At ERIE, we believe in investing in our communities and in the lives of others. We give our time, talent and resources in three key areas of focus.
Community building
We support the United Way and projects for urban revitalization and basic human needs. We also help culture and arts initiatives, entrepreneurialism and education.
Safety
We support the disaster relief efforts of the American Red Cross and other programs that help keep individuals and families safe and out of harm’s way.
Environmental responsibility
We plant community gardens and help programs that use resources, energy and new technologies responsibly.
Like you, we believe in strong communities, and back up that belief with the Erie Insurance Giving Network which supports charities and organizations throughout our geographical footprint.
Our employees and agents build homes, feed families and tutor young students. Through the ERIE Service Corps, employees also spend up to a full workday volunteering in the community. Other employee initiatives such as the Matching Gifts program, the H.O. Hirt Scholarship Fund and the F.W. Hirt Employee Emergency Fund help address the financial needs of community organizations, students and others. Insurance agents who are wholeheartedly committed to community service can receive an annual grant to give to their favorite nonprofit organizations.
Service has been part of our company’s vision from the start. ERIE’s founder H.O. Hirt had a passion for connecting people, ideas and resources to solve problems in the community. For instance in 1945, when H.O. learned about foster parents' plan to help the War Orphans Fund, he encouraged employees to make small monthly donations to the cause. H.O. received many awards and citations in recognition of his contributions and service to the community and the insurance industry. The promise of service to our customers and the community continues to pass from generation to generation at ERIE.
350
employees serve on the board of a community organization.
38K
ERIE matched 38,535 charitable gifts from our employees.
878
charities received donations from ERIE and our employees.
FAQs
Get answers to questions about the eligibility rules, request procedures and typical decision timeline.
Other Ways We Care
We support communities in many ways, from event sponsorships and program grants to Erie Service Corps and Investing in Our Future.
Contact Us
If you need to get in touch with us, please call Community Outreach at (814) 870-2940 or email [email protected].
Request Funding
Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations and accredited educational institutions located in the areas served by Erie Insurance are encouraged to submit a funding request annually. Your request should also support one of our areas of focus: Safety, Community Building and Environmental Responsibility. You can submit a funding request under $10,000 for consideration at any time. The deadlines to submit funding requests of $10,000 or more are:
Follow us on Facebook for the latest on our community initiatives, activities and announcements.
[TRANSCRIPT] Thanks for your interest in applying for funding from Erie Insurance. Like you, we believe in strong communities, and back up that belief with the Erie Insurance Giving Network, supporting charities and organizations throughout our geographical footprint. Let’s take a moment to walk through the application process and what to expect if your application is approved. First, take a close look at our funding request guidelines. Here you’ll learn what organizations are eligible, what you will need to complete the application, and our current deadlines. Erie Insurance does not fund athletic programs, political or labor organizations, or religious organizations, except for programs which serve the whole community such as food banks. Erie Insurance uses the Benevity platform for our application process. You can find more information about Benevity and their Causes Portal on our Giving Network website. If your organization has never received any funding from one of Benevity’s corporate partners, you may need to register in their portal as a first step. It’s important to note that all non-profits seeking funding from Erie Insurance must complete the form. Even if you have been told by an Erie Insurance Employee that the company will support your organization, the form is an essential step. If the request is $10,000 or more there are a few extra steps involved, such as a Budget Template and Logic Model – you can see templates on our Giving Network website. Once your application is submitted, our Community Outreach team will review it. They may reach out with questions or request additional information as needed. You’ll hear from our team whether or not your application is accepted. Depending on when the request is submitted, the response may take up to eight weeks. If your request is approved, our Community Outreach team will let you know the next steps, but here’s a few things to keep in mind. If your grant award is $10,000 or greater, you will be required to complete a grant agreement which provides terms and conditions of the grant, as well as information on reporting and evaluation of the program funded by the grant. When the agreement is complete, Erie Insurance will begin the payment process via our Benevity grants system. We encourage non-profits to register for Electronic Funds Transfer, or EFT, as this method is timelier and more efficient. There is a link on our Giving Network page for Benevity’s Causes Portal Resource page, where you can learn more about registering for EFT. Payment from Erie Insurance is received late the following month – so if you are notified that your grant is ready for payment on April 10, you will typically see the payment by EFT in late May. If the organization has not elected to receive payments via EFT, payment will likely take two to three weeks longer. Non-profits should also be aware that Benevity batches all payments together for a given month – so in your EFT or check you may also see funds in addition to our grant (possibly including any matching gifts from Erie Insurance employees). If the timing of the grant payment is an issue, please contact the Community Outreach team via email (onscreen [email protected].) For grants $10,000 or larger, Erie Insurance requires outcomes reporting. The Community Outreach team will request those outcomes, typically in February the following year. We encourage you to be mindful of this requirement throughout the administration of the funded program, as it makes the outcomes process much easier. Failure to submit the required reports on time may result in the cancellation of the grant and return of the grant funds, as well as disqualify the grantee from any new funding applications. Thank you for helping us make an impact in the communities in which we work and live. We look forward to working with our grant recipients to highlight their successes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Erie Insurance Exchange, Erie Insurance Co., Erie Insurance Property & Casualty Co., Flagship City Insurance Co. and Erie Family Life Insurance Co. (Erie, PA) or Erie Insurance Co. of New York (Rochester, NY). Go to erieinsurance.com for company licensure and product details. *Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. See your policy for details.