamwork and services by participating in team-building projects serving our community. These volunteer opportunities were held at the Coral Reef Montessori Academy, the Hebrew Home of South Beach, and Children’s Home Society.
  • Associates in Atlanta also participated in opportunities with a focus on teamwork and service. Volunteers completed their first two projects this quarter with KaBoom to “Build a Playground in a Day” at Cleveland Avenue Elementary School and Embracing Hospice, providing lawn care for hospice patients at Eden Gardens and Brittany House.

Community Awards and Recognition

The American heart Association recognized Assurant’s Miami Corporate Campus as a “Start! Fit-Friendly Company”. This award recognizes companies that demonstrate progressive leadership by making the health and wellness of their employees a priority.

Assurant’s Atlanta and Duluth Sites received recognition from the United Way as a “Top Ten-Above and Beyond” contributor for the 2007 campaign. The total raised from pledges and fundraiser during the campaign totaled $228,296 including the company match. This represented a 32% increase over 2006 donations.

The Atlanta office was the recipient of the 2008 Good Neighbor Award presented by SafeHouse Outreach, a non-profit organization reaching out to area homeless and helping to integrate them back into society to lead healthy and functional lives.

Miami was recognized for their community volunteerism by Hands on Miami in the January Issue of Volunteer Update newsletter. They cited Assurant as “raising the bar” when it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility.

Joining hands to make a difference in the Community (.pdf)

 For further information, please contact: Debbie.Burbridge@assurant.com.

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