Edward Jones Releases 2020 Corporate Citizenship Report

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial-services firm Edward Jones today announced the online release of its second-annual 2020 Corporate Citizenship Report, "When Purpose Meets Passion," that details the purpose-driven firm's commitment to society by serving clients, strengthening communities, championing associates and protecting the planet. The report focuses on the firm's strategic alliance with the Alzheimer's Association, financial literacy efforts, COVID-19 relief, a deepening commitment to inclusion and diversity, and a legacy of conservation and environmental sustainability.

"At Edward Jones, we seek to make a positive impact in the lives of our clients, colleagues and communities," said Edward Jones Managing Partner Penny Pennington. "You can see this commitment brought to life by our spirit of caring from our strategic alliance with the Alzheimer's Association to the associate-driven food drive to fight hunger insecurities in Arizona communities to the work of the Edward Jones Foundation, our non-profit arm that invested $13.5 million in 366 organizations last year to make our communities a better place to live and work."

Highlights from this year's report include:

Serving Clients

Edward Jones in July renewed its strategic alliance with the Alzheimer's Association, committing $25 million over the next five years. The commitment matches the $25 million already raised by Edward Jones, its associates and communities since launching the alliance in 2016.

The total $50 million investment, over the course of 10 years, is the largest commitment ever pledged by a corporate partner to the Alzheimer's Association and is being used to enhance access to care and support programs, expand educational materials for Edward Jones clients and associates and advance critical Alzheimer's research.

Strengthening Communities

Edward Jones committed $2.7 million in COVID-19 relief this year to support the most urgent health and financial needs of its associates and communities in its headquarters cities of St. Louis, Tempe, Ariz. and Mississauga, Canada. Associates across the country also augmented these civic and humanitarian efforts in a variety of ways within local communities -- from making thousands of face masks for health-care workers and delivering hundreds of meals to contributing to food drives.

Introduced in 2020, Financial Fitness is a comprehensive digital education initiative designed to strengthen financial knowledge, confidence and, ultimately, resilience among clients, investors and associates to close the wealth gap in more communities. The program includes an in-class digital curriculum to support teachers and help high school students understand the basics of personal finance and investing. To date, the program has reached 55 high schools and more than 2,000 students with a goal of boosting more than 100,000 financial IQs through its free online financial education modules at www.edwardjones.com/financialfitness.

Championing Associates

As a member of an essential industry, Edward Jones took steps that allowed uninterrupted service to clients even after closing its branches to foot traffic and without laying off or furloughing any associates. Still, many households remained significantly impacted by COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic, and in keeping with its caring culture, at the request of associates, 1,800 colleagues and retirees raised nearly $1 million for hundreds of fellow associates who requested financial awards through the Edward Jones Disaster Relief Fund. The Fund is activated to provide financial assistance to associates in need when a federal disaster has been declared.

Edward Jones this year has doubled down on its commitment to be a place of belonging for all. The firm deepened its commitment to inclusion, equity and diversity, announcing in June a five-point action plan to address racism and provide opportunities for people of color, including $1.2 million investments in the National Urban League and its St. Louis affiliate. Together, we're creating not just a better workplace, but a better tomorrow.

Protecting the Planet

Personally investing $2.2 million in 1990, the late philanthropists and conservationists Ted and Pat Jones converted the abandoned Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad corridor into the longest recreational trail in the country?Missouri's Katy Trail State Park. Thirty years later, this trail-blazing feat continues to serve as a cornerstone of their legacy and an inspiration to the firm to protect the planet.

Today, Edward Jones is actively reducing its environmental impact to operate in more environmentally sustainable ways. One way it's going greener while meeting clients' evolving needs is a $500 million investment in accelerating the firm's digital strategy. It will decrease paper consumption while providing the digital tools that will help ensure clients feel informed, understood, secure and in control.

About Edward Jones

Edward Jones, a FORTUNE 500 firm headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the investments its financial advisors offer to the location of its branch offices caters to individual investors. The firm's 19,000-plus financial advisors serve more than 7 million clients and care for $1.3 trillion in assets under management. The Edward Jones website is at www.edwardjones.com, and its recruiting website is www.careers.edwardjones.com. Member SIPC.

SOURCE Edward Jones