The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation announced 15 advisors as finalists across five award categories who will be honored at the 20th annual Invest in Others Awards Gala on Sept. 17 at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport.
The 501(c)(3) charitable foundation said that it will name one recipient from among three finalists in each of the categories at the gala. Designated charities of award recipients in the Catalyst, Community Service, Emerging Impact and Volunteer of the Year categories will each receive a $75,000 grant, while the designated charity of the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award will receive $100,000.
The foundation will provide $25,000 grants to the designated charities of the two finalists in each category who were not recipients. In addition, the designated charities of 75 Honorable Mentions will each receive a $2,000 grant.
In total, $800,000 will be awarded, Invest in Others said.
“For 20 years, Invest in Others has celebrated financial advisors who are using their time, talent, and resources to make a lasting difference in the lives of others,” Barkley Payne, President and CEO of Invest in Others, said in a news release.
“As we mark this milestone anniversary, we are especially proud to recognize this year’s finalists, who embody the generosity, leadership, and commitment to service that have defined our mission since the beginning,” Payne said. “Their stories demonstrate the extraordinary impact financial advisors can have when they combine their professional expertise with a passion for giving back.”
This year’s sponsors include Presenting Sponsor Fidelity Investments, as well as Ameriprise Financial, MFS Investment Management, Cambridge Investment Research, Cetera Financial Group, Envestnet, LPL Financial, Merrill, Natixis Investment Managers, Osaic, PIMCO, Private Advisor Group and Vestmark, the foundation said.
Since 2006, Invest in Others noted, it has supported over 700 charities and provided more than $8 million in grants to a wide variety of causes, including arts and culture, education and youth programs, health and wellness, hunger and poverty prevention, and military and veterans support.
This Year’s Finalists
In the Catalyst category, this year’s finalists are Ben French of CoreNorth Capital Planning | Cambridge Investment Research in Wichita, Kansas, for the charity Shepherd’s Way; Matthew Udal of Ameriprise Financial in Farmington, Connecticut, for the charity Open Doors Outdoors; and Zach Bainter of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management in Santa Monica, California, for the charity Parker H. Bainter Foundation.
In the Community Service category, the finalists are Jesse Giordano of Opal Wealth Advisors in Jericho, New York, for the charity Blood Cancer United; Andrew Meyer of The Cornerstone Group | Morgan Stanley in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the charity The Be Kind People Project; and John Thane of Peak Financial Group | Ameriprise Financial Services in Southlake, Texas, for the charity Metroport Meals on Wheels.
The Emerging Impact finalists are Jeff McCullough of Koenig Investment Advisory | Charles Schwab & Co. in Ashland, Oregon, for the charity Ashland Community Health Foundation; Layne Bruner of Harbor Investment Advisors | Osaic in Aberdeen, Washington, for the charity Multisport 360; and David Shnitzer of CARE Private Wealth | Lincoln Investment in Auburndale, Massachusetts, for the charity ONETrack International.
The Lifetime Achievement finalists are Kelly Castleberry of Graystone Consulting from Morgan Stanley in Charleston, West Virginia, for the charity Childhood Language Center; Andy Huggins of Ameriprise Financial in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for the charity The Boys & Girls Club of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County; and Michael Skrynecki of Skrynecki Financial Planning Group of Raymond James in Atlanta, for the charity Wiskott-Aldrich Foundation.
The Volunteer of the Year finalists are Amy Weinberger of Green Earth Financial Professionals | Osaic in Cape May, New Jersey, for the charity Soft Bones, The US Hypophosphatasia Foundation; Michael Brady of Generosity Wealth Management | Cambridge Investment Research in Boulder, Colorado, for the charity Frontier Horizon; and Pam Praetorious of Morgan Stanley in Garden City, New York, for the charity Pink Aid.
Jeff Berman, Contributing Editor and Reporter at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at jeff.berman@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
