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Financial Planning > Charitable Giving

I give because... Why MDRT joined #GivingTuesday

By Lynette Gil

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The holiday season is known for being one of those times of the year where people give the most to different charities. Some adopt families, others volunteer for toy drives or at soup kitchens. And companies and organizations across the nation join in the efforts to make the holidays sparkle for those in need, too. 

And this year, the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Foundation – the charitable organization of MDRT – challenged its 42,000 members to join the #GivingTuesday movement of giving back and paying it forward. Here at LifeHealthPro, we had the honor to ask Roger A. Seim (photo, right), president of the MDRT Foundation and 33 year member of MDRT, to answer a few questions as to why the MDRT joined the efforts in bringing a little hope to those who need it most.

LHP: What prompted MDRT to join #GivingTuesday this year?

roger seim mdrt

Seim: ”#GivingTuesday is a global initiative that celebrates the power of giving back; this simple philosophy aligns with the charitable mission of the MDRT Foundation. In addition, the MDRT Foundation is focusing on expanding our global awareness to our membership base, which comprises members from more than 70 different countries. The #GivingTuesday campaign is a compelling way to help us achieve both objectives.”

LHP: What does joining this campaign mean for the Foundation?

Seim: ”Charitable giving is at the core of the MDRT Foundation’s mission, launching a campaign to celebrate Giving Tuesday is a natural progression for us to make an even bigger impact with our mission. Many of our members are directly involved with various charitable organizations – from building fences for a therapeutic horse riding program at Camp Riley to building houses for Habitat for Humanity – Giving Tuesday is a way to join all those efforts into one cohesive movement to give back. As part of the Foundation we’re so proud to have the capabilities and member involvement to join together across countries and companies for a collective cause.”

greg gagne

(Greg Gagne, ChFC, 15 year MDRT member from Exeter, New Hampshire. Photo: MDRT)

LHP: What were some of your predictions in terms of impact vs. what you have seen so far?

Seim: “Our hope was to ignite inspiration throughout our 42k members across the globe. The response we have seen so far of donations worldwide including from Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa in support of the campaign has been more than we could have imagined. Not only that, but members have been actively involved promoting the campaign across their social media. In addition, our website traffic doubled in comparison to last year. To date, we have raised almost USD 4,000 to support the MDRT Foundation’s global grant programs.”

ana sofia

(Ana Sofia Rodriguez, 9 year MDRT member from Panama City, Panama. Photo: MDRT)

LHP: What are some of MDRT’s members’ saying or their reaction to the campaign?

Seim: ”We have had very positive reactions to #GivingTuesday, which was illustrated by members’ comments and tweets via social media, as well as their photos showcasing why they give. For example: ‘It is great to be part of this MDRT Foundation initiative. Our donations will make a positive impact in the lives of all we touch. Life is to Give,’ wrote Logan Naidu, ACII, CFP, an MDRT member from South Africa.”

ian

(Ian Green, 16 year MDRT member from London, England. Photo: MDRT)

LHP: Does this campaign end?

Seim: ”Although #GivingTuesday is over, the MDRT Foundation will accept donations in honor of this campaign. Donations can be made on the MDRT Foundation’s website: www.mdrtfoundation.org.”

LHP: Is this an initiative that will continue on next year?

Seim: ”We know charitable involvement and giving back is an important value for MDRT members and because of the great response we saw in our first year celebrating Giving Tuesday, we anticipate it will become an annual tradition.”

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