For 2026 Invest in Others Awards finalist Michael Brady, the gala experience brought more than a $25,000 grant for Frontier Horizon. It brought new connections, greater visibility, and an unexpected opportunity to become an even stronger advocate for the children he serves.
When Michael Brady arrived in Boston as a finalist for the 2026 Invest in Others Volunteer of the Year Award, he already knew the experience would help shine a light on a cause deeply personal to him. What he didn’t anticipate was just how much he would take home with him.
“Yes, I left with a check for $25,000,” Michael said. “But I also left with an incredible portfolio of marketing material.”
From professional photography and video storytelling to the opportunity to share Frontier Horizon’s mission with hundreds of members of the financial services community, Michael saw firsthand how the Invest in Others Awards are designed to do more than recognize charitable work. They help advisors amplify it. And for him, that amplification matters.
A Personal Mission with Global Reach
Michael, of Generosity Wealth Management in Boulder, Colorado, was recognized as one of three finalists for the 2026 Volunteer of the Year Award for his work with Frontier Horizon, a nonprofit dedicated to creating life-transforming opportunities for orphans around the world.
His connection to the cause is deeply personal. Adopted as an infant himself, Michael has said that knowing what it means for a child to feel “wanted, protected and loved” drives his desire to help other children experience that same sense of security.
Michael joined Frontier Horizon’s board in February 2022, bringing his financial planning and investment expertise to the organization. His work has since directly impacted more than 1,500 vulnerable children.
Just weeks after he joined the board, Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine forced Frontier Horizon to rethink its traditional international hosting and adoption programs. The organization developed Camp Dreamland, a series of week-long camps in Western Ukraine where children affected by war are given an opportunity to experience something simple but profound: the chance to be kids again.
Michael helped raise funds to support the camps and has traveled to Ukraine himself to spend time with the children. In addition to serving as Frontier Horizon’s Treasurer, he has built relationships so meaningful that children regularly ask when “Mike” will be coming back.
$25,000—and the Flexibility to Put It Where It Matters Most
As an Invest in Others Awards finalist, Michael secured a $25,000 grant for Frontier Horizon.
For a nonprofit, he says, funding of that size can have an enormous impact, not simply because of the dollar amount, but because of the flexibility it provides.
“It means an awful lot, because we can expand some of our infrastructure and serve more people,” Michael said. “A grant gives you flexibility to build foundational work that can be difficult to fund.”
He learned the importance of that flexibility through years of charitable work in Africa. Michael recalls seeing donors eager to fund tangible needs like bricks for school buildings, while essential operating expenses, such as salaries for teachers, were much harder to support.
“We had lots of empty school buildings, but donors didn’t want to think their money was just going toward a salary, when in fact that was exactly the need,” he said.
That experience gave Michael an appreciation for funding that empowers nonprofit leaders to assess where resources can make the greatest difference.
“The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation provides financial assistance and flexibility for those of us in the nonprofit world to really assess the need and use our funds accordingly,” he said.
And $25,000, he emphasized, “goes a long way.”
Celebrating a Different Side of Financial Advice
The Awards experience also gave Michael something less tangible but equally valuable: a chance to meet other financial professionals whose commitment to service extends far beyond their day jobs.
“It was meaningful because I was able to talk with other people in my industry who are doing good work outside of the office, and to see that work celebrated,” he said.
That sense of community is one of the reasons Michael believes more financial advisors should get to know Invest in Others.
“It’s a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people who care, who are doing great things, and who are supporting communities across the country and around the globe,” he said.
Michael also sees value in telling those stories more broadly. Too often, he said, public attention surrounding the financial services profession focuses on problems or negative news. The Invest in Others Awards offer an opportunity to tell a different story, one centered on financial advisors using their skills, resources and relationships to strengthen communities and causes they care about.
“Here, it’s all good,” Brady said. “And I really appreciate that.”
An Unexpected Lesson in Leadership
Perhaps one of Michael’s most valuable takeaways from the finalist experience was how it strengthened him as a nonprofit board member and advocate for Frontier Horizon.
Throughout the Invest in Others Awards process, he had repeated opportunities to communicate the organization’s mission, to the Invest in Others team, through interviews and video production, and to members of the financial services community. Each opportunity encouraged him to think critically about how effectively he was telling Frontier Horizon’s story and whether its mission was coming through as clearly and powerfully as possible.
That repetition became a valuable exercise in messaging. It gave Michael the chance to analyze what resonated, identify where the story could be clearer and consider how he and the organization can better articulate Frontier Horizon’s mission in the future.
In that sense, the value of the grant and Awards experience extended beyond funding and recognition. Michael came away with new insights he can bring back to Frontier Horizon’s board and use to become an even more effective ambassador for the organization and the children it serves.
For Michael, becoming a stronger board member was another meaningful, and perhaps unexpected, return on the entire experience.
