The tenth annual Invest in Others Community Leadership Awards Gala was celebrated this year on Thursday, September 29th at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The Gala, which honored the generosity of the financial advice industry, drew a crowd of more than 500 guests, the event’s second-highest attendance in its ten-year history.
Before this year’s awards were presented, Invest in Others had recognized 43 winners and 89 finalists, partnered with more than 125 charities, and donated over $2 million since our inception in 2006.
“It’s incredible to look back over the past ten years and reflect not only on the impact of Invest in Others, but also on the hundreds of stories that have touched each and every one of us,” Suzanne Siracuse, Chair of Invest in Others and Publisher of InvestmentNews, said.
Of course, the main focus of the event was on the 15 advisors and 10 companies that were finalists across seven categories of awards.
The advisors spend an average of 32 hours per month volunteering. Through their designated non-profits, they collectively serve more than 4 million people each year.
The companies boasted an average employee participation rate of 76% (82% for senior leaders) in their corporate volunteer programs. Collectively, employees of the ten companies volunteered 107,000 hours in 2015.
“It’s resoundingly clear that the financial advice industry is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to giving back to people in need,” Megan McAuley, Executive Director and President of Invest in Others, remarked. This could not have been more true as the generosity of the industry was demonstrated, and celebrated, time and time again with each award presentation.
The winners of the 2016 Community Leadership Awards:
- Catalyst Award: Michael J. Nathanson – National Brain Tumor Society
- Community Service Award: Roy C. Jordan – Green Hills Family YMCA/YMCA of Middle Tennessee
- Global Community Impact Award: Michael Meltzer – Maya’s Hope Foundation, Inc.
- Volunteer of the Year Award: Mary Lou Arveseth – American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Utah Chapter
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Gerard A. Klingman – Best Buddies International
- Corporate Philanthropy Award – Advisory Firms: Budros, Ruhlin & Roe, Inc.
- Corporate Philanthropy Award – Financial Institutions: Ameriprise Financial
Watch this short clip of the winners accepting their awards:
The Diamond Presenting Sponsor of this year’s Community Leadership Awards was Fidelity Investments. Platinum Sponsors were Allianz, LPL Financial, Nuveen Investments, and TD Ameritrade.