18th Annual Invest in Others Awards Honor Financial Advisors for Philanthropy

Awards Presented in Person at Gala in Boston on September 19

BOSTON, Mass., Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation ("Invest in Others") presented five awards to financial advisors committed to giving back to their communities during its 18th annual Invest in Others Awards Gala in Boston on September 19, 2024.

The Invest in Others (IiO) Awards program, which includes five categories, honors financial advisors who volunteer their time and talents to support nonprofits, positively impacting lives and the communities they serve. Top gala sponsors included Ameriprise, Apollo, Cambridge, Cetera Financial Group, Commonwealth Financial Network, Fidelity Investments, LPL Financial, Merrill, MFS, Natixis Investment Managers, Orion, Osaic, and Private Advisor Group.

This year, the charities supported by winners named in four of the five award categories received a $60,000 grant from Invest in Others. Invest in Others honored the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award with a $100,000 grant to their designated charity. In addition, ten finalists in all five categories received donations of $25,000 to each of their charities, and seventy-five honorable mentions received donations of $2,000 each to their charities.

By award category, the winners are:    

• Catalyst Award: Shawn Tydlaska, CFP®, of Ballast Point Financial Planning in Burlingame, Calif., for his work with the BLX Internship Program.
• Community Service Award: Candace G. Kaplan, CFP®, RHU, ChFC®, of Kaplan Financial Group, LLC in Rockville, Md., for her work with the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA).
• Emerging Impact Award: Derek C. Fiorenza, CFP®, C(k)P®, CPFA®, AIF®, PPC®, of Summit Group Retirement Planners in Exton, Pa., for his work with Fiorenza's Food For Friends (F4).
• Volunteer of the Year Award: Leon A. Henry, CKA ®, of 3 C Financial Service in Weatherford, Texas, for his work with the Careity Foundation.
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Marc Cassalina, CFP®, of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for his work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Additionally, Invest in Others presented its inaugural Executive Tribute to industry veteran Sanjiv Mirchandani, who retired earlier this year after 27 years at Fidelity Investments. Mr. Mirchandani received this recognition in honor of his efforts to raise awareness and funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. He began this mission while also navigating his own journey battling Parkinson's disease. A special fundraising campaign raised more than $550,000 in Mr. Mirchandani's honor, with proceeds to be equally shared between the IiO Charitable Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

"It was truly an honor to spend a night celebrating the 2024 Invest in Others finalists and award recipients, whose tireless dedication and impactful service are making a real difference in the lives of individuals throughout the country," said R. Barkley Payne, Executive Director of the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation. "These financial advisors generously volunteer their time and expertise to support life-changing nonprofits, and for one night, we get to shine a bright spotlight on them. They exemplify the deep passion that professionals in the financial services industry can bring to charitable work and the impact they can have, serving as an inspiration to us all."

To learn more about the honorees and their charitable work, visit investinothers.org/awards/ and follow #IiOAwards on social media.

About the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation
The Invest in Others 501(c)(3) Charitable Foundation aims to amplify, celebrate, and inspire the charitable work of the financial services community. Invest in Others is a catalyst to channel philanthropy and volunteerism to where it is needed most.

For more information, visit investinothers.org or follow Invest in Others on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

Media Contact:
Sabrina Scarpa
JConnelly for Invest in Others
[email protected] | 973.309.0051

SOURCE Invest in Others Charitable Foundation