Gem City Style: August 2024

Jessica Hunter

Jessica Hunter recently met with the CEO of Erie Insurance Tim NeCastro (pictured right), along with the company's chief diversity and community development officer Christine Blashock to discuss the transformational philanthropy of the Fortune 500 company ahead of Erie Gives Day.

At the Erie Reader we mark August with our annual Erie Gives Day issue. Erie Gives Day would be best described as a community-spirited day of giving to local nonprofit organizations leading to a healthier, more economically vibrant and culturally rich community. For this issue, I sat down with Erie Insurance CEO Tim NeCastro and Chief Diversity & Community Development Officer Christine Blashock to discuss the Fortune 500 company's commitment to community service.

Jessica Hunter (JH): Erie Insurance has been a part of the downtown area for many years and service has been a part of the company's vision from the beginning. Can you shed some light on the tradition of giving at Erie Insurance?

Tim NeCastro (TN): Our company has existed for nearly 100 years, and service to the community has always been a vital part of who we are. Early in the company's history, our founder H.O. Hirt encouraged employees to follow his example and make small monthly donations to the War Orphans Fund. We've continued his vision today by supporting a longstanding Adopt-a-School partnership with Pfeiffer Burleigh School, United Way projects that enhance the Community Schools Model, and our Investing in Our Future fund, all of which strengthen education and build brighter futures for children in our community.

The promise of Erie Insurance being above all in service continues to pass from generation to generation within our company. As we look ahead to 2025 when we'll celebrate our 100th anniversary, we do it with the knowledge that Erie Insurance will always remain committed to our legacy of service, and to the communities we serve.

JH: There are hundreds of organizations in the area that would benefit from Erie Insurance support. How do you decide which nonprofit organizations are going to receive a donation?

Christine Blashock (CB): At Erie Insurance, supporting the communities where we live and work is at the center of what we do. We know how important these investments are, and we've identified three key focus areas of giving so we can make a meaningful impact: Community Building, Safety, and Environmental Responsibility. Our Community Outreach team works to develop partnerships, administer grants, and coordinate volunteer projects and in-kind donations for many nonprofit organizations serving our communities. And then there are our company-wide programs that encourage our agents and employees to give where they live. Through Erie Insurance Service Corps, our employees are given 9.5 paid hours a year to volunteer in the community, and many give more of their own time. While we encourage our employees to help organizations that align with our focus areas of giving, they can also support nonprofits that are personally important to them. Erie Insurance also has a matching gifts program where employee donations to eligible charities receive a 100 percent company match.

JH: Charitable contributions, no matter what size, can make a difference for any organization. What about you, personally? How do you decide which organizations to support; and are there any, in particular, which you are supporting for Erie Gives Day?

TN: My wife Lisa and I grew up in Erie and raised our family here, so we love this community and feel called to support it in whatever way we can. In particular, we think it's important to lift up the children of the community, making sure they have the resources and support to thrive and be set up for future success. That's why we chaired the expERIEnce Children's Museum capital campaign in 2019, and it's why we're excited to be the co-chairs of United Way of Erie County's Uniting for Education endowment campaign that was recently launched. We're aiming to raise $15 million to expand United Way's Community School Model into Erie High School and sustain the model going forward.

Lisa and I grew up in modest households without much money, but we both had strong and caring support systems. What we've learned working closely with United Way and our local school leaders is that too many children here in our community don't have that support and lack basic needs like food, clothing, personal hygiene, and safety. These challenges hold them back from learning and being successful. Imagine a child trying to concentrate in school when they haven't had a meal in two days or walked to school in the winter without a coat. Those barriers to learning are what the Community Schools Model is helping to address. That's why Lisa and I got involved, and it's also why Erie Insurance has put its support behind this initiative with a $1 million gift to help launch the Community Schools Model at Erie High.

JH: Tell us about the collaborations and efforts with an organization such as The Erie Community Foundation and Erie Gives Day. What is an example of a successful partnership?

CB: Collaborations with organizations like the Erie Community Foundation are important to our community outreach work at Erie Insurance. Our partnership with the Erie Community Foundation on Erie Gives Day is one of the many ways we lean in to support nonprofits in our hometown. Erie Insurance has been involved with Erie Gives since the beginning, and every year we are inspired by how the community comes together on this day. This year, we're pleased to increase our donation to the Erie Community Foundation's match pool to $100,000. We want to help continue the enthusiasm and encourage the community to continue its support of the more than 500 nonprofits that are registered participants this year. Erie Gives has such a positive impact on Erie's nonprofit sector, enabling these organizations to continue their great work meeting community needs and helping them grow for the future.

JH: How does Erie Insurance measure the impact of its charitable contributions? Are there specific metrics or success stories that highlight the effectiveness of your giving?

CB: We work hand in hand with our nonprofit partners to ensure that programs we support can achieve meaningful results. Impact is measured in part through capacity models and grant reports to ensure the strength and sustainability of funded programs. We value data and know it is a measure of success, but we also recognize that the work we do in the community is about more than numbers — it's about people and moving our community forward.

JH: The investments in Downtown Erie have been transformational, largely thanks to the support of Erie Insurance. How does Erie Insurance stay informed about the evolving needs of the Erie community? What does the future of giving look like for Erie Insurance?

TN: I often say that our roots are here, and they are deep. And what I mean by that is, as Erie Insurance has grown from a small, local auto insurer to a Fortune 500 company that does business in 12 states and D.C., we've remained invested in our hometown and committed to Erie's economic growth. It's no secret that our investment has grown stronger in recent times.

For the many employees in our organization who are lending their time and expertise to these efforts, it's more than business for us, it's personal. We now have over 6,800 employees — more than half here in Erie — and we make sure they understand and embrace our great responsibility to help grow and develop communities where our own families live and work. That service by our employees also helps us understand the evolving needs in our communities and how we, as a company, can help meet those needs. Erie Insurance is built on a strong foundation of relationships. We recognize that there's power in numbers — and the necessity of connections in how we get work done, both within and outside of our organization.

Erie is seeing new companies entering the market, economic growth through entrepreneurship, and unprecedented capital investments being made downtown. There is real excitement about our community's future and that's what we're focused on. The work underway will continue to make our city a vibrant place to live and work. And I'm thrilled that through our company's giving and other impact investments that we are helping to improve the overall quality of life in Erie.

To learn more about Erie Insurance's Giving Network visit erieinsurance.com/givingnetwork

Jessica Hunter can be found at jessicahunterphotos.com