Nationwide Foundation Grants to Aid Disaster Relief

Business Wire, June 27, 2008

$250,000 To Help Victims of Recent Tornadoes and Floods in the Central U.S.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Nationwide announced today two grants from the Nationwide Foundation totaling $250,000 for American Red Cross disaster relief throughout the Central U.S. The company announced a $200,000 Nationwide Foundation grant to the American Red Cross Central U.S. Floods and Tornadoes response. Additionally, Nationwide announced a $50,000 Nationwide Foundation grant to the American Red Cross Central Iowa chapter to support relief efforts for tornados that struck Iowa earlier this month.

"We've felt these tragedies hit very close to home," said W. Kim Austen, president of Allied Insurance, a Nationwide company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. "These events have had a profound impact on the lives of thousands of our own associates and many customers of Nationwide and Allied Insurance. We're hopeful that other corporate citizens with the means will choose to support the American Red Cross in helping people in our region rebuild their lives."

"Violent weather and flooding has disrupted families across the Central United States," said Jeffrey Towers, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. "We thank Nationwide for their generosity which helped the Red Cross provide food, shelter and counseling for those who are confronted by these devastating circumstances. The continued support of the American public and corporate America is vital for the Red Cross' ability to provide relief to people affected by disaster."

The grant to the American Red Cross response in the Central U.S. supports disaster recovery efforts in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization - not a government agency - and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.

The Nationwide Foundation is an independent corporation funded by contributions from Nationwide companies, which include Nationwide Insurance and Allied Insurance. Founded in 1959, the Nationwide Foundation has committed more than $190 million since 2000 to help nonprofit organizations in communities where Nationwide associates and their families live and work.

Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $161 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks #108 on the Fortune 500 list. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

Nationwide, Nationwide Financial, the Nationwide Framemark, Life Comes at You Fast, and On Your Side are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.