FPA NorCal Attendees Raise Over $650,000 to Support Pro-Bono Financial Planning

SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The campaign to support the delivery of financial planning to the underserved was organized by the northern California chapters of the Financial Planning Association^® (FPA^®) along with TD Ameritrade on behalf of the Foundation for Financial Planning.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130613/PH31370 )

This achievement took place at FPA's 41^st Annual NorCal Conference held in San Francisco, CA on May 28-29, 2013. The conference is a regional event for the northern California area that also attracts many of the most influential financial planners from across the nation.

Chair of the Foundation, Elissa Buie, CFP^® of Yeske Buie, took to the stage on the first day of the conference to address the nearly 500 attendees. She highlighted the Foundation's mission to help people take control of their financial lives by connecting the financial planning community with those in need, and shared TD Ameritrade's generous commitment to match pledges to the Foundation dollar-for-dollar up to $1 million. In her comments, Buie noted the role of pro-bono service in the financial planning profession.

"As financial planners, we know the power of financial planning.  It changes peoples' lives.  But not everyone has access.  One of the hallmarks of any true profession is a commitment to public service and the delivery of pro-bono aid to those in need. Members of FPA's Northern California chapters have long exemplified that spirit with exceptional generosity in their commitment of both time and money to help the less fortunate. The Foundation is the only organization devoted solely to supporting the delivery of pro-bono financial planning. We have a track record of success that has impacted millions.  And those in this room know that pro-bono financial planning enriches the lives of all those involved, from recipients to volunteers to donors."

Eric Flett of Concentric Wealth Management emphasized the need for the community to be a part of the Foundation's mission by volunteering their time and/or their financial resources.

"While many advisors and clients have rebounded from the economic downturn, many people still need financial advice, including, for example, those who are out of work, who have mortgages under water, who have excessive credit card debt, and who just can't make ends meet.  The Foundation is helping reach those people most in need."

By the end of the conference, attendees had pledged $327,565, which, when combined with TD Ameritrade's matching offer, brought the total dollars raised to $655,130. Among the most generous donors was Ken Coit, whose substantial pledge over the next five years will bring his lifetime donation to the Foundation to more than $500,000.

The financial planning teams at Gemmer Asset Management and Yeske Buie^® both made new pledges to the Foundation during the conference, with both companies promising to match employee pledges dollar-for-dollar. In making the commitment to match employee contributions, Dave Yeske, CFP^® expressed the hope that financial planning firms across the country would similarly commit to multiplying the impact of their employees' commitments to the Foundation, "as business owners, we've all benefited tremendously from the emergence of financial planning as a true profession, this is our chance to give back in gratitude for all the gifts we've received therefrom."

Visit the Foundation's website and click on the green "Pledge Now" button for information on how you can contribute to making a difference in the financial lives of others.  The next $200,000 of new pledges over $1,000 will be doubled using the remaining TD Ameritrade match.

About the Foundation for Financial Planning
The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to support the delivery of pro-bono financial planning services to those in need. Governed by a volunteer board of financial planning and industry leaders, the Foundation has awarded grants, provided volunteers, and contributed financial services to organizations such as Wounded Warriors, the American Red Cross (Southern Arizona), Girls, Inc., Operation HomeFront, and the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association, among many others.

In a recently announced partnership, the Foundation has taken over the administration of the Financial Planning Association's pro-bono activities and will manage the day-to-day logistics within the FPA^® community. In combining the financial and administrative support of the Foundation with the energetic pro-bono efforts of FPA^® chapters across the country, FPA^® and the Foundation hope to show how such partnerships can enhance the pro-bono efforts of any segment of the financial planning community with a commitment to serving the public.

SOURCE Yeske Buie