Black insurance professionals recently raised $70,000 in three minutes to support scholarships for Black students. The miraculous occurrence occurred during the 2024 National African American Insurance Association’s (NAAIA) National Conference in New Orleans, held September 17th – 19th. During the gala, NAAIA Foundation Board Chair, Kenneth Branch, and Ethan Zagore, NAAIA Foundation’s Director of Social Impact, asked a packed crowd of Black insurance professionals to commit $50,000 in three minutes. The response was overwhelming, netting thousands of dollars above their ask. The generosity of the conference attendees was a testament to the worthiness of Black youth and the commitment of Black insurance professionals to cultivating the next crop of diverse leaders.
The funds raised will benefit the J.L. Tillman Endowed Scholarship Fund. The fund awards scholarships to help Black students further their education in insurance, risk management, business, IT, actuarial science, finance, marketing, and more. The fund was established by NAAIA in honor of the organization’s founder, Jerald L. Tillman, a successful independent insurance agent in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since its inception in 2013, this scholarship has been awarded to nearly fifty students. Tillman Scholars can be found throughout the financial industry, successfully advancing their careers and helping to advance their people. All stakeholders are eternally grateful for the efforts of the NAAIA Foundation and its belief in its promise.
The NAAIA Foundation is fueling a powerfully inclusive future through strategic, long-term investments in people through scholarship, leadership development, business ownership, and community development. The J.L. Tillman Endowed Scholarship Fund is but one program that the NAAIA Foundation brings awareness to and raises funds for. The success of young, Black professionals cannot be left to chance and that’s precisely why the NAAIA Foundation exists. The future must be carefully cultivated and thanks to the Black insurance professionals who committed to the J.L. Tillman Endowed Scholarship Fund in New Orleans, the NAAIA Foundation, in collaboration with NAAIA, is better positioned to do so. Three minutes is a short period of time. It boggles the imagination to think what Black people, collectively, could accomplish over a generation.
The work of the NAAIA Foundation continues year round. Through the leadership of its Board of Directors, the NAAIA Foundation continues to plant seeds toward a bright, Black future. Discover more about the Foundation’s work through its website and please consider joining the hundreds that pledged their support to Black students by donating. Whether you can give five or five hundred dollars, it makes a difference. The students and communities we serve don’t need wealthy people, they simply need you.
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