Royal Neighbors of America was recognized recently as Outstanding Civic Service Organization by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Illinois Quad Cities Chapter.
The women-led fraternal benefit society, based in downtown Rock Island, received the honor on National Philanthropy Day, which was Wednesday, Nov. 15.
Each year, the AFP award honors an organization that demonstrates outstanding commitment through financial support and through encouragement and motivation of others to take leadership roles toward philanthropy and community involvement, according to the AFP Quad Cities. Winners have a proven record of exceptional generosity and leadership, the organization said.
Royal Neighbors and its Director of Giving Amy Jones were nominated by Megan Tarasi, director of Annual Giving at St. Ambrose University.
Ms. Tarasi celebrated Royal Neighbors for its commitment to volunteerism through their chapters that work with college students. Recently, with the help of Ms. Tarasi, Royal Neighbors launched 13 college chapters on the St. Ambrose University campus. The goal was to inspire, promote, and support student volunteerism, the fraternal benefit society said.
“We are dedicated to enriching communities through impactful service initiatives,” Ms. Jones said in the Royal Neighbors news release. “It’s our goal to nurture and sustain a lifelong passion for contributing to the greater good. Being acknowledged for our efforts is truly humbling, and we hope this recognition inspires other organizations to actively engage in community service.”
Great Place to Work
Also in 2023, the benefit society was certified for the seventh time as one of the nation’s top employers by Great Places to Work, which bills itself as the global authority on workplace culture,
The annual certification is based solely on employee feedback. This year, 87% of employees deemed Royal Neighbors of America a great place to work – which is 30 percentage points higher than the average U.S.-based company.
“Our primary focus is on fostering belonging, empowerment, and shared values within our organization,” Human Resources Executive Angie Johnson said in the release. “Some of the key reasons that contributed to the higher-than-average employee ratings was that 96% of employees surveyed felt good about the ways we contribute to the community, and they also felt welcomed. It is a testament to our strong corporate culture, driven by five areas of focus that highlight health and well-being, work-life balance, financial security, personal and professional growth, and appreciation and support.”
In addition, she said, “Our annual employee engagement survey, a cornerstone of our culture strategy, has consistently guided our path forward. The feedback we receive informs our strategic decisions for the year ahead such as keeping our flexible work model. Our flexible work model has increased collaboration and employees appreciate the flexibility it offers. It has also allowed us to expand our talent pipeline and foster diversity and inclusion. At the heart of our culture is our founding philosophy of ‘neighbor-helping-neighbor,’ and our employees exemplify this by supporting one another and creating a workplace that is truly exceptional.”
Reynolds lauds employees
Royal Neighbors President & CEO Zarifa Reynolds said “Our employees are making a real impact on local communities across the nation by providing insurance, supporting women, and serving our communities. This is our organizational mission.”
The certification also came after Royal Neighbors made a significant effort to reintroduce and elevate its core values of faith, courage, humility, endurance and unselfishness. “We updated the language of the values established by our founders nearly 130 years ago and implemented a concerted plan to bring these values to life,” she added.
“We are proud of this certification, as it reaffirms our ability to successfully live out our mission and values and make a greater impact for our members and the communities we support.”
More information about the Great Place to Work rankings can be found here.
Find out more about Royal Neighbors here.
