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Pro-Bono & Community Outreach

Are you interested in Pro-Bono work? Our association is striving to offer Pro-Bono services through our members. If you are interested in Pro-Bono work, please take the time to update your profile and select "Available for Pro-Bono Work" check box to be added to our Pro-Bono Planner Directory. Check out the benefits below:

  • Give vulnerable members of our communities a helping hand by sharing our professional expertise
  • Targets individuals and families striving to build assets and improve their lives but cannot afford to engage a planner on their own
  • Great way to give back, build professional skills and strengthen ties with your community

Participate in FPA's community outreach. Listed below are the two current opportunities FPA offers for a financial planner to volunteer their time and expertise. Please read more to learn about helping cancer patients and military veterans with their financial needs.

Current Opportunities:

Financial Planning Association, The Foundation for Financial Planning &CENTS

As cancer costs have skyrocketed, physicians have begun to treat the severe financial distress associated with a cancer diagnosis as a new health problem, coining the term “financial toxicity.” The Financial Planning Association, the Foundation for Financial Planning, and the nonprofit CENTS are teaming up to respond to this problem.

By committing to volunteer your financial planning assistance you will help ensure patients and their caregivers/families are prepared to manage their spending and maintain a healthy financial situation during cancer treatment and beyond. 

The Commitment

We have tailored our program to fit into your busy schedule. We are asking you:

  • to take on three cancer patients or their caregivers a year
  • meet with the patient/caregiver up to three times over the course of a year

Your Role

This is a volunteer opportunity. You do not have to be an expert on everything, nor do you have to implement the plan. You can help a patient/caregiver:

  • create and/or examine their budget and balance sheets
  • troubleshoot/anticipate financial challenges 
  • organize their finances, track/cut expenses, and manage debt
  • contemplate credit decisions and new uses of their assets
  • examine life and disability insurance questions
  • refer them to appropriate resources/assistance (that we will provide to you)

Training

To prepare you for the program, there are two short online trainings:

  • Training 1 (50 mins) is FPA’s boot camp for helping low-moderate income clients that you do not need to take again if you have completed it previously. You can earn one hour of CFP® credit for this training. The training can be found online: portal.kaplanfinancial.com/partner/FFP-ProBono
  • Training 2 (45 mins) is the Cancer E-Learning Module. This training includes an overview of the Financial Planning for Cancer Program as well as helpful notes for when working with cancer patients/caregivers. You can earn one hour of CFP® credit for this training. The training can be found online.

For more information please email [email protected] or call 206-267-7017. 

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Financial Planning Association Pro Bono & The Foundation for Financial Planning Help Military Veterans

Pro Bono Planners are needed in your area!

FPA has been matching Pro Bono Planners for Military Veterans to deliver free “no strings attached” financial planning information and education.

Training: If you have not done Pro bono Boot Camp please see for training information. Please also submit the pro bono training enrollment form via email to [email protected].
Here are resources for Military Families that may assist you in working with your veterans.

With the military pro bono outreach there is typically:
  • Initial communication with the organization to establish the relationships between the planner and the veteran
  • Planner and veteran meet to establish their goals
  • Contact with the veteran as needed and indicated by their non-profit organization (phone, face to face, or electronically) with the veteran to discuss the goals: especially of savings to pay property taxes and home insurance as many of these programs will deed a house to the veteran.
  • The planner would notify the military nonprofit organization after contacts occur. Please note:  The responsibility of sharing the details and progress of your sessions are the responsibility of the veterans, not the planners for confidentiality.

Contact us if you have any additional questions.

Thank you,

Noreen Coughlin & Denise Topf
For Financial Planning Association Pro Bono
& The Foundation for Financial Planning
770-938-1110
www.foundation-finplan.org

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Seattle Times

The Seattle Times is looking for a financial planner/advisor who would like to work on a pro-bono financial plan with a participant chosen by the Seattle Times.

Several meetings may be required and the planner will be asked to provide a written plan and recommendations to both the participant and George Erb, the Seattle Times columnist.

The article will appear in the Seattle Times with the planner's photo in the print version. Details on the participant are listed below. The potential planner will need to complete the financial plan a month in advance.

The Seattle Times is looking for a planner that is preferably fee-only or fee-based. Also, the planner should have held the CFP® designation for at least 3 years and have no disciplinary actions against them. Seattle Times would also prefer planners who do financial plans on a regular basis. Additionally, you must be a current member of the FPA.

Please email Robin Tan, CFP if you would like to volunteer and send him your answers to the questionnaires below:

*If you have previously sent a questionnaire for a volunteer opportunity, please update your information and send in a new questionnaire as the Seattle Times needs your most up-to-date information.

Questionnaire:

• Are you fee-based or fee-only?
• If fee-based, what percentage of your income comes from fees?
• How long have you had your CFP designation?
• Have you had any disciplinary actions by SEC, NASD, state agencies, insurance commissioner's office or any other organizations?
• How many have full financial plans have you completed in the last 12 months?
• Would you be completing the plan or will an assistant or back-office complete the plan?
• Do you have time in the next 6 weeks to complete a financial plan for the article?
• If you are affiliated with a broker/dealer, which broker/dealer are you affiliated with?
• Will your broker/dealer allow your name and article to be published without having the phrase "Securities provided by (name of your broker/dealer)" included in the article?
• Again, are you certain that your broker-dealer is okay with this rule and have you checked this out with them before submitting a request to participate?
• Have you requested to participate in one of these Seattle Times articles before?
• Have you worked on an article with the Seattle Times before? If so, when?
• Are you a member of the FPA? 
• If so, how many years?
• Have you volunteered for the Junior Achievement program, Seattle Times hotline, or Financial Planning Week events? If so, when?

Important Note: Seattle Times will not publish this phrase and will not provide any contact information about the planner or their broker/dealer firm. Seattle Times will also not allow you to review the article before publication, which is quite typical of media. No exceptions to this. We have had issues with this with a few planners who wanted to review the article after they had completed a plan (and right before publication).  Please be very aware of this rule so as not to jeopardize this program. Please do not request to do this if you are not comfortable with this setup. Email Robin with your questionnaire now.

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