Front row, L-R: Kerry Foor, ECM Insurance Group Treasurer/CFO; Kathy Lichvar, ECM Insurance Group Executive Assistant; Randy Shaw, ECM Insurance Group President/CEO; and Dave Eppinger, ECM Insurance Group Chief Operating Officer/Secretary. Back row, L-R: Kirt Morris, Bedford County Regional Education Foundation Treasurer; Leah Pepple, ACM Director of PA Advancement and Community Relations; Dr. Cynthia Bambara, ACM President; Lynn Ashe, Bedford County Regional Education Foundation Secretary; and David Jones, ACM Vice President of Advancement and Community Relations.
ECM INSURANCE GROUP DONATES $1 MILLION TO ALLEGANY COLLEGE OF MARYLAND BEDFORD COUNTY CAMPUS
EVERETT, Pa. (Mar. 12, 2020) – ECM Insurance Group has been approved by the Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program of Pennsylvania to apply a $1 million corporate donation to the Bedford County Campus of Allegany College of Maryland to benefit K-12 students.
The donation, given in two annual payments of $500,000, will fully eliminate the cost of tuition, registration fees and textbooks for Early College students enrolled through the ACM Bedford County Campus in Everett. Prior to ECM Insurance Group’s donation, Early College students received a 50% discount on tuition with a $60 per student tuition assistance award provided by the Bedford County Regional Education Foundation.
“Giving back to our community has been an important part of how we do business for more than 100 years,” said ECM Insurance Group President/CEO Randy Shaw. “Partnering with the EITC is a great opportunity for our company to support the educational needs of regional students. We see this [gift] as a catalyst for their futures. Education, if applied, can dramatically change one’s life. I’m living proof of that, and ECM hopes this does something similar for students in our area.”
“Our College is overwhelmed by what this donation will mean for students, and we are grateful to ECM Insurance Group. Over the years, guidance and career counselors would tell me about great students who were interested in Early College courses but struggled to afford it. This donation takes away those concerns. It gives every student an opportunity to take an Early College course and develop confidence in their ability to pursue post-secondary education,” noted Leah Pepple, ACM’s Director of Pennsylvania Advancement and Community Relations.
Students from 11 school districts in Pennsylvania and homeschooled students who take fall and spring semester courses through ACM Bedford County Campus will benefit from ECM Insurance Group’s generosity. Currently, more than 200 high students in Pennsylvania take Early College courses through ACM at their respective schools or at the actual campus in Everett. Faculty and staff expect to see a substantial increase in the number of Early College students.
Pennsylvania’s EITC program allows businesses to donate to Educational Improvement Organizations, including scholarship organizations, pre-K program, private schools and other education enrichment initiatives, to lower their tax bills. Businesses may claim 75% of their donation as a credit to offset their state tax bill if their one-year donation exceeds $750,000; that percentage jumps to 90% if a business commits to a two-year donation in exchange for a state tax credit. Donations are reserved specifically for K-12 programs.
A portion of ECM Insurance Group’s $1 million donation will be used by ACM Bedford County Campus to launch an information technology pathway program for high school students.
ABOUT ECM INSURANCE GROUP
ECM Insurance Group was founded in 1913 by Simon F. Whetstone. For over 100 years, ECM Insurance Group has continued to provide security, peace of mind and loyalty to its rural clientele. ECM Insurance Group is the 4th largest writer of Farmowners Insurance in the state of Pennsylvania and the 2nd largest in North Carolina. With more than 400 independent agents and 50,000 policyholders across 17 states, ECM Insurance Group insures over 15 billion dollars in property with written premium exceeding $83 million dollars from its headquarters in Everett, Pennsylvania.
