NAILBA Perspectives - September/October 2014 - (Page 32)

nailba charitable foundation What We're All About A JOHN RIPPINGER, CLU, CFP, CHFC, RHU, LUTCF, REBC PRESIDENT, NAILBA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION s we are approaching annual meeting time, you will have by now heard who our 2014 NAILBA Charitable Foundation grant winners are. As I'm writing this, we are still receiving grant applications from many deserving charities, ever hopeful that their application will be chosen to receive a grant. Out of the many applications we receive, only about a dozen will be identiﬁed as "winners," though there really aren't any "losers" in the bunch. The Felton Grant is the highest award, named in honor of the Foundation's founding father, Col. Bill Felton. Last year's Felton Awardee, sponsored by Steve Sublett of NAILBA member agency CBIZ Life Insurance Solutions, was Promises2Kids, a wonderful organization that responds to the diverse needs of San Diego's foster children of all ages, promoting positive lifelong skills they will carry through adulthood. Speciﬁcally, the grant they received from the Foundation supported their Camp Connect program, which reunites sisters and brothers who have been separated from each other due to different foster care placements. Through no fault of their own, these children lose those who are often the only other people who truly understand them. This separation is devastating. Since last fall, in large part because of our help, Promises2Kids was able to host six Camp Connect events. Tonya Torosian, the organization's Chief Executive Ofﬁcer, wrote to us recently to describe one 32 perspectives SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 event in particular this past spring. She wrote, "On a beautiful Saturday in May, this beach event drew more than 60 foster youth. One little girl who was attending Camp with her sister was scared to go into the ocean; recognizing her hesitance, a volunteer picked her up, while holding the hand of her sister, and the three of them waded out into the ocean. Soon enough, she was playing and splashing in the ocean as if she grew up at the beach! Moments like these prove Camp Connect's success and represent the amazing outcomes of [the Foundation's] support." Our support ensures that more than 300 foster children in San Diego County have the ability to share special moments with their siblings through a four-day summer camp and other events throughout the year. This support is reﬂected in the faces of children who beamed upon seeing their brothers and sisters for the ﬁrst time in months- even years-at Camp, some of whom only have contact with their siblings at a Camp Connect event. Tonya's letter concludes, "Thank you for showing these amazing foster children what family is-and for being a member of ours." You're welcome, Tonya, and thank you for afﬁrming for us what the NAILBA Charitable Foundation is all about. And thank YOU, NAILBA members and corporate partners, for your ongoing and generous support. That support means we can help organizations like Promises2Kids, and dozens of others over the past 11 years. Your contributions, big and small, cash and auction items, and your involvement with charities where you live, mean we can continue our mission to encourage volunteerism among NAILBA members and provide grant funds to worthy charitable organizations that serve to enhance the quality of life for those less fortunate, with a special emphasis on children.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NAILBA Perspectives - September/October 2014

NAILBA Perspectives - September/October 2014
Contents
Chairman’s Corner
CEO Insights
Servicing Orphan Policy Holders: The BGA’s Role
NAILBA 33 Preview
Life Happens
Future of the Independent Marketing Organization
NAILBA Charitable Foundation
Member Profiles
Agency Successor Networking Group
Agency Resources
A Path Forward: Part 1 of 2
Reading Ahead
Calendar of Events
Index of Advertisers

NAILBA Perspectives - September/October 2014