The deVere Group Charitable Foundation is envisioned by company founder and chief executive Nigel Green as being an “umbrella organisation for all of the charitable works and philanthropic acts carried out by the individual deVere Group offices around the world”.
To be run by a team of five trustees, two of whom work for deVere, the foundation is being launched with £110,000 raised by sponsorship donations pledged to a team of deVere staffers, who are participating in the Malta and Paris half marathons on 24 Feb and 3 March respectively.
Green, a marathon runner in his spare time, will also run in both, in what he is calling a “back to back challenge.”
The company says it has “ambitious fundraising aims”, with a million pounds expected to be distributed to “various core charities” each year, none of which the deVere Group has yet identified.
Other good causes will also benefit on an ‘ad hoc’ basis, the company said. One of the first such organisations will be Inspire Foundation, a Maltese children’s charity, which will receive funds from Green’s forthcoming 21km (13mi) runs.
Green says he believes more philanthropic activities by the financial planning industry generally could help to “revitalise confidence in the concept of financial planning”, and that he is hopeful others in the industry will follow his lead – although some, he admits, need no lessons in this regard, as they are already extremely active.
“I believe that global brands like ours have not just a responsibility [but] an obligation to provide charitable assistance where possible,” he says.
“And increasingly our clients expect businesses, especially those in the finance industry, to lead the way in this area.
“We already continually strive to enhance the communities in which we operate by sharing our time, skills and resources with good causes. The soon-to-be launched deVere Charitable Foundation is an extension of this ongoing commitment.”
