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Every year, Giving Tuesday reminds us that when communities come together with intention, generosity becomes a force that creates lasting change. It&rsquo;s a global moment that invites each of us to give back in ways that reflect our values. At Sovereign, this movement reflects who we are at our core: a purpose-driven organization committed to strengthening Canadian communities, together with our trusted partners. This year, we&rsquo;re honoured to shine a light on the incredible work our broker partners have led across Canada, and the impact we&rsquo;ve been able to support through our funding programs. Their dedication, passion, and creativity serve as a reminder that small sparks of generosity can fuel long-term resilience.
<h4>Empowering partners to bring their values to life</h4>
Across the country, our broker partners are finding meaningful ways to give back, championing causes close to their hearts and building deeper connections within their communities. Whether it&rsquo;s supporting local food banks, advancing diversity and inclusion programs, or creating team-building experiences with purpose, our partners are leading with compassion and intention. We&rsquo;re proud to play a supporting role. Through funding support, we help empower brokers to invest in local initiatives that uplift people and strengthen communities. This year alone, we&rsquo;ve supported 10 charities nationwide and contributed over $50,000 to partner-led initiatives. Behind these numbers are stories of people being supported, teams coming together, and communities feeling the impact.&nbsp;
<h4>Building resilience through community connection</h4>
Being a partner in resilience means recognizing that strong communities don&rsquo;t happen by accident&mdash;they&rsquo;re built through collective action. Our broker partners understand this deeply. We&rsquo;ve seen teams organize volunteer days and mobilize help for organizations that support families, youth, and vulnerable populations. These efforts don&rsquo;t just help those who receive support. Purpose-driven activities create opportunities for colleagues to connect, reflect, and work together in ways that extend far beyond the workplace. We&rsquo;re honoured to play a part in empowering our partners to make the biggest possible impact in their local communities. Every initiative reinforces an important truth: when we lead with generosity, we help create safer, stronger, more resilient communities for everyone.
<h4>A collective commitment to giving back</h4>
Although Giving Tuesday is marked on a single day, the spirit behind it is something we celebrate all year long. Our commitment to community resilience doesn&rsquo;t begin or end with one event; it&rsquo;s woven into our purpose, our partnerships, and the work we support every day. This year, as we reflect on what we&rsquo;ve accomplished together, we&rsquo;re reminded just how powerful collaboration can be. While we&rsquo;re proud of the progress we&rsquo;ve made together, we know there is always more good to be done. Communities across Canada continue to face challenges, and we remain committed to walking alongside our partners as they take action, support their local organizations, and help build resilience where it&rsquo;s needed most.
<h4>Join us this Giving Tuesday and beyond</h4>
As we celebrate Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in continuing this spirit of generosity. Whether it&rsquo;s giving time, resources, or a helping hand, every act of kindness strengthens the communities we call home. We&rsquo;re grateful to our broker partners for the heart, leadership, and creativity they bring to community giving. Their work reminds us that meaningful impact simply requires people who care enough to show up. Together, we can continue to make a difference. Not just today, but every day.

