Year-End Giving - Independent Agent Giving

While you’re still enjoying the changing leaves, the year-end hustle and bustle will be here before you know it. With business to wrap up, festive gatherings and employee time off, it’s important to plan ahead if charitable giving is a priority for your agency. Preparing early can help your agency give back in a meaningful way that benefits your employees, customers and community long after we ring in the New Year.

Test your knowledge by taking our short quiz to unlock three easy ideas to engage your agency this season. You’ll find real examples from agencies like yours. To reward their efforts, Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance donated to their favorite causes to take their impact even further!*

1. Organize a collection drive for your local food bank or shelter.

When budgets are tight and weather is harsh, community members may not be able to afford adequate clothing or essentials. Increased expenses this time of year also can make it difficult to celebrate with loved ones, but your agency can help ease that burden.

Food pantries see extra need around the holidays, and specialty items like Thanksgiving stuffing, mashed potatoes or cranberry sauce are appreciated in addition to standard canned or boxed items. Socks, undergarments and toiletries are the most requested items from shelters, and new winter coats are needed for colder climates.
Food banks recommend that your drive lasts two to three weeks to give people enough time to donate. Notify your employees, customers and neighbors two to four weeks in advance to get them excited. Use your marketing channels, like email and social, to send reminders and provide updates on progress.
Consider making it a friendly competition with a client or competitor to increase donations or make a matching contribution – for every item collected, your agency can donate $1.
Event time commitment: 2 weeks
Planning lead time: 1 month

Marsh McClennan Agency

The Montana regional offices host an annual holiday food drive for Flathead Food Bank and amp up excitement for inter-office competition using their local high school mascots. Whoever donates the most in each office gets bragging rights throughout the year. If everyone in the office donates, MMA matches it with a gift of $10 per employee.

Leavitt Central Coast, NRB Insurance Agency, and Jeff Van Matre Insurance Agency

Leavitt Central Coast and NRB Insurance Agency regularly volunteer with their local food banks to pack and distribute nutritious meals. Additionally, Leavitt makes a donation to the food bank for every client referral it receives, turning introductions into impact.

Jeff Van Matre Insurance dedicates its new business referral donations to a different nonprofit each quarter, while also hosting food and toy drives throughout the year for Metrocrest Services.

Atlas Insurance and ThomsonBaker Agency

Atlas Insurance ensures every dog and cat at The Humane Society of Sarasota receives a brand-new toy on Christmas Eve to bring joy, comfort and enrichment for animals awaiting homes.

ThomsonBaker Agency hosts a Christmas toy drive with their employees and community, but also gets creative by sponsoring a book drive in honor of their founder. Their partner, the Betty Griffin Center, can give the collected books to families in crisis, place them in shelters, or sell them in their thrift shops to fund programs.

2. Fulfill a family’s wish list

Many charities organize wish list fulfillment for individuals, families or veterans facing hardship at year’s end. Choose the cause that’s right for your agency and obtain your list.

Collect items or donations over a week or two, or pick a day to go shopping as a team.
A few surprise extras like hand warmers, lip balm, tech accessories, batteries and room decor, like string lights, can add a touch of thoughtfulness.
Many nonprofits also provide heating assistance, rental support or cash assistance for gas, public transit and groceries to families. Cash donations or gift cards can go a long way to support the full range of a person’s needs.
Follow instructions for how the organizer would like you to collect and drop off items. Some have rules on gift wrap, food and candy, tags, and monograms. Respecting those rules makes it easier for the organization to distribute gifts and preserve dignity for those in need.
Event time commitment: 1-7 days
Planning lead time: 1 month

Hilb Group of New England and Ruese Insurance

Hilb Group of New England sponsors a family in need via the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention. Associates donate something off the family’s list, while two employees coordinate logistics. They recently added gift wrapping before drop-off to the center.

Similarly, Ruese Insurance deploys two employees on shopping sprees through the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, securing toys, electronics and clothes for kids, plus essentials for parents and ingredients for a holiday meal. Salvation Army picks up the items to distribute.

Sarbu & Stan Insurance

Sarbu & Stan participates in Holidays for Hope, a program organized by Lighthouse for Hope to support families battling pediatric cancer. They host a raffle with the help of their agents and social media to raise funds, then they shop as a team for the items on the family’s wish list. In 2024 they were able to fulfill an entire wish list and donate over $2,000.

Rupp Fiore Insurance

Rupp Fiore Insurance co-founded Yough Helping Hands Foundation and each year they organize sign-ups for Thanksgiving meals, providing neighbors in need with a cooked meal with sides and pies, ready to pick up or get delivered.

3. Pick a day to volunteer as a team

Research shows that volunteering can make employees feel more connected to their colleagues and employer. Pick an activity that means something to your agency and accommodates employee preferences and abilities. Be sure to plan time to reflect on the experience after you serve.

Food banks, soup kitchens, animal shelters and houses of worship may add volunteer shifts in November and December that can accommodate teams for a few hours or a full day.
Centers for youth, families, seniors or people with disabilities often host holiday parties and can use extra hands with setup and decoration, preparing food or games, or distributing gifts.
Alternatively, give employees time off to choose the activities that mean the most to them as individuals.
Event time commitment: 2-8 hours
Planning lead time: 1-2 months – volunteer slots can fill up fast

BWO See Insurance Agency and Inszone Insurance Agency

These agencies pitch in at local charity holiday parties. BWO See provides decorations and sets up the Amareon Allen Foundation’s holiday event for children and families to have a safe space to meet with Santa, while Inszone opens up its holiday party to John’s Kids, offering photos with Santa plus free meals over school holiday break.

Zellik Insurance Agency & Raborn Insurance Agency

Zellik Insurance Agency participates in the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn’s annual Thanksgiving holiday dinner for families and supports its holiday toy drive, donating both time and money.

Raborn Insurance Agency helps seniors without family enjoy a potluck lunch with friends hosted by Smyrna Senior Activity Center.

Killingsworth Agency

Killingsworth Agency donates warehouse space to Operation Heart FELT (Feeding Empty Little Tummies) and regularly packs food to provide meals to students on holidays and school breaks. They encourage agency volunteers to bring their children and grandchildren to gain compassion for what other students may face.

Additionally, financial donations or in-kind gifts are always appreciated. For example, Darnielle Insurance Agency collects contributions from employees to make an annual holiday donation to Tumbleweed, an organization that supports kids and teens experiencing homelessness. Or consider Conver & Winchell Insurance — they donate shoes to families as well as a raffle basket for Kicks for Kids 406’s annual Ugly Sweater Party.

When you give back, be sure to let your clients and community know. Share photos or video and use Gen AI to help you draft written copy and social media posts. By spreading the word, you can inspire others to join your agency and make an even bigger difference this season.

*Following a holistic review of all submitted applications, grants were awarded to agencies in good standing with Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance who applied for Make More Happen Awards in 2025 and met eligibility requirements. Grants will be distributed before December 31, 2025 at the sole discretion of a committee within Liberty Mutual.

Tis the season to prep for giving back