Business Philanthropy Through Storytelling

One of my favorite community events that has sprung up in the Greater Des Moines (DSM) community has to be the Storyteller’s Project— a production which has been three years in the making that was also recently featured at the first-ever DSM Book Festival, allowing a format for freedom of discussion and storytelling.

As I listen to the stories told, I often think on the writers, artists and craftsman I know, and I find one trait remains constant: these storytellers capture not only your interest, but they create intrigue, emotion and thoughtful balance by reaching you at your core.

The Impact of Story

As our Holmes Murphy team continues to grow in DSM, and across the country, we made the conscious decision at the start of 2019 to aim for an even greater impact by developing our own story and deploying our Holmes Murphy Foundation. DSM in particular is the perfect place to expand the Foundation’s mission, recently listed as one of the top 10 charitable cities in the country. 

Holmes Murphy is an independent insurance brokerage where employees live by the mission: We make a difference by promoting health, protecting wealth, and delivering peace of mind. The company is passionate about the communities it serves. In fact, since Holmes Murphy’s beginnings, over 87 years ago, we have taken a deep investment in our communities, currently contributing more than $1.3 million in donations and 10,000 volunteer hours annually. However, we simply weren’t amplifying our efforts or telling our story as effectively as we could have. As with all stories, ours lies heavily within our aspirations for our enterprise. Two of these — “Leave Good Footprints” and “Share Abundantly” — are the golden thread that weaves our storyline together for the Holmes Murphy Foundation. By committing to causes such as health and at-risk, education and arts and culture, we can focus on bettering our local community. From a community grant program to direct giving, Holmes Murphy supports several ways to give within the DSM community. And while our Foundation is newly formed — a blank canvas, so to speak — we continue to add new color, develop our characters, expand on our settings and ultimately magnify not only our own story but the story of the good works being done in our communities.

Learn more about how to give back in DSM.

We look forward to being even more impactful in our communities as our Holmes Murphy team members engage in our philanthropic works and deeds. We are eager to develop our story — and to Share Abundantly — with our DSM neighbors in mind.

Find more information about Holmes Murphy.

Greater Des Moines (DSM) has one of the best business climates in the country.The region is nationally recognized for having a talented and educated workforce, a cost of doing business 17 percent below the national average, a low cost of living and an exceptional quality of life.