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At Markel, we are committed not only to strengthening the communities where we live and work, but also to enabling the individual personal potential of our neighbors and the environmental resiliency of our planet. It’s the Markel Style.
Markel has a long legacy of giving, beginning in 1930 with our founder, Sam Markel. Sam was committed to social improvement in his community. Starting in 1947, he donated large sums to cancer research to honor his wife, who had died of cancer. In the 1950s, he contributed significantly to the creation of a nonprofit hospital that accepted all races and religions, which was unusual for that time.
Sam passed down his commitment to community to his sons and they to their sons, creating an enduring legacy of Markel giving. The founding of Partnership for the Future, The Faison Center, Operation Healing Forces, The Market at 25th and more, are all the continuation of that legacy.
Markel believes in putting the power of philanthropy in the hands of its employees
The Markel Matching Gifts program supports employee giving with a 3:1 match to any valid, registered non-profit organization. The minimum donation amount is $25, and all full-time employees are eligible to participate. Over the decades since this program was established, Markel has donated tens of millions of dollars to causes our employees care about.
The most recent addition to the Markel Matching Gifts program rewards employee volunteerism through the Dollars for Doers program. Employees volunteer their time with a valid, registered non-profit organization and Markel matches the value of that time with a 3:1 cash donation to that organization.
Additionally, Markel provides paid time off for employees who volunteer during the workday. The Sam Markel Days of Service is a month-long, global initiative to engage employees around the world in their local communities. Each location organizes and executes volunteer events to help their community thrive. Markel employees have donated thousands of hours of their time to help strengthen their community.
Markel supports the development of employee servant leaders through non-profit board service. Interested employees can be connected to local non-profit organizations who support the causes they care about. Talented employees sharing their time and expertise with non-profits who need these skills is a win-win for everyone.
Employee-based Grant Review Committees
Markel’s office location footprint spans communities across the nation and across the globe. Our offices are in communities that have their own unique needs. Recognizing this, we survey our employees to identify which causes are most important to their community, and to them.
Corporate donation funds are allocated to each location with 50 or more employees. Each location forms an employee-based grant review committee and utilizes the survey information to guide philanthropic grant decisions for that community. These Grant Review Committees have created a positive impact on both non-profit organizations and Markel employees. Non-profits appreciate the generosity, writing personal testimonials expressing gratitude for Markel supporting their organization’s mission. Meanwhile, Markel employees feel more personally connected to the company’s philanthropy, as localized charities and causes they’re passionate about receive financial assistance.
Employee Disaster Relief Fund
As an insurer, Markel is well aware of the financial toll that natural disasters can have on individuals and families. Markel created the Markel Employee Disaster Relief fund, supported by the company and its employees, to provide financial assistance to fellow employees who have been impacted by natural and other property disasters. Employees can donate to the fund and leverage their donation with the Markel 3:1 match.
Equitable access to education
Markel believes in helping individuals realize their personal potential. Through Markel Scholarship funding at partner colleges and universities throughout the US, Markel is making it possible for students with limited means to have equitable access to a college education. Markel has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to create and support scholarships and other educational initiatives. From elementary school through college, Markel supports education and its power to maximize personal potential.
The impact of a legacy of giving
Each year, Markel’s company and employee donations impact dozens of communities around the world through hundreds of non-profit organizations who serve those communities. Our philanthropy has provided millions of meals for the hungry, thousands of pounds of school supplies for students and many other community needs too numerous to count. At Markel, we have a nearly hundred-year-old legacy of giving, which expands and grows every year as the company continues to grow and share its success.