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Rock Island, Ill. (April 2, 2024) - Royal Neighbors of America, a nonprofit insurance organization dedicated to Insuring Lives, Supporting Women, and Serving Communities℠, today announced an alliance with Empathy – the company changing the way the world deals with grief and loss.

Through this collaboration, Royal Neighbors’ beneficiaries now have access to Empathy’s comprehensive bereavement support solution at no cost —offering peace of mind to members and care for their family members when they need it most. This strategic alliance underscores Royal Neighbors’ unwavering commitment to providing holistic Member Programs^#1 designed to support their individual journeys and foster positive change within their lives and communities. It exemplifies the ethos of 'Insurance with a Difference℠,' delivering on their promise to offer meaningful opportunities that extend beyond traditional life insurance coverage.

With Empathy, each beneficiary receives a personalized Care Plan to address their family’s specific needs: everything from planning the funeral, claiming benefits, settling the estate, navigating probate, and more.

“To us, life insurance is more than providing financial security,” said Royal Neighbors CEO and President, Zarifa Reynolds. “It’s about walking alongside our members and their loved ones through life’s most challenging moments. Our partnership with Empathy is a testament to our mission and values, ensuring that our members receive not only financial security but also compassionate care and emotional support when they need it most.”

“By integrating Empathy's bereavement services into our Member Programs, we are taking a significant step towards addressing the logistical and emotional complexities that come with managing end-of-life affairs,” said Senior Director of Social Impact Amy Jones. “Our collaboration with Empathy allows us to extend our caring reach. Membership with Royal Neighbors is about much more than life insurance; it's about being a part of a community that truly cares for each other."

Royal Neighbors of America has always placed a strong emphasis on community and member support. This new initiative further enhances the organization's robust portfolio of Member Programs, which includes access to programs and resources to pursue dreams like going to college, leading a volunteer project, joining a national chapter network, or saving on prescriptions and health screenings.

About Royal Neighbors of America

In 1895, nine founding women created a membership community. They were one of the first to make life insurance accessible to women. Nearly 130 years later, Royal Neighbors remains committed to its mission of Insuring Lives, Supporting Women, and Serving Communities℠. The organization’s 265,000+ members, chapters, employees, and appointed agents across the country drive the mission through localized volunteerism and Philanthropy Programs making social impact the cornerstone of their work.

Royal Neighbors members experience Insurance with a Difference℠through their tailored life insurance and annuity products, opportunities to make an impact in their communities, and access to a variety of Member Programs including savings on prescriptions, health screenings, grief support, and more.

In 2020, Royal Neighbors was upgraded to “A Excellent” (3rd highest out of 13) by the AM Best Company for overall financial strength and ability to meet ongoing obligations to certificate holders. The rating was affirmed as of November 17, 2023. In 2023, Royal Neighbors delivered $31.2 million in Social Good impact, record revenue, and received its seventh Great Place to Work® certification. For more information about Royal Neighbors of America, go to royalneighbors.org.

About Empathy

Empathy is an innovative technology company transforming the way the world deals with grief and the loss of a loved one. Backed by leading tech investors and the largest global insurance carriers, Empathy is at the forefront of the emerging compassionate economy, setting the new standard in family care and modern employment benefits. Founded in 2020 by Ron Gura and Yonatan Bergman, Empathy offers a full range of assistance to those facing grief, estate settlement, probate and more through life insurance benefits or via bereavement leave through an employer. By partnering with Fortune 500 companies and leading insurance carriers, Empathy currently offers services to 5 million employees and 35 million policyholders across the US at no cost to families.

Empathy uses its award-winning app and Care Team to carefully assess needs and next steps and complements experiences through time-saving and tech-enabled tools to effectively provide personalized plans, automated workflows, and care resources, including an extensive library of articles, guides, and meditation tools, to support them through their grieving process. With accolades from Apple, Google Play, CB Insights, and Fast Company, and $90 million in total funding, Empathy is the fastest-growing benefit for insurance carriers and employers alike. Learn more about Empathy at empathy.com.

^#1 Member programs are provided at the discretion of Royal Neighbors of America, are not available in all states, and are subject to change without notice. They are not part of any insurance or annuity contract and are not guaranteed. Insurance or annuity products should not be purchased for eligibility or maintenance of nonguaranteed membership programs. These products should only be purchased if they meet the financial needs of the applicant. Member programs are available at no extra cost. Approval is not guaranteed. Supplies are limited.

Empathy Media Contact:
Kristin Sosanie
press@empathy.com