Inspiration from Purpose-Led CEO of Givesurance, Jennifer Rasiah

Givesurance

We had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with Jennifer Rasiah, founder of Givesurance and the Emotive Brand epitome of a purpose-led leader.

Starting as a claims evaluator at Prudential Financial and working her way up to Senior Executive at Hub International, Jennifer had 15 years of experience in the insurance industry under her belt when she decided to make a change. A meaningful change. She wanted to make a real difference in the world and saw an opportunity to leverage her deep knowledge of the insurance industry and her innate desire to give back. So, Jennifer created Givesurance and altered the insurance industry as we knew it.

Instead of spending 50% of commission on acquiring and retaining customers through agents, Givesurance leverages the company’s established partnerships with charities to pass along donations to non-profits.

Operating as a funding platform for these charities, Givesurance allows charity supporters to return up to 5% of all monthly insurance payments as donations to the partner charity of their choice through their existing insurance payment. Essentially, people can help the world at no additional cost to them. By supporting a diverse and constantly expanding range of causes from global development non-profits to local food and clothing banks, Givesurance produces a personalized sense of giving for both individuals and businesses.

Jennifer’s deep-rooted need to give back was evident in the very way she discussed the astounding potential of Givesurance. We were so inspired by Jennifer’s meaningful vision that we decided we needed to share Jennifer’s words, stories, and goals with you.

We hope this inspires all leaders to lead with their purpose, shedding light on why creating a meaningful brand not only matters for business performance, but also for fostering social good and impacting the world at large — our world.

The following is an excerpt of our interview with Jennifer:

How would you define a purpose-led leader?

To me, a purpose-led leader is someone who isn’t bleeding his or her passion out for everyone else to see. It’s someone who can’t stop until they have made the difference they need to.

Why did you start Givesurance?

After gaining an in-depth understanding of the insurance industry, I realized I could assist insurance companies while doing good for non-profits. The business is a culmination of my passion and professional interests. We’ve built relationships with more than 225+ insurance carriers and 60+ charities. Givesurance started working with our partner charities to help them spread the word and raise money for their organizations and those they benefit.

What are the biggest challenges facing today’s purpose-led leaders?

Building a sustainable business that continues to support your endeavors so you can continue doing the good work. It’s almost like you need gravity to be standing here, or you’ll be floating all over space. We need to always evaluate limitations. You can’t just say you want to give back to the community and give everything you have if that’s not within your means.

How is your business redefining the industry?

Givesurance is connecting insurance and nonprofits for the first time, giving insurance customers an option to do something good with their monthly premiums. Beyond our founding notion, Givesurance engages with a number of audiences that need our help. Just recently, we’ve been focused on providing newer companies with an opportunity to give back to their local communities via corporate social responsibility programs — and they love it!

Why does Givesurance matter?

In this economy, consumers are financially strapped in every area of their lives. They want to make the most of their dollar. Givesurance lets consumers do just that. With the donation wallet, app users become philanthropists at no additional cost. The impact of their giving attitude extends to the many disadvantaged communities within our world.

What impact could you have on the world?

To know that $25 in Givesurance donation credits could provide 100 meals to the underprivileged or 125 books for children in rural parts of Africa is why we began this business in the first place. We have the ability, for example, to the gift of education or sustainability…to increase the quality of life for many people across the world.

Why do you think brand is important for purpose-led companies?

Brands are the reason people associate with a cause, and without it, there’s no identity.

What inspires you everyday? What are your aspirational goals?

The people around me who encourage me to do my best are so inspiring and truly impact my work. In terms of what I aspire to, Givesurance is focused on partnering with even more charities to generate awareness. If all U.S. households could get 5% of their insurance payment back as a donation credit, then more than $100 billion would go toward charities. We want to spread the word to as many households as possible and become licensed in all 50 states.  

What are the most important values to you when you do business? Why? How do these play out both in long-term and day-to-day practices?

Never give up — the minute you give up is the minute you fail. Appreciating the people around you and the work they do is also extremely important in business. Without believing in yourself or those around you, your business won’t function.

Interested in learning more about Purpose Beyond Profit? Download our white paper.

Emotive Brand is a San Francisco Branding Agency.

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