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It&rsquo;s often said that insurance is a relationship business &mdash; a truth that applies as much to employees as it does to clients. Many brokers can recall a conversation when a manager offered encouragement, or a trusted colleague shared career advice. These moments stem from strong connections.&nbsp;
While informal mentorship interactions are valuable, they&rsquo;re often inconsistent and some individuals in the organization miss out entirely.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s one reason mentorship shouldn&rsquo;t be left to chance. By creating formal mentorship programs, brokerage leaders can ensure everyone has access to support. When done intentionally, mentorship is an impactful tool to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by creating opportunities for underrepresented talent and supporting career growth.&nbsp;
Mentorship contributes to DEI in several key ways. It offers personalized guidance that helps mentees develop new skills and build confidence. This can be especially beneficial to people from diverse backgrounds who may encounter additional barriers in the workplace. In addition, having role models in senior roles who share similar backgrounds can be inspiring and motivating for mentees. Mentorship also expands professional networks, increasing mentees&rsquo; visibility and opening new opportunities.1
Importantly, mentorship programs can also help organizations mitigate bias. Workplaces often unconsciously favour employees who reflect leadership&rsquo;s background, but mentorship helps to overcome this blind spot.2&nbsp;
<h4>How brokers experience the benefits of mentorship</h4>
Many brokers see the value of mentorship in their own careers. According to Canadian Underwriter&rsquo;s 2025 DEI Survey, sponsored by Sovereign Insurance, 65% of brokers are involved in mentorship (as mentor or mentee).&nbsp;
Among those who have been mentored, 100% say they have benefited from the experience. The top-cited benefits are gaining new skills and knowledge (85%), problem-solving strategies (81%), and perspectives and insights from experienced colleagues (79%). This shows how mentorship not only supports individual growth &mdash; it also transfers valuable knowledge from senior experts to the next generation, strengthening the insurance industry.&nbsp;
Mentees also report gaining personal confidence (70%), motivation and inspiration (64%), and emotional or practical support through challenges (60%).&nbsp;
The survey also highlights the importance of mentorship in talent retention. Nearly one third (31%) of brokers say they have left or considered other employment opportunities because of a lack of mentorship.&nbsp;
<h4>How to bring structure and intention to mentorship&nbsp;</h4>
Whether you&rsquo;re starting from scratch or looking to strengthen informal efforts, here are a few ways to bring structure and intention to your mentorship program.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Define your goals. Start by identifying what you want the program to achieve for mentees, mentors, and the organization at large. Objectives might include attracting and retaining top talent, increasing engagement, and building leadership skills.3 Then, connect these goals to your DEI strategy. For example, your program might focus on supporting underrepresented or marginalized employees, increasing access to leadership development, or creating more inclusive career pathways. </li>
<li>Establish a clear model and guidelines. Explore the various types of mentoring models &mdash; such as one-on-one, group, and peer-to-peer mentoring &mdash; and choose the approach that best fits your goals. From there, outline the program&rsquo;s structure and guidelines, including who can participate, how mentees and mentors will be matched, roles and responsibilities, as well as program length and time commitment.4 </li>
<li>Invite mentors and mentees. Now it&rsquo;s time to promote your mentorship program and encourage participation. Common tactics include hosting a launch event, sending company-wide communications, and enlisting champions within the organization who serve as program ambassadors.5 Once people have signed up, pair mentors and mentees based on their experiences and areas of interest, as well as your program&rsquo;s goals. </li>
<li>Provide tools and resources. A structured mentorship program should include agendas to ensure productive sessions, discussion topics like career pathing and goal setting, and activities such as job shadowing, networking, or volunteering.6 This helps to create a more consistent experience for everyone and ensures all mentees have access to the same level of quality support. </li>
<li>Gather feedback, evaluate progress, and make adjustments. Regular check-ins during the program will help identify what&rsquo;s working and where adjustments are needed. Once the program ends, more formal feedback, such as surveys, will provide insights on how to make program-wide improvements for the future.7 By continuously refining your mentorship program, you&rsquo;ll ensure it makes a lasting impact on your people, your organization, and the industry, while driving meaningful progress in DEI.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Brokers play a critical role in driving DEI. Through mentorship programs, they can directly influence workplace inclusivity and equity, while also supporting talent development and retention &ndash; all powerful.
When done intentionally, mentorship is an impactful tool to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Sources
1 Divrsity, &ldquo;<a href="https://divrsity.team/blog35-mentoring.html" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diversity and Inclusion Survey Questions: Mentorship Programs, Mentors and Mentees Mentorship Programs: Nurturing Diversity and Inclusion through Guidance and Support</a>,&rdquo; July 1, 2024.&nbsp; 2 WeVise, &ldquo;<a href="https://wevise.org/2025/04/24/why-mentorship-is-the-missing-link-in-dei-efforts/" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why mentorship is the missing link in DEI efforts,</a>&rdquo; April 4, 2024.&nbsp; 3,5,7 &nbsp;Together Platform, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.togetherplatform.com/how-to-start-a-mentorship-program" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to Start a Mentoring Program: A 5-Step Guide (Plus a Free Checklist).</a>&rdquo; 4 &nbsp;SHRM, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/how-to-guides/how-to-build-a-successful-mentorship-program-" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to Build a Successful Mentorship Program.</a>&rdquo; 6 Cornerstone, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/resources/article/20-great-ideas-work-mentoring-and-coaching/#key-takeaways" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 Great Ideas for Work Mentoring and Coaching,</a>&rdquo; Dec. 10, 2024.&nbsp;

Dwayne Feary

Underwriting Specialist, Commercial Automobile, Western Operations