Cultivating Community Connections

Through staff volunteer efforts, the MWCIA builds camaraderie and fosters goodwill in Minnesota.

Not many associations boast a track record of faithfully serving their members for more than a century, but the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Insurers Association (MWCIA) remains committed to its mission after 101 years of operation. Representing workers’ compensation carriers that do business in the state, MWCIA provides resources such as workers’ compensation rates, continuing education, and payroll and risk exposure analysis.

In addition to the daily tasks they perform for their members, the staff at MWCIA recently began interacting more with each other and the broader community over the past several months through volunteer opportunities.

“After celebrating 100 years in 2021, our association has been reflecting on our vision, mission, and how we can thrive for the next 100 years,” explained new MWCIA President & CEO Jennifer Wolf, who started in that role in April 2022. “As part of that, we’ve been focusing on community efforts as ways for us to connect.”

To guide their endeavors, the organization put together an MWCIA Activities Committee (MAC) composed of volunteer staff members to plan events and decide what would be the focus of the association’s community involvement each month.

In September, members of the MAC decided to promote non-profit and charity endeavors. After sharing what issues were important to them individually and on the community level, each staff member volunteered for a cause of their choice. To inspire enthusiasm, there was even a friendly contest among staff members, with the person accumulating the most volunteer hours earning a donation from MWCIA to the charity of their choice.

Staff members enjoyed seeing the variety of causes that motivated their peers. They included sports charities, family member health campaigns, improving local schools, reducing environmental impact by fixing everyday items and selling them back into the community, contributing to food pantries, and financing scholarship funds.

“It was exciting to learn about the organizations that our staff members support,” said Wolf. “In addition to getting involved in the greater community, it helped bring us closer together.”

To compliment the volunteer work that staff members were doing for their personal causes, the MAC decided it also wanted to conduct a volunteer project for the entire association. Selecting a local community organization close to their headquarters south of downtown Minneapolis, MWCIA connected with the Pinky Swear Foundation. The Pinky Swear Foundation supports kids who are battling cancer and their families from its location in Edina.

After visiting with representatives at the foundation, MWCIA learned that one way they assist child cancer patients is through a pantry that families use to access food during treatments. MWCIA staff members sponsored a drive to collect food that would be donated to the Pinky Swear Foundation’s pantry. At the end of the drive, MWCIA’s small 32-member staff collected an impressive total of 280 pounds of food. It was a fulfilling endeavor to support local families experiencing a difficult time fighting childhood cancer.

September’s staff volunteer efforts were so successful that MWCIA is already considering how to expand them next year. They served as a tangible reminder that while associations like MWCIA work for their members, they also exist in a larger community. By understanding the values of their staff, members, and stakeholders, associations can contribute to society in a meaningful way and build a successful organization. It’s a tribute to the skill and power of associations that they can accomplish such lofty goals with modest resources.

“We’ve collectively gone through challenging times over the past several years with the pandemic, stress, and economic uncertainty,” Wolf said. “Finding a way to give back and be grateful for the things we have is a good reminder for us all.”

The MAC’s plans to strengthen staff relationships will continue with other activities. In early November, they hosted a chili cookoff, with staff members showcasing their culinary talents. Through these efforts, MWCIA is building a more cohesive team to make the world a little better for its members and community.

To learn more about MWCIA, visit www.mwcia. org. Additional information about the Pinky Swear Foundation is available at www.pinkyswear.org.