INSURANCE AGENCY AWARD

This award goes to an insurance agency or brokerage. The agency’s size and resources would be taken into consideration during the selection process. The award will be based on four overarching criteria:
 
1. Social responsibility (This must be met satisfactorily before the other criteria can be considered):
   
   
• Community Support

  - Organizational resources are allocated to support involvement in community activities outside the organization

  - Senior leaders and employees at various levels are involved in community activities, civic organizations, and associations that support the community.

• Ethics

  - Has a formal system to train ALL employees about ethical business practices

  - Has effective system in place to meet or exceed legal and regulatory requirements

  - Senior leadership and other employees make and/or support presentations, publications and research that help promote ethical behavior

• Sustainability and Public Responsibility

  - The organization’s business activities include systems to analyze, anticipate, and minimize risk and hazards to public

  - Indicators for risk are identified and monitored

  - The organization considers the impact that its operations, products, and services might have on society and implements strategies to make improvements. (i.e. “greening” the organization’s operations or promoting green products and initiatives).

  - Organization supports research on how insurance organizations can help protect the public (i.e. testing for safer products and home materials, encouraging safer workplace practices, assessing benefits of health and wellness programs, using discounts to promote loss reduction).  

**Activities which demonstrate innovation will be given additional credit**



2. Industry Contribution
   
   
   • Resource allocation  for industry professional associations
     
     
   • Leadership in industry professional associations
     
     
   • Support for organizations that help promote a better understanding of insurance (i.e. educational programs, trade associations, financial literacy, and risk management. )
     
     
   • Providing activities to encourage NEXT generation talent to consider Illinois industry  (providing scholarships to study risk and insurance, mentorships, internships, job-shadowing experiences, diversity programs)
     
     
   • Education of industry- Senior management and employees teaching public classes, do industry presentations, or publish material that improves knowledge
     
     
   • Support research on insurance and risk management topics
     
     
   • Support for educational Illinois conferences, symposia, and other events that help educate professionals in the industry

   **Activities which demonstrate unique innovation will be given additional credit**
   
   

3. Organizational Performance (especially with respect to recruiting, and developing the next generation of talent)
   
   
   • Organization has well-implemented and innovative recruiting and developing of next generation talent
     
     
   • Organization has demonstrated innovation (i.e. new products or services, use of technology, progressive ERM practices)
     
     
   • Organization has had good operating results over past 5 years
     
     
   • Organization appears to have financial viability for future
     
     
   • Organization provides high level of support for employees seeking professional education (i.e. professional programs like CPCU, CLU) and  college degrees. 
     
4. The organization must be located in the state of Illinois.