Page 18 - Investment Advisor November 2022

Kondo Wealth Advisors Twelve Points Wealth Management
For more than 20 years, Kondo Wealth The Twelve Points team says it con-
Advisors has provided free financial edu- tributes time, skills and resources to the community through
cation within the greater Los Angeles area through community advisors’ involvement in nonprofit boards, fundraising and
seminars and partnerships with groups like the Little Tokyo other campaigns, events and financial donations. For example,
Service Center, Keiro, East San Gabriel Japanese Community it gave roughly 5.2% of its revenue to nonprofits over the past
Center, Japanese American National Museum and Japanese year — and “strives to do so every year, with over $105,000 in
American Culture and Community Center. In 2021, it hosted total donations,” it explained. President Francesca Federico
webinars to help community members support local commu- co-founded and is a board member of Marisa’s Mission, which
nity organizations, churches and preschools with pandemic- supports families struggling with cancer; she also is on the
related efforts. It also educated individuals, small businesses board of the Light Foundation, which gives underserved and
and non-profit organizations about the CARES Act of 2020, as at-risk youth the chance to experience summer camps and
well as provided pro bono consultation work as needed. learn crucial life skills.

MyVest INDIVIDUALS
MyVest has staged its Summer of
Giving program for two years to Jody J. Bluitt
let its team members support causes they care about and “have Advisor Jody Bluitt of WFA, an affiliate of RFG
the opportunity to convince fellow team members that their Advisory, is focused on activism for financial
cause deserves an additional stipend from MyVest corporate,” literacy, giving back to underserved youth in
it said. For the program, staff share stories of their work with the Shreveport-Bossier community of Louisiana.
organizations that address financial, social and educational Some of his activities include serving as a volunteer, donor and
inequities. MyVest highlighted several organizations in each judge for the Caddo Parish Schools’ Amazing Shake Program —
giving category weekly, encouraging team members to vol- to help students learn how to prepare for job interviews and
unteer their time or make donations. “By the end of the sum- careers in business — as well as giving much of his time to
mer, over 30 organizations were showcased and served by Junior Achievement, Rotary Youth Leadership, Southwood
MyVestors,” the firm explained. High School, Bossier High School and Woodlawn High School.
In 2021, the advisor was named to the advisory board of the
Schwab Advisor Services Shreveport-Bossier African American Chamber of Commerce.
In partnership with the Charles Schwab
Foundation, Schwab Advisor Services’ Jim Breen
University Grant Program has provided more Jim Breen of Wells Fargo Advisors honored
than $12 million in gifts to more than 20 uni- his late son’s wish and created a foundation
versities and organizations since the program’s inception in to support childhood education and children
2007. “The program has supported the creation of financial afflicted with cancer in Fort Worth, Texas: the
planning majors, minors and CFP certificate programs at Stephen Breen Memorial Foundation. Over the past 18 years,
universities across the country,” Schwab said. The program the foundation has provided over $2 million in assistance to
was designed to create awareness of the registered investment 3,000-plus children, including some being treated at Cook
advisor profession, extend access and awareness to the finan- Children’s Medical Center. During COVID-19, it has worked
cial services industry and develop a pipeline of high-quality to provide additional assistance to children in a larger area of
talent for independent advisors to hire. the community. The foundation received a Best of Fort Worth
Award in 2017.
The American College of Financial Services
The American College of Financial Services cre- Frederick Gillis
ated the Center for Economic Empowerment Frederick Gillis, as advisor with Ameriprise
and Equality in 2021 “to narrow the wealth Financial-affiliate TSB Financial Solutions, has
gap and cultivate lasting relationships between served the Parkway Community YMCA in West
financial services and all underserved communities,” it said. Roxbury, Massachusetts, as a board member,
In March 2022, the center launched an e-learning consum- chair of the Capital Campaign and chair of the advisory board.
er financial education program, Know Yourself Grow Your Through the campaign, the YMCA facility — dating to the 1950s
Wealth, which is available at 20 HBCUs across the country. It — was replaced. Gillis worked to raise over $1 million for the new
also recently worked to expand the program across Indiana in facility, while also interacting with community and government
more diverse communities in partnership with OneAmerica. officials to move the project forward, according to the YMCA.

16 INVESTMENT ADVISOR NOVEMBER 2022 | ThinkAdvisor.com

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