The Willis Foundation Announces First Round of Grants

Charitable contributions of more than $220k in community support

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Willis Foundation, a nonprofit corporation affiliated with Willis Group Holdings (NYSE: WSH), the global insurance broker, today announced more than $220K worth of grants.

The Willis Foundation, founded in May 2010 is committed to supporting community-based nonprofit organizations. After raising more than $1 million dollars in its inaugural fundraising event late last year, the Willis Foundation is pleased to begin distributing funds to worthy organizations across the United States.

Grants are being dispersed to more than 40 organizations and include:

• A donation of $30,500 to Restore the Dream Centers, a United Way agency in Nashville, TN.Restore the Dreams Centers is a fund designed to assist nonprofit organizations throughout Tennessee recover and resume operations in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.
• A contribution of $25,000 to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. The Foundation provides the Louisiana capital region with the means to support the needs of its communities and its members. This includes helping donors fulfill their philanthropic goals and sponsoring community projects.
• A $10,000 donation to Kids Food Basket in Grand Rapid, MI, which is a nonprofit organization committed to combating childhood hunger in the greater Grand Rapids area. With the help of volunteers, the Kids Food Basket provides nutritious evening meals to children and education on the issue of hunger.
• An $8,000 grant to The Ivymount School in Rockville, MD. The Ivymount School provides school and community-based services for children and young adults with special needs throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
• A donation of $8,000 to the Georgia Chapter of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. Crohn's & Colitis is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding a cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, also known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• A contribution of $8,000 to Loaves & Fishes in Charlotte, NC, which is a nonprofit emergency food pantry that provides nutritious groceries and support to Charlotte-based individuals and families facing a crisis.
• A grant of $7,000 to All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota, FL.All Faiths Food Bank collects and distributes food for nonprofit agencies offering hunger relief. The organization is committed to reducing food waste and to educating the community on nutrition and the issue of hunger.

Additional contributions were distributed to:

• American Cancer Society: The Virginia Chapter in Glen Allen, VA
• Best Buddies Maryland in Baltimore, MD
• Brian A. Grimm Trust in Radnor, PA
• C.A.M.P University in McAllen, TX
• Center for Early Intervention on Deafness in Berkeley, CA
• Children's Tumor Foundation in New York, NY
• Christopher’s Cure Hardship Fund in Chandler, AZ
• Coming Home Rescue in Morristown, NJ
• Communities In School of Seattle in Seattle, WA
• Cradles to Crayons in Boston, MA
• Daniel Memorial Inc. in Jacksonville, FL
• DC Firefighters Burn Foundation in Washington, DC
• Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta in Atlanta, GA
• Down Syndrome Associationof Central California in Fresno, CA
• Enable, Inc. in Cranford, NJ
• Eveline Rivers Christmas Project in Amarillo, TX
• God's Love We Deliver in New York, NY
• Jonathan's Jaques Children's Cancer Center in Long Beach, CA
• Junior Achievement in Portland, OR
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Hunt Valley, MD
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in White Plains, NY
• Lucile Packard School of Dermatology in Palo Alta, CA
• Mitchell's Place in Birmingham, AL
• Olive Crest in Santa Ana, CA
• Orangewood Children's Foundation in Santa Ana, CA
• Port Resources, Inc. in South Portland, ME
• Rady's Children's Hospital of San Diego in San Diego, CA
• Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in Chicago, IL
• Resources for Human Development, Inc. in Radnor, PA
• Ronald McDonald House of Delaware in Wilmington, DE
• Salvation Army Red Shield Center in Long Beach, CA
• San Francisco Students Back on Track in San Francisco, CA
• Seacoast Family Food Pantry of New Hampshire in Portsmouth, NH
• Start of Hope in Houston, TX
• The Jericho Project in New York, NY
• The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival in San Francisco, CA
• United Way of Greater Knoxville, Inc. in Knoxville, TN
• YMCA of Central Maryland in Baltimore, MD

“The Willis Foundation is committed to making a difference in the communities where we work and live. These contributions will go a long way towards supporting the great work these organizations do,” said Todd Jones, President of The Willis Foundation.

Local nonprofit organizations were selected by Willis Associates from across the country and individual check presentations will be held at various times.

About the Willis Foundation

Based in Nashville, TN, The Willis Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation affiliated with Willis Group Holdings, that encourages Willis Associates and Willis North America’s key business partners to participate in charitable activities. Throughout the year, The Willis Foundation intends to organize and sponsor fundraising events such as races, dinners and creative competitions and will, in turn, make charitable contributions to charities recommended by Willis Associates. For more information on The Willis Foundation, please visit www.thewillisfoundation.org.

About Willis

Willis Group Holdings plc is a leading global insurance broker. Through its subsidiaries, Willis develops and delivers professional insurance, reinsurance, risk management, financial and human resource consulting and actuarial services to corporations, public entities and institutions around the world. Willis has more than 400 offices in nearly 120 countries, with a global team of approximately 17,000 employees serving clients in virtually every part of the world. Additional information on Willis may be found at www.willis.com

Willis Group Holdings
Media:Colleen McCarthy, +1 212-915-8307
[email protected]

Source: Willis Group Holdings plc