MU Receives Gift from State Farm Insurance to Support Outreach Programs
April 13th, 2017
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Officials from the University of Missouri today recognized State Farm Insurance Company for their recent donation of $128,000. This latest gift brings State Farm’s giving to Mizzou academic programs for the Mizzou: Our Time to Lead campaign to $648,600. State Farm’s total giving to MU is nearly $2 million.
“State Farm has been an incredibly valuable partner for us, and their continued support for these vital MU community outreach programs shows their dedication and investment in bettering the community and state,” said Tom Hiles, MU vice chancellor for advancement. “We are thrilled to celebrate the generosity of State Farm as well as our long-standing partnership with the company, and we thank them for their community-focused vision.”
The money will support several MU programs including:
- MU Extension’s Fire and Rescue Training Institute
- MU Health Care’s Frank Mitchell Trauma Center for Motor Vehicle Crash Outreach
- Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business’s Risk Management and Insurance Program
- MU College of Human Environmental Sciences’ Office for Financial Success and Family Impact Center
- MU Extension Johnson County Office
Fire and Rescue Training Institute
The MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute (FRTI) is housed in MU Extension. The gift from State Farm will be used to fund essential fire fighting and rescue training for Missouri emergency responders to highway incidents. Through this training, the responders will gain additional competency in the quick stabilization and removal of accident victims to improve patient survival while safely managing the incident scene and preventing additional accidents and injuries. This course is requested by emergency responders more than any other course offered by FRTI. Training classes in vehicle fire fighting also will be provided. The funding provided to MU FRTI will sponsor 18 courses, providing training to an estimated 400 firefighters and emergency responders throughout the state. This year, State Farm donated $54,000 to support this program.
Frank L. Mitchell, Jr., MD Trauma Center for Motor Vehicle Crash Outreach
This year’s gift of $20,000 builds on previous gifts from State Farm to target three aspects of driver safety: older drivers, younger drivers and general seatbelt usage. Previously funded older-driver programming that demonstrated peer-to-peer counseling improves outcomes among vulnerable older adults who are considering when to stop driving. The goals of the project are to reduce crashes among older drivers, increase access to web-based information and training materials among professionals, and support appropriate reporting of impaired drivers for further evaluation. Outreach to younger drivers will focus on impaired driving, distracted driving, and safe driving practices. And a general seatbelt-usage campaign will increase public awareness of the importance of seatbelt use.
Trulaske College of Business Risk Management and Insurance Program
A 2015 investment from State Farm helped launch the Trulaske College of Business Risk Management and Insurance program. This support has allowed the program to hire a director, design and implement a curriculum that will prepare students for this important field, and market this new course of study to Mizzou students interested in risk management. This year, State Farm has given $25,000 to help continue this program.
College of Human Environmental Sciences Office for Financial Success
This program works to enhance financial literacy throughout the Mizzou community by providing valuable financial counseling and resources. These resources include educational workshops, weekly financial tips, tax preparation and MU Extension programming across the state of Missouri. Services from the program include offering 1,500 students counseling to help create student debt repayment plans, counseling for more than 200 students so they stay in school and do not drop out due to financial reasons, and free tax preparation for more than 1,800 people from Columbia’s lower-income population. This year, State Farm has given $12,000 to support this program.
College of Human Environmental Sciences Family Impact Center
The MU Family Impact Center provides life-long education to improve the quality of life of individuals in the Columbia community. The center seeks to bring MU programs to central Columbia in order to reach unmet needs. The center provides resources and training including financial literacy training, behavioral health care through therapy and support groups, and access to the Building Strong Families program, which is a research-based educational program that helps families identify and build on their strengths, face challenges and make informed choices. This year, State Farm has given $10,000 to support the Family Impact Center’s financial literacy program.
Extension Johnson County Office
The MU Extension office located in Johnson County offers a wide variety of services to Missourians living in the west Missouri county, including safety, professional, and educational programs related to agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, and more. State Farm’s $7,000 grant will support delivery of roadway safety educational programming to youth in the Johnson County area, with topics including car safety, ATV safety, bicycle safety, and general roadway and pedestrian safety.
With an overall fundraising goal of $1.3 billion, the Mizzou: Our Time to Lead comprehensive campaign will secure the University of Missouri’s status among the nation’s elite public universities by focusing on three priorities:
- Endowment Building MU’s endowment will allow the university to strengthen the ability to attract and retain stellar students and faculty.
- Signature centers and institutes These centers and institutes will be the engine of research growth that will enhance MU’s AAU status and add to the university’s distinctiveness.
- Campus renaissance Spurred by new and renovated facilities, Mizzou will take global leadership in education and research, which will help attract and retain students and faculty.