I am excited for the opportunities we have this year to take our Chapter’s pro bono efforts to the next level and truly make a difference in people’s lives in our region.  Most significantly, we have a core group of people on the committee who are eager and committed to our mission:

To not only serve, educate, and empower those people who need our help the most, and otherwise may not have access to our services, but also enhance awareness of the importance of financial planning, and the esteem of our professional marks and capabilities.

We believe the latter part of our mission will happen simply by accomplishing the former.  Making a difference in one person’s life is invaluable.  However, impacting hundreds of people a year by becoming a known, trusted entity in our region to help those people to achieve some level of financial literacy and control is what our country needs to overcome the “crisis” it faces.  As members of the FPA, we are on the front lines (and are the face) of the initiatives that can address this crisis.  With the resources available to us from the national FPA level, Foundation for Financial Planning, as well as the resources of passion of our membership (350+), we truly have the ability to make this happen.

Consequently, we are developing four key Initiatives for 2016 that target:

• People in Crisis (cancer patients, victims of domestic violence, and financially distressed),
• Elderly
• Military
• Students

Some of our coming initiatives include:

• Partnering with Age Well Pittsburgh to provide financial literacy and planning programs at several senior centers in our region.
• Initiating efforts to work with a national organization to provide financial counseling to patients facing life threatening illnesses and their families.
• Establishing a partnership with the Allegheny County Bar Association to offer our services to participants in their Debt Relief Clinics.
• Offering educational opportunities to students involved with regional Junior Achievement.
• Projects at the Veterans Administration and organizations that help our veterans – If you have experience with counseling Military personnel and our Veterans, we ask you for your help in expanding our efforts to these brave men and women in our area who have served our country.

We are working with different community based organizations to meet this mission, but as the Pro Bono committee of your FPA Chapter, we naturally welcome your insights and participation.  We are your Pro Bono committee, so let us know the organizations and causes that are important to you.  I look forward to talking and meeting with about our Chapter’s FPA Pro Bono efforts.  Your ideas and participation are not only welcome but extremely appreciated.  Feel free to contact me at [email protected].