Five Advisors Honored for Extraordinary Community Impact; Mark Casady Receives Executive Tribute as Nearly $1 Million Is Raised to Grow the Charitable Impact of Financial Advisors
BOSTON, Mass. — October 1, 2026 — The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation (“Invest in Others”), a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying, celebrating, and inspiring the charitable work of financial advisors, celebrated two decades of impact at its 20th Anniversary Invest in Others Awards Gala on September 17, 2026, at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport.
The milestone evening brought together members of the financial services community to recognize financial advisors making an extraordinary difference through their leadership, volunteerism, and philanthropy. As part of the celebration, $800,000 in grants were awarded in support of the charitable organizations championed by this year’s honorees. The evening also paid tribute to financial services leader and founding Invest in Others benefactor Mark Casady, recipient of the organization’s 2026 Executive Tribute.
Through the Executive Tribute campaign, live and silent auctions, and Raise-a-Paddle, nearly $1 million was raised in celebration of the organization’s 20th anniversary. These funds will provide critical resources to help Invest in Others continue expanding its grant program, supporting the charitable impact of financial advisors and the nonprofits they support.
Twenty years in, the numbers are remarkable: more than $10 million in grants awarded, nearly 900 nonprofits supported, and more than 1,000 financial advisors recognized for their charitable work.
“Celebrating our 20th anniversary surrounded by hundreds of financial advisors, industry leaders, nonprofit partners and supporters was an extraordinary reminder of what Invest in Others has built, and, more importantly, what this community has made possible,” said Barkley Payne, President & CEO of the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation. “Nearly $1 million raised in celebration of this milestone is a tremendous testament to the generosity of the financial services industry. But the stories behind those dollars are what makes this night each year so powerful. For 20 years, financial advisors have shown us what can happen when professional success is paired with a deep commitment to serving others. We couldn’t have asked for a more meaningful way to celebrate our history and begin the next chapter of Invest in Others.”
2026 Invest in Others Award Recipients
The Invest in Others Awards recognize financial advisors who have made an outstanding impact on nonprofit organizations and the communities they serve. This year, 75 Honorable Mentions were recognized, each receiving a $2,000 grant for the charity they champion, while 15 finalists were selected across five award categories. At the Gala, one finalist in each category received the top honor.
2026 Invest in Others Award Recipients
Catalyst Award: Ben French, CoreNorth Capital Planning, Cambridge Investment Research, Wichita, Kansas, for his work with Shepherd’s Way, which received a $75,000 grant.
Community Service Award: John Thane, Peak Financial Group, Ameriprise Financial Services, Southlake, Texas, for his work with Metroport Meals on Wheels, which received a $75,000 grant.
Emerging Impact Award: David Shnitzer, CARE Private Wealth, Lincoln Investment, Newton, Massachusetts, for his work with ONETrack International, which received a $75,000 grant.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Skrynecki, Skrynecki Financial Planning Group of Raymond James, Atlanta, Georgia, for his work with the Wiskott-Aldrich Foundation, Inc., which received a $100,000 grant.
Volunteer of the Year Award: Amy B D Weinberger, Green Earth Financial Professionals LLC, Osaic, Cape May, New Jersey, for her work with Soft Bones, Inc., The US Hypophosphatasia Foundation, which received a $75,000 grant.
Mark Casady Honored with 2026 Executive Tribute
A centerpiece of the anniversary celebration was the presentation of the 2026 Executive Tribute to Mark Casady, recognizing his leadership in the financial services industry and his foundational role in the history of Invest in Others.
Casady was among the earliest champions of the organization and helped turn the idea of recognizing the charitable work of financial advisors into what would become Invest in Others. His daughter, Maggie, even helped give the organization its name, suggesting “Invest in Others” as the initiative was taking shape.
That early commitment proved transformative. When the first awards event was held in New York City, Casady and LPL helped underwrite the event costs, allowing the fledgling organization to direct approximately $400,000 toward its charitable mission. What began as an effort to shine a spotlight on financial advisors giving back has since grown into a national organization that has distributed more than $10 million in grants.
The 2026 Executive Tribute campaign celebrated that legacy while helping Invest in Others prepare for its next chapter. Gifts to the campaign were matched dollar for dollar up to $250,000, contributing to the extraordinary generosity surrounding the anniversary celebration.
Casady’s son, Jack Casady, accepted the Executive Tribute on his father’s behalf during the Gala.
“Mark believed in the potential of Invest in Others before there was a 20-year history to point to, and his support helped transform an idea into an organization that has touched communities across the country,” Payne said. “It was incredibly meaningful to honor him during this milestone year and to reflect on just how far that original vision has traveled. The advisors, nonprofits and communities touched by this work are part of Mark’s legacy, and we are deeply grateful for the role he played in making it possible.”
Twenty Years of Investing in Others
Since its founding, Invest in Others has worked to shine a light on the often-unsung charitable leadership of financial advisors and provide meaningful financial support to the nonprofits they serve.
The 20th Anniversary Awards Gala celebrated that history while setting the stage for Invest in Others’ next era of growth. In 2027, the organization will launch a redesigned grant program that will significantly expand opportunities for financial advisors to secure funding for the charitable organizations and causes they champion.
The milestone reflects Invest in Others’ continued commitment to growing the charitable impact of financial advisors, which could not be possible without support from its Presenting Mission Sponsor Fidelity Investments, as well as Ameriprise Financial, MFS Investment, Cambridge Investment Research, Cetera Financial Group, Inc., Envestnet, LPL Financial, Merrill, Natixis Investment Managers, Osaic, PIMCO, Private Advisor Group, and Vestmark. To learn more about Invest in Others sponsors check them out here.
