Deserving Credit

“The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones.”

Julius Caesar, Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s quote applies to the insurance industry in the public and the media’s eyes all too often. So I thought that a few recent items point to “credit deserved” by insurance people. Leonard Scioscia has been named President of Little Flower’s Board of Directors. Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York (Little Flower) provides critical programs and services to children, families and adults with developmental disabilities in New York City and across Long Island. Mr. Scioscia has served on the board since 2013. Since joining, he has shown great interest in helping the youth of Little Flower by attending events such as Career Day, in which he participated as a panel speaker. Cook Maran & Associates, a full service insurance broker and consulting firm with offices in East Hampton, Southampton and Melville, N.Y., as well as Marlton and Fair Lawn, N.J., is dedicated to the entity. Mr. Scioscia is the CEO…. … The New York Life Foundation just announced that it has passed the $25 million grant-making mark for total funds committed to supporting grieving children and their families. Helping children who have experienced the death of a loved one is a major focus area of the Foundation, which has worked to raise awareness of the scope and impact of childhood bereavement since 2007. The Foundation’s latest grant, a $3 million commitment to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to deliver training and technical support to help local club staff support grieving youth through their Be There program, propelled the Foundation over the $25 million mark. “We are very proud to reach this milestone, which represents our sustained dedication to this important yet historically under-served population,” said Heather Nesle, president of the New York Life Foundation. In the U.S., nearly one in twenty children will lose a parent before age 16, and the vast majority will experience the loss of a family member or friend by the time they complete high school. Many grieving children suffer in silence and isolation, subject to a range of emotional, psychological and behavioral difficulties which, if left unaddressed, can extend well into adulthood. In response to this need, New York Life has made grants to a wide range of distinct grief-related nonprofits, underwriting bereavement camps, children’s recreational groups, tragedy assistance for military families, university research, and more. Additionally, the Foundation extends direct support to childhood bereavement centers/programs across the country through its Grief Reach program, which has awarded 153 community expansion and capacity building grants to date. Since 2004, the Foundation’s overall budget has grown steadily, topping $18 million in 2016.

“Despite its prevalence and poignancy, childhood bereavement is still considered a ‘niche’ funding area,” said Nesle. “As one of the largest national corporate funders of childhood bereavement, New York Life is actively working to increase capacity in the field by building communication and collaboration among grantees and helping to raise national awareness of the issue.” For example, New York Life’s long-term support of the National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC) has enabled the organization’s transformation into a professional, organized alliance of grief stakeholders with a growing membership and fundraising base. Between 2012 and 2015 alone, NAGC’s membership has increased by 85 percent and the size of its annual national symposium has doubled, drawing over 450 attendees this year. “The childhood bereavement support field is grateful for the generous support provided by the New York Life Foundation. Their support is wide-reaching and has had a direct impact on the expansion and advancement of services provided to bereaved children and teenagers across the United States,” said Andy McNiel, chief executive officer of NAGC. “Just as important as their financial support of the field has been the heart with which they have provided that support. From the staff to the leadership, the Foundation cares deeply about the issues and that children and families receive the support they need. New York Life’s support of the issue extends across our whole organization. Helping families deal with the death of a loved one – both financially and emotionally – is at the heart of what New York Life does,” said Maria Collins, vice president of the New York Life Foundation. “As a result, we have been able to embody our commitment to grieving children from the top down.” Nice work, friends.