In June, several members from RTD Financial took time out of their busy week serving clients out of the firm’s Philadelphia office and pitched in on a special tailoring job: sewing pockets inside hoodies that would hold drainage tubes for women undergoing breast cancer treatment.
This example is just one of many that exemplify the special culture within the firm. Through its Values Committee, the firm puts into action its socially-minded ethos by encouraging a team-building atmosphere and offering a robust slate of community-oriented initiatives, including grant-giving to various organizations, pro-bono work and volunteer opportunities.
“There is a strong value system that runs deep in the firm and permeates everything we do – how we talk to clients, how we treat each other, and how we interact with the community,” said Maureen Blom, RTD's retiring chief operating officer, who brought Pockets of Hope to the attention of the firm. “Everybody is heard and listened to, and hopefully, they feel valued. It's an extraordinary firm.”
Jeff Weiand, RTD’s chairman and CEO, is laser-focused on nurturing a healthy culture of volunteerism.
“Each and every day we strive to serve our clients, our community and our team in a way that ignites passion and helps dreams be realized,” he said. “We have attracted an amazing team of talented individuals who are unselfishly driven to help others in any way we can. Volunteerism is one of the drivers that strengthens and fuels our spirit and our morale.”
In 2018, RTD embarked on setting up the initial infrastructure for all these initiatives with a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, said Irene Giman, RTD senior financial planner.
This year, that committee combined with two existing internal groups in the firm: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the “fun” committee, devoted to employee enrichment. All together, they now make up the Values Committee, which Giman oversees as chairperson.
A big piece of RTD’s community-oriented programming under the Values Committee is the RTD Charitable Fund, to which the firm pledges a percentage of its revenues, said Weiand. The fund, which started in 2018, gives out grants to charities, non-profit groups and important causes dear to employees.
What’s unique about the fund is that every employee at the firm can make a grant proposal that would lay out why this cause is important and how it aligns with RTD’s values, said Giman. The Values Committee looks over these proposals and metes out grants.
“We are passionate about giving back,” said Weiand. “It’s great for morale because people within the firm feel their work has added value. But it’s also a chance to be connected with the city and the larger public in ways that are beneficial and socially responsible.
Giman said grants have been given to various charitable groups such as Covenant House, a non-profit devoted to providing care and shelter to young people who are homeless. One such group that was a fund beneficiary was Pockets of Hope, which one of Blom’s cousins started.
“It’s wonderful what RTD has done for Pockets of Hope,” said Blom. “It shows that the firm cares.”
Besides the fund, RTD incentivizes charitable giving within the firm by matching a portion of employee donations, said Giman.
Also, starting last year, RTD started a “Day of Service,” an extra day off that employees can use for volunteer work, said Giman. For flexibility, they can do their volunteer work on a weekend so that the day off is used for rest or running errands during the week.
For group volunteer outings, RTD people have lent a hand at area soup kitchens and prepared meals at Gift of Life Howie’s House in Philadelphia, which provides housing for relatives of people waiting for organ transplants, said Giman. RTD people have also cleaned up at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, a relatively quiet oasis of woods and marshes beside the Philadelphia International Airport. The June event at Pockets of Hope was one such group outing.
Other community-oriented work at the firm includes pro-bono financial planning for people who may not afford it and have fallen on hard times, Giman said.
Another related initiative still in the planning stages is providing financial literacy to local children, from kindergarten to high school age, said Weiand.
“Financial literacy is empowering,” said Giman. “Financial literacy is knowledge, and knowledge is empowering. And that knowledge leads to less fear around money and economic insecurity. Teaching this to school-age children seems like the perfect time to introduce these concepts.”
In addition, many of RTD’s staff are active in charitable organizations – efforts that RTD encourages.
For example, Blom has not only helped Pockets of Hope but has also served as chairperson of the Board of Trustees for the Catholic Business Network of South Jersey and as a board member of the Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools.
Weiand has lent help to Philadelphia Futures, which mentors high school students who want to go to college, and he has served on the board of Hosts for Hospitals, which strives to provide deeply discounted lodging for individuals and families coming to Philadelphia for treatment.
“The hidden cost of healthcare is very real and we never want anyone to not have access to the best healthcare there is because they can’t afford lodging,” he said.
Giman is active in several volunteer organizations in the area and is currently on the Leadership Council of Impact 100SJ, having served as chairperson of the Grant Review Committee for the past several years. Impact 100SJ is a women’s collective giving group that gives high-impact grants to local organizations.
Giman said she feels buoyed that RTD encourages her charitable efforts through Impact 100SJ or the various initiatives via the Values Committee. All together, they exemplify a culture of fellowship, camaraderie, and social responsibility, she said.
“This is by far the kindest culture I have ever worked in,” she said. “We all care about each other, care about our clients, and care about the community. That’s remarkable.”