Leading RIAs Come Together to Support Pro Bono Financial Advice

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 5, 2021: The Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to pro bono financial planning for people in crisis or need, today announced that eight leading RIAs have signed on to its new RIA Impact Partners program. As a part of the program, each RIA Impact Partner has committed a minimum of $25,000 to support FFP’s growing pro bono mission, uniting in a common purpose to expand pro bono service to more at-risk Americans.

The eight inaugural RIA partners include: Buckingham Strategic Wealth, Carson Group, Edelman Financial Engines, Hightower Advisors, Mariner Wealth Advisors, Signature Estate and Investment Advisors, Stratos Wealth Partners, and Tarbox Family Office.

RIA Impact Partners will have early access to volunteer opportunities for their CFP® professionals through FFP’s two flagship national programs: the Retirement Resilience Program (conducted in partnership with AARP) and Pro Bono for Cancer (conducted in partnership with nonprofits Family Reach and Angel Foundation). Other benefits beyond advisor engagement include participation in thought leadership and strategy sessions with FFP leadership, industry visibility opportunities, networking and more.

“55 percent of Americans reported that their household income was negatively impacted at some point during the coronavirus pandemic, and almost one in three report that their income is still negatively impacted as of August 2021*,” noted Jon Dauphiné, CEO at FFP. “We know that pro bono financial guidance is a valuable asset for these families, and we commend these RIA leaders for joining us in our commitment to advance pro bono services for vulnerable people who otherwise couldn’t afford objective, fiduciary advice.”

Dauphiné further explained that the new RIA Impact Partner program is modeled in part on FFP’s successful Corporate 100 Club – a group of 13 leading corporations in financial advice who have jointly agreed to advance pro bono service and to collaborate with FFP as members of its Corporate Advisory Council.

“When established law firms – employing thousands of attorneys across the nation – formally committed to pro bono service, the number of pro bono hours skyrocketed and many more people were helped,” said Kate Healy, Board Chair at FFP. “Mirroring this success in the legal field, FFP’s collaboration with leading RIAs brings the financial services industry closer to driving increased scale in our own profession.”

FFP encourages additional RIAs to consider joining this new leadership group, and interested parties can visit FFPprobono.org/RIAImpactPartners to learn more.

*Data Source: Consumer Pulse Study Report, TransUnion, August 2021.

About the Foundation for Financial Planning

The Foundation for Financial Planning is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization, solely devoted to supporting the delivery of pro bono financial planning and advice to at-risk populations, including active military members and wounded veterans, people with cancer and other serious medical diagnoses, seniors and family caregivers, low-income workers and their families, domestic violence survivors, and many more. Dedicated to powering pro bono financial planning, FFP has provided more than $8.3 million in grants to national and community-based pro bono programs; worked with partners to activate more than 24,000 financial planners to volunteer their time and talents; helped bring pro bono advice to more than 500,000 underserved people; and acted as a leader and catalyst to embed a rich tradition of pro bono service across the financial planning profession. Visit FFPprobono.org to learn more.