With offices in all 92 Indiana counties, community involvement has always been a priority for Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. Ten years ago, that legacy of giving back was formalized with the creation of IFBI Community.
IFBI Community is the company’s internal program that allots time for employees to volunteer each year, helps employees find volunteer opportunities, builds relationships with nonprofits and community partners, and manages corporate giving.
“It’s been incredible to manage the IFBI Community program and watch it grow over the years,” says Carrie Patterson, community relations manager. “I’m amazed by the impact our employees have made.”
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The IFBI Community program started with an allotment of eight hours of paid volunteer time annually for each employee. In 2023, after years of success and positive impact, that allowance was increased to 16 hours per year. Last year, IFBI employees volunteered more than 4,000 hours with nonprofits and community partners. Patterson says that the company is on track to have another record-breaking volunteer year in 2025.
Jessica Schindler, field operations associate in the Scottsburg office, says having dedicated time to volunteer makes it easier to be involved. Schindler has recently spent time volunteering for programs her son is involved with, including Clark County 4-H. She has worked food booths at the county fair and handed out candy at a Halloween event for the organization.
“Being present in the community not only shows that you care, but it also allows you to build relationships and trust with current or potential clients in the community,” Schindler says.
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Nonprofits and community partners of the IFBI Community program are also seeing incredible benefits and program impacts. Earlier this year, IFBI accepted the Light in the Community award from VOICES Corp, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit, for volunteer efforts supported by the IFBI Community program.
In addition to building new relationships, IFBI Community has continued long-standing partnerships that existed before the program began. For example, IFBI has had a decades-long relationship with United Way of Central Indiana, and employees have delivered meals with Meals on Wheels since 2001. Gleaners Food Bank is another longtime partner of IFBI Community. Since June 2015, Gleaners has seen a total of 580 volunteer visits from IFBI employees.
“IFBI employees have helped across every Gleaners project, from sorting and inspecting donated food items to serving neighbors in our food pantry,” says Christina Basey, director of volunteer programs at Gleaners. “We truly appreciate the continued support and look forward to the rest of 2025 and beyond!”
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