Last month, SSQ Insurance celebrated its 75th anniversary, and the philanthropic company marked the occasion in the best way it knows how – by donating to 27 charitable organizations across the country.

The insurance company gave out a total of more than $500,000 to the charity organizations. The charities were selected based on a campaign SSQ Insurance held last year, which invited the company’s partners, delegates, employees and customers to suggest names of non-profit organizations whose projects would qualify them for a donation.

Read more: SSQ Insurance gives back to community

In total, the campaign drew over 280 submissions. SSQ Insurance’s Foundation arm ultimately narrowed the list to 27 organizations, with health, wellness and disease prevention initiatives, as well as youth support programs, prioritized.

“SSQ Insurance’s 75th anniversary is the perfect occasion for SSQ Foundation to show its social commitment. It’s a concrete way of demonstrating how ‘communities make us,’” said SSQ Insurance CEO Jean-François Chalifoux.

“An exploratory committee formed by members of the foundation’s board had the daunting task of analyzing over 280 submissions and narrowing them down to 30 or so. Analyzing the submissions was a colossal, at times heart-wrenching task, but nonetheless inspiring,” added SSQ Foundation secretary and treasurer Marie Lamontagne.