Community
- Farmers pledged $1 million to back a birdies-and-eagle pool during the TaylorMade Driving Relief charity golf match on May 17, featuring Farmers brand ambassador Rickie Fowler, to help support COVID-19 relief efforts. The $1 million donation will benefit Off Their Plate, a charitable organization helping COVID-19 healthcare workers and impacted frontline shift employees.
- Farmers announced a $525,000 donation to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation (LAFDF). The funding will be used to help the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) purchase and replenish essential supplies firefighters need when responding to the current COVID-19 crisis and during wildfire season. Together with SBP (formerly the St. Bernard Project), Farmers also donated nearly 20,000 protective face masks to the LAFDF to help frontline personnel.
- Of the $500,000 Farmers has set aside for local nonprofits in response to COVID-19, approved grants include:
1. Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation – The Grant Committee approved funding $25,000 for efforts to set up mobile COVID-19 testing sites in their community.
2. Hawaii Pacific Health (Kapiolani Health Foundation) – Hawaii Pacific Health was funded $15,000 to support four drive-up testing sites for COVID-19.
3. Veterans Community Project – The VCP was funded $25,000 to provide support to the homeless community in Kansas City in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. Spectrum Health System – A $25,000 request was approved to fund the purchase of PPE supplies, employee wellness support, and isolation rooms for staff to help limit potential COVID-19 spread to their families.
5. FOOD Share, Inc. – A $25,000 grant was provided to support Food Share’s efforts related to the COVID-19 crisis. The food bank indicated they are in urgent need of a box truck and have seen a high demand from community members and a decrease in food donations from supermarkets.
6. Hope Network – A $15,000 grant was provided to purchase supplies and technology for their Safety Net Telehealth Initiative and to their Red Bus Relief Fund, which enlists their existing bus fleet to support nonprofits and community partners in response efforts to get food, supplies, etc., to people in need.
7. The Los Angeles Police Department Foundation – A $10,000 grant will go towards supporting the Rest and Recharge Center at the Los Angeles Police Academy to improve officer well-being and morale during these challenging times.
8. Off Their Plate – The organization works with local restaurants to provide meals to healthcare workers and donation dollars to support restaurant and delivery staff. A $15,000 grant will go towards supplying 1,500 meals and at least $7,500 in funds to restaurant shift workers.
9. Infant Crisis Services, Inc. – Awarded a $5,000 grant to provide funds for formula, diapers, and food for infants and toddlers in Oklahoma.
Customers
- To reflect the changed driving environment, Farmers and 21st Century branded auto customers have begun receiving a 25% reduction in April premium and will receive an additional 15% reduction in May premium. As the situation progresses, Farmers will continue to assess ways to support its customers with a data-driven and agile approach.
- Farmers made adjustments to allow extra time for insurers to pay Farmers-branded Auto, Home, Umbrella and Specialty policies. The organization temporarily paused cancellations for non-payment, allowing customers more time to pay their premiums through May 21, 2020.
- Farmers temporarily modified its Farmers-branded Personal Lines Auto and Motorcycle policies to extend a customer’s existing insurance coverages when drivers use their personal automobile or motorcycle for the delivery of food, groceries, pharmacy and medical supplies through May 31, 2020.
- With many small businesses struggling as a result of customers staying home, Farmers is providing additional relief to more than 115,000 of its Business Insurance customers under its Farmers® Cares initiative. Business customers in the restaurant, office, retail and service sectors across the country will receive a 20 percent credit on applicable pro-rated monthly premium on their Business Owners Policy (BOP) for April and May.
Employees
- Farmers is offering a new COVID-19 medical benefit where employees and dependent family members can receive COVID-19 hospitalization coverage. This includes a $1,000 payment triggered after an individual spends a single day (overnight) in the hospital, and an additional daily payment of $250 for each additional day spent in the hospital, up to $3,500 per person. The new benefit is intended to be applied on top of any other existing medical plan or related benefits held by the employee.
- Due to investment in its IT infrastructure, Farmers was able to successfully transition nearly all of its approximately 19,000 employees to a completely virtual work environment with no disruption in serving customers.
- For more than eight years, Farmers has operated the Farmers Family Fund, a program designed to provide direct relief to Farmers employees and their families who have suffered a severe financial hardship. The Fund has been providing grants to employees whose families have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Agents
- In order to continue to support communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Farmers has set aside $425,000 to support 501(c) (3) nonprofits that are helping directly respond to current community needs. Farmers’ agents and district managers are able to apply for a grant up to $1,500 to support a nonprofit responding to the crisis.
- The Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union (FIGFCU) has become authorized to process Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, making it easier for Farmers agents and Farmers employees who have small businesses, to access this important program in the event they need financial support to keep their small businesses open. In collaboration with Farmers, FIGFCU has also developed special loan programs developed to meet the unique circumstances of Farmers agents and district managers.
- Foremost Insurance and Bristol West Insurance, members of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, contributed $500,000 to the Trusted Choice® COVID-19 Relief Fund established by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. (IIABA Big “I”). The donation will help provide financial relief to independent insurance agencies, brokerages and their owners and employees impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.