Washington, D.C., Dec. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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 a new goal to raise $5 million by January 1, 2025 to support their growing set of pro bono programs, including efforts to recruit more advisors as volunteers through their ProBonoPlannerMatch.org platform and beyond.
Having quietly launched the $5 million campaign in October, FFP has already raised close to $1 million towards the ambitious goal, including six-figure commitments from BlackRock, Capital Group, Edelman Financial Engines, and eMoney Advisor. Longtime supporter Glenn Kautt, a former CFP® professional, Enrolled Agent, and co-founder of Savant Wealth Management, has contributed $300,000, making him the second-largest individual donor in the foundation’s history, behind only Alexandra Armstrong, CFP®.
“I continue to be impressed with the foundation’s ability to innovate for greater impact. They established themselves as one of the profession’s central charities close to three decades ago, and in the last five years especially, they have taken their pro bono programs and thought leadership to a new level,” explained Kautt. “I am proud to support this cause and excited about what the future holds for the organization and its mission.”
Founded in 1995, FFP has grown into the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering pro bono financial advice and planning to financially vulnerable groups, including low-income workers, seniors, families facing cancer, military families, and more. By partnering with direct service organizations across the country – which specialize in serving diverse underserved groups – FFP develops and funds programs that connect CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals to those who need help. FFP has also built a suite of resources and trainings to support pro bono clients and advisors to ensure that those participating in their pro bono programs receive the maximum benefit.
“Raising five million dollars in just over three years is certainly our most ambitious undertaking to date,” said FFP CEO, Jon Dauphin. “But our organization is in its healthiest place it has ever been, both financially and in terms of the strength of our partnerships and programs. By focusing on key areas of growth – including how improved technology can enhance and scale pro bono service across the profession – we believe we can reach 125,000 more underserved families by 2025 and significantly increase the number of CFP® professionals volunteering their time pro bono.”
FFP currently recruits advisors to volunteer through their longstanding partnerships with the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board), and other industry groups, as well as through growing collaborations with major companies and RIA firms, all eager to give their employees more opportunities to give back. Last spring, at the onset of the pandemic, FFP also launched ProBonoPlannerMatch.org, a first-of-its-kind online platform that connects financial planners to diverse pro bono opportunities nationwide. In just a year and half, the platform already has more than 1,500 users.
Partnerships with nonprofit behemoths like AARP have also enabled FFP to meet the increasing demand for quality pro bono opportunities. The co-developed Retirement Resilience Program allows FFP and AARP to reach financially at-risk seniors with just-in-time advice through webinars and tele-town halls, followed by one-on-one meetings with CFP® professional volunteers, who provide customized guidance.
FFP is also known for its work supporting cancer patients and their families through a longstanding partnership with cancer group Family Reach, a national nonprofit dedicated to removing the financial barriers standing between cancer patients and their treatment. The Pro Bono for Cancer effort offers a more intensive, six-month engagement for financial advisors and their pro bono clients, and has brought free financial planning to over 1,600 families since its launch in 2018. With more resources, FFP expects to double the reach and impact of this program in the next three years.
Since the start of the pandemic, FFP has reached over 100,000 people in need and engaged over 3,500 advisors, adding to the 24,000 who have volunteered via FFP-supported pro bono programs over time.
Advisors and firms interested in getting involved should visit FFPprobono.org to learn more. CFP® professionals can also browse and sign up for pro bono opportunities at ProBonoPlannerMatch.org.
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 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 individuals 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; and acted as a leader and catalyst to foster a rich tradition of pro bono service across the financial planning profession. Visit FFPprobono.org to learn more.
