QBE gives $32,000 in grants to New York-based charities

NEW YORK, July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- QBE has awarded $32,000 in grants to five New York-based organizations to support programs focused on education, skill development and basic needs.

According to QBE President and Chief Executive Officer John Rumpler, the grants are given to further the QBE Foundation's mission of supporting vocational opportunities and helping people live more independently, successfully and productively. "QBE is pleased to help organizations provide critical services to people in need here in the city where our company is based," he said. "We want to assist people from all walks of life so they not only can support themselves and their families, but also become the best they can be as individuals."

The organizations, grant amounts and the areas the grants will support are:

• Apollo Theater – To support the Apollo Theater Academy, which advances career leadership skills and provides educational services for teens 13-18. $7,500.
• Covenant House – To help fund a part-time basic skills/literacy instructor for homeless young people served by the organization. $10,000.
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center -- To contribute to Fred's Team, a national athletic fundraising program in support of the center's lifesaving and pioneering cancer research. $500.
• Student Sponsor Partners – To help meet the need for college-prep education aimed at underserved New York City students. $8,000.
• Yes! Solutions Inc. – To support an internship program that introduces students from severely disadvantaged situations to the New York insurance and financial services sector. $6,000.

QBE North America is part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the top 20 insurers and reinsurers worldwide. QBE Insurance Group's 2011 results can be found at www.qbeamericas.com. Headquartered in Sydney, AustraliaNorth America division, headquartered in New York, conducts business through its property and casualty insurance subsidiaries. QBE insurance companies are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and "A+" by Standard & Poor's.

SOURCE QBE