MU receives increased funding from State Farm Insurance to support outreach programs

May 29th, 2019

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Today, officials from the University of Missouri recognized State Farm Insurance Company for its most recent donation of $165,000. This gift brings State Farm’s overall investment in Mizzou to more than $1.6 million, making MU the largest single recipient of State Farm grant funding in Missouri.

“State Farm has been an invaluable corporate partner to Mizzou throughout our Mizzou: Our Time to Lead campaign, with their generosity benefiting not only students on campus, but Missourians across the state,” said Tom Hiles, vice chancellor for advancement. “Of the many organizations that State Farm generously supports, they have chosen to award the most to MU year after year. We are very proud of this honor and thankful for their partnership.”

Bill Roundtree, State Farm vice president of agency-sales for Missouri, said State Farm is proud to support MU with their largest single-year gift to date.

“The six programs we are supporting this year illustrate the many ways the university benefits the entire state of Missouri,” Roundtree said. “These programs train rural firefighters across the state, educate parents and teens about safe driving, teach students about financial literacy, help older drivers and their families with driving safety and prepare the financial professionals of the future.”

The funds will support six MU programs, including:

Fire Rescue Training Institute

The Fire Rescue Training Institute is operated by MU Extension. It provides essential training for Missouri emergency first responders. Through this training, the responders gain additional competency in the stabilization and removal of accident victims to improve survival rates while safely managing the incident scene. This year, State Farm donated $60,000 to support this program.

ThinkFirst Missouri

Located in the Howard A. Rusk Rehabilitation Center in Columbia, the MU School of Medicine’s ThinkFirst Missouri program serves as an affiliate chapter of the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation. ThinkFirst Missouri works to prevent traumatic injuries through education, research and policy. State Farm’s giving supports ThinkFirst’s First Impact program. Organizers partner with law enforcement to educate parents of new teen drivers about Missouri’s Graduated Driver License laws and help them form successful strategies for helping their teens stay safe and avoid crashes. State Farm donated $25,000 to support this program.

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. State Farm’s continued 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 donated $25,000 to help continue this program.

Frank L. Mitchell, Jr., MD Trauma Center for Motor Vehicle Crash Outreach Program

The goals of this program are to reduce crashes among older drivers and support appropriate reporting of impaired drivers for further evaluation. The focus allows older drivers to stay on the roads safely and will help open the door for discussions about when it is appropriate to stop driving. This year, State Farm donated a gift of $20,000.

College of Education Mizzou K-12 Personal Finance Course Development

Mizzou K-12 Online’s personal finance course is designed to help high school students plan financial goals and establish financial stability. Lessons include applying for jobs and planning for careers, earning money, preparing a budget, using credit wisely and making wise consumer decisions. The redeveloped course will include more games and interactive material to engage students. State Farm donated $20,000 to support this program.

College of Human Environmental Sciences Personal Financial Planning Department

The Department of Personal Financial Planning’s Office for Financial Success works to enhance financial literacy throughout the Mizzou community by providing financial counseling and resources. These resources include educational workshops, weekly financial tips, tax preparation and outreach programs across the state of Missouri. Services from the program include offering students counseling to help create student debt repayment plans, advising students so they stay in school and do not drop out due to financial reasons, and free tax preparation. This year, State Farm donated $15,000 to support this program.

These funds will help support the Mizzou: Our Time to Lead $1.3 billion campaign, which aims to secure the University of Missouri’s status among the nation’s elite public universities by focusing on four priorities:

• Establishing an endowment to compete with other institutions to strengthen MU’s ability to attract and retain stellar students and faculty.
• Enhancing MU’s AAU status through the creation of signature centers and institutes.
• Propelling Mizzou to global leadership in education and research by spurring a campus renaissance with new and renovated facilities.
• Developing student success initiatives that give Mizzou students access to world-class learning opportunities that ensure they thrive on campus and throughout their lives.