The Trusted Choice® Relief Fund is accepting donations and grant applications to support those dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Crashing ashore as a Category 4 hurricane with torrential rain and winds of up to 150 miles per hour, Hurricane Ian was on the precipice of being categorized as a Category 5 hurricane. The most damaging winds hit a rapidly developing coastline where the population has jumped sevenfold since 1970, according to the U.S. Census. At least 2.5 million people in Florida were ordered to evacuate while 2 million homes and businesses were without power.
The Trusted Choice Relief Fund is available to provide financial assistance to insurance industry personnel impacted by Hurricane Ian. If you would like to help your fellow agents who may have been impacted by Hurricane Ian, you can make a donation to the Trusted Choice Relief Fund. Or, to apply for funding, view the fund guidelines and download the Relief Fund application.
Funds provide Big “I" state associations and member agencies and brokers with financial support for immediate or ongoing needs when other resources are not available, filling the gap until other funding sources become accessible. The fund also provides insurance agents with supplies and resources to aid victims and surviving family members in their communities.
Established by the IIAA Educational Foundation in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity, the fund distributes cash grants to victims and surviving family members of natural disasters. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
In an already troubled insurance market, the hurricane could have long-lasting effects beyond the enormous physical property losses. However, the Big “I" will continue to support consumers, agents and the wider insurance community.
Hurricane Ian is one of the most ferocious hurricanes to make landfall on the U.S. mainland. Hurricane Michael came ashore in Florida's panhandle in 2018 with steady winds of 155 mph, while Hurricane Ida landed in Louisiana with winds of 150 mph last year.