American Veterans Group, State of Michigan partner to support Detroit's military veterans

MELVILLE, N.Y., Dec. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- American Veterans Group, through its work with the State of Michigan, is providing support for a non-profit organization that works to alleviate the problems of unemployment and underemployment among returning U.S. military veterans in the Detroit area.

American Veterans Group has donated $10,000 to Leave No Veterans Behind, a non-profit organization that supports returning veterans nationwide by providing them with transitional jobs, job training, and long-term employment placement services. The gift will be used to expand the organization's recruitment and referral efforts to connect 100 Detroit-area veterans with transitional job opportunities.

The donation was made possible by the State of Michigan Building Authority choosing American Veterans Group as an investment banking partner. American Veterans Group is a growing investment banking firm that dedicates 25% of its profits to support veterans causes. The firm, a public benefit corporation, directs its philanthropy to the local communities where it and its clients do business.

"Leave No Veteran Behind is doing yeoman's work providing valuable support to veterans who are transitioning back to civilian life," said Ben Biles, co-founder and chief executive officer of American Veterans Group. "They're leveraging the skills veterans have acquired during their time in the service, while at the same time solving issues in some of the country's most disadvantaged communities. We admire the win-win nature of the work they do and applaud their commitment to never leave a veteran behind."

Leave No Veteran Behind employs veterans in transitional jobs on a fee-for-service contract basis. Veterans employed through the program are encouraged to leverage their talents to help solve problems and resolve issues in distressed communities. Leave No Veteran Behind also provides job training and helps find long-term employment for its client veterans. Since its founding in 2008, Leave No Veteran Behind has provided more than 1,000 transitional jobs for veterans and has paid more than $9 million in wages to military families, while transforming local communities using veteran talent.

"We appreciate the commitment American Veterans Group is making to support veterans through non-profit organizations like ours," said Eli Williamson, an Army veteran and founder of Leave No Veteran Behind. "Their generosity enables us to further our mission and demonstrate to veterans that we truly value the tremendous skills and talents they bring to the table. Veterans employed through our program are making a profound difference in their communities, and its philanthropic support like this that helps make that happen."

Earlier this year, American Veterans Group served as a co-manager of a syndicate led by Jefferies Group to facilitate the sale of State of Michigan Building Authority bonds totaling $789.2 million. The $10,000 donated to Leave No Veteran Behind represents a percentage of the underwriting fees the firm earned for its role in facilitating the building authority's bond issue.

"Our service men and women make many sacrifices to protect us," said Debbie Roberts, director of the State of Michigan's Treasury Bureau of Local and State Finance. "We're pleased that American Veterans Group will be donating a percentage of their underwriting fees to assist our veterans as they transition back to civilian life."

"That we're able to direct our philanthropy to organizations that support veterans in our client's home states is further incentive to corporate and public financial managers to include us when assembling their investment banking teams," Biles said. "By considering us and our team of experienced traders when initiating transactions in the capital markets, our clients can advance their social missions by having a positive impact on a large number of veterans in their communities."

About American Veterans Group
American Veterans Group, PBC, is a military veteran-owned, social impact-focused broker dealer that delivers value to institutional clients while providing meaningful philanthropic support to the military veteran community. The company reinvests 25% of its earnings in national and local military veteran nonprofit organizations that provide worthy services and support to one of America's most vulnerable, at-risk populations. As Wall Street's only public benefit corporation, American Veterans Group empowers institutional clients to partner in its social mission while enabling them to remain focused on key business objectives and goals. To learn more about American Veterans Group, visit their website at www.americanvetsgroup.com.

About Leave No Veteran Behind
Leave No Veteran Behind (LNVB) is one of the only veteran non-profit built around the promise that every veteran is a tremendous asset to their community. LNVB is a national social venture that invests in veterans to build better communities through employment training, transitional jobs, and our veteran educational debt relief scholarship. The organization started 10 years ago by two Army veterans from the South Side of Chicago, when they encountered transition challenges and a want to improve their community. Leave No Veteran Behind invests in heroes who have served their country honorably and who seek to continue their service as assets in communities across America. LNVB is a 501c3. For more information visit http://www.leavenoveteranbehind.org.

Media Contacts:

For American Veterans Group
Mark Kroeger
The Boldsquare Group
(513) 236-3109
[email protected]

For Leave No Veteran Behind
Tom Aiello
[email protected]
(312) 620-0206

For the State of Michigan
Ron Leix
[email protected]
(517) 335-2167

SOURCE American Veterans Group