We support numerous community causes through our Charitable Trust.
Our philanthropic focus extends to more than 125 organizations that serve low-income and at-risk individuals; promote education, health, and the arts; and support community enrichment initiatives.
Some of our recent contributions support victims of child abuse and human trafficking, a collaborative venture to provide services to Topeka’s unhoused population, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka programs.
The Charitable Trust, overseen by 11 employee leaders in the company, also provides funding for community enrichment opportunities, including a permanent ice-skating rink, expansions for the Topeka Zoo, the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, and the Kansas Museum of History. Developmentally disabled adults find employment opportunities through TARC and children participate in partnerships with the Topeka Performing Arts Center, the Lawrence Arts Center, and the Topeka Civic Theatre.
Security Benefit has been a lead sponsor for the American Cancer Society's Couture for Cancer event. Many of the company's employees volunteer for the event as committee members or runway models celebrating the end of their treatment.
The company also contributes to several mental health initiatives through Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Children's Mercy, and Florence Crittenton Services.
Our more than 625 employees also give time and money to various initiatives that enhance overall well-being.
Through our Dollars for Hours program, employees who volunteer 50 hours or more each year can convert time spent coaching, chaperoning school events, serving on boards, or fulfilling other community service responsibilities into a company contribution of $150 or more for a nonprofit of their choice.
Employees can also make individual donations to schools and universities and the Charitable Trust will match their amounts up to $3,500 per employee per year.
Each fall, employees paint, pull weeds, pack backpacks with food staples, and provide other labor to assist United Way of Kaw Valley agencies through the organization’s community-wide Nancy Perry Day of Caring, for which Security Benefit serves as the premier sponsor. Many employees visit classrooms during the year to teach business concepts to students through Junior Achievement of Kansas. In partnership with Meals on Wheels, employees deliver meals to elderly and homebound residents so they can live independently.
Commitment to Education
Security Benefit is one of the first companies to support the retirement market for school employees. We provide retirement products for educators and school personnel in districts across the country. For years, we’ve had an exclusive relationship with NEA Member Benefits to provide retirement products through the NEA to its nearly 3 million members across the country.
For more than 25 years, the Charitable Trust has funded the Kansas Teacher of the Year program, considered one of the best programs of its kind in the nation. We’ve provided the Teacher of the Year and seven finalists and district nominees with opportunities to tour and mentor educators in schools across the state. Security Benefit has honored more than 3,000 Kansas teachers and invested $500,000, one of the largest contributions made by a single company in support of Kansas education.
Focused on the education retirement market for more than 50 years, we also support the National Teachers Hall of Fame (headquartered in Emporia, Kansas) and provide scholarships to several Kansas universities.