To Better America

The future of our nation rests in the hands and minds of the next generation. That generation's capacity to maintain our nation's liberty and its prosperity and to improve circumstances for all mankind in an increasingly complex and challenging world very much hinges on one thing - education.

In this regard we have reason both for hope and for deep concern.

Our nation's post-secondary educational system remains the envy of the world. It attracts the best and brightest minds and it receives vast philanthropic and public resources.

However our secondary schools, the bedrock of our educational system, particularly in many parts of rural America, are unfortunately not as good as they could or should be. And far fewer people and institutions choose to direct their philanthropic efforts to secondary education than to post-secondary education.

So, approximately two years ago, I decided to rebuild and expand IFG Companies such that, upon my death, it can be placed in or converted into an irrevocable trust with the trustees being directed and empowered to use profits to improve secondary education, particularly in rural America and for our military families.

The trust structure will also afford future management of IFG Companies the ability to continue, as I always have, to manage for the long term, which, particularly for an insurance enterprise, should maximize its ability to hire and retain first class people and build and maintain superior business units. In turn, this management philosophy should also maximize long-term growth, value and profits to serve America, while, at the same time, providing a safe and secure environment for IFG Companies' employees, its producers and its policyholders.

Horace Mann, the 19th century education reformer and statesman whose name adorns the secondary school that I was privileged to attend, once said, "be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity". I am not good enough to do that. But the structure in which IFG Companies is to be placed will, I hope, lead to the betterment of our nation.

I hope you will join IFG Companies in this mission.

Bob Linton