Building strong financial futures is what the people of Charles Schwab are all about. Whether working as financial advisors to a host of different client types or mentoring young people through programs such as JA in a Day or JA Stock Market Challenge, “Schwabbies” as they call themselves, make a meaningful difference in the Denver Metro community.

Since 1998, Charles Schwab has been a valued partner of Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain (JA), lending  countless volunteer hours, leadership and financial resources to helping young people understand and embrace money management and the free enterprise system.

In 2016, Charles Schwab agreed to help expand JA’s popular JA Stock Market Challenge program for high school students, offering to host the event at their corporate campus in Lone Tree.  Traditionally held only in the fall, Charles Schwab’s support allows JA to also offer the program during the spring semester.

“Until Schwab stepped up to host a spring version of the program, we weren’t able to engage students who participated in business courses during the spring semester,” said Meaghan Sullivan, JA’s vice president of programs. “We are so grateful to Schwab for helping us meet the growing demand from teachers and students.”

The 2017 spring event will take place April 6 and 7 and will serve 950 students from 25 Denver Metro schools. More than 50 Charles Schwab staffers plan to volunteer to make this year’s dynamic Wall Street experience a fun and memorable learning experience.

In addition to the JA Stock Market Challenge, “Schwabbies” volunteer a tremendous amount of time teaching JA curriculum in K-12 classrooms.  During the 2015/16 school year, for instance, Charles Schwab professionals reached 3,792 students in 158 classes in six schools in Denver, Douglas and Adams 50 school districts. And, the company is on track to exceed those numbers by the end of the current school year.

Another unique and highly impactful way in which Charles Schwab professionals assist community organizations is through their annual Pro Bono Challenge.  This skills-based volunteering program invites local non-profits to work with experienced Schwab employees on specific business challenges.  This year, Schwab employees in eight U.S. cities will consult with 60 different nonprofits, delivering more than $490 thousand in value.  Locally, JA-Rocky Mountain has been fortunate enough to participate in  the Pro Bono Challenge a few different times.

“We find it extremely valuable to tap into the problem-solving and strategic thinking skills of Schwab professionals as we create new ideas and address challenges,” said Kim McGrigg, director of communications. “One year our Charles Schwab team helped develop fresh ways to recognize and communicate with large donors. It was a great day of meaningful discussion and sharing new ideas.”

In total, Charles Schwab has contributed more than $420 thousand and 1,273 volunteer experiences  to inspiring young people to own their future economic success.  Their multifaceted approach to corporate social responsibility brings tremendous value to their non-profit partners and to the overall community.