Raymond James Cares Month 2021: Staying connected to our communities and to one another

In 2020, when Raymond James Cares Month was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and most of us were still acclimating to a virtual work environment, Raymond James associates and advisors didn’t miss a beat. Thousands of volunteers stepped up to give their time, talents and treasure when their communities needed it most. 

In 2021, after more than a year working remotely, we took our generosity even further, increasing the amount of food collected, meals served and packed, and items donated by 87%. 

Raymond James Cares Month 2021

Each year, one month is designated as Raymond James Cares Month for associates and advisors across the firm to team up and give back to the communities where we live and work. 

This year, in our 10th annual month of giving, associates and advisors across the U.S., Canada and the UK volunteered 6,691 hours toward 250 charitable organizations, collectively serving and packing 58,294 meals, donating 80,343 pounds of food, and collecting 31,009 non-perishable items for people in need. All told, more than 68,400 people across 105 communities benefitted from this year’s Raymond James Cares Month efforts.

Giving back when communities need it most

“I think giving back right now is more important than ever because the pandemic has created more job loss, hardships and disadvantages than we’ve seen in a really long time,” Investment Banking administrative manager Jess Geller said. Geller, along with senior administrative assistant Tatiana Fox, led a toiletry drive for the San Francisco Investment Banking office benefitting Monument Crisis Center. Associates made in-kind and monetary donations that allowed Geller and Fox to assemble 100 hygiene kits for families in need.

“We wanted to be able to physically give back this year in a safe, socially distanced way, so the hygiene kits were a perfect way to do that,” Geller said. “It feels good to get together with my colleagues and give something back to our community.”

Staying connected while we’re apart

“This year for Raymond James Cares Month, we participated in a virtual bingo night to raise money for Kids Need More,” Manhattan branch practice business coordinator Yvette Viani said. Viani worked with the staff at Kids Need More to host a Zoom bingo night for Raymond James employees in New York.

“After working remotely for 14+ months, [Raymond James Cares Month] really gave me an opportunity to bring people together,” Viani said. The virtual bingo event brought in $2,000 for Kids Need More.

“Connecting with my coworkers through our Raymond James Cares Month activity felt more important than ever this year,” marketing senior account executive Savannah Smith said. “After all this time apart, it’s been great to reconnect with so many of my colleagues through our shared commitment to giving back.”

Smith coordinated a department-wide donation drive for The Kind Mouse in St. Petersburg, Florida. The marketing department collectively contributed $6,603 in food and monetary donations for the organization.

"We’re seeing such great need in our local community, which is clearly felt and understood by the marketing team, because we saw record-setting donations this year,” Smith said. 

A culture of giving

RIA & Custody Services (RCS) associates Jennifer Nickl, executive assistant, and Kassey Fitrzyk, program coordinator, organized a volunteer event for their colleagues at Feeding Tampa Bay's Pinellas County mobile food pantry in St. Petersburg. They spent an afternoon bagging essential food items and loading them into the trunks of hundreds of cars. 

“The event was amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like that,” Nickl said. “The culture at Raymond James has really encouraged me – and our whole team – to volunteer. Giving back is embedded in our culture. It always has been.”

Over the course of three hours, The RCS team helped to distribute 7,302 meals to more than 200 families.

Associates in Canada pioneered a new event for this year’s Raymond James Cares Month: The RJ 5K for Kids, supporting Drug Free Kids Canada. The virtual 5K event brought in more than $283,000 in donations.

“When associates and employees are volunteering, the research shows that they’re happier and healthier,” Raymond James Canada Foundation Vice President and Executive Director Janine Davies said. “So, naturally, giving back is a huge part of our culture.”

Our impact

Together, Raymond James associates across the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom made a difference in our communities.*

• 209 teams comprised of 2,242 volunteers led community service projects in 105 local communities – including donation drives, beach cleanups, virtual fundraisers, food bank volunteering, card making, mentoring and more.
• Volunteers donated 6,691 hours toward 250 nonprofit organizations, benefitting more than 68,400 people.
• Associates raised $522,218 in monetary donations, collected 80,343 pounds of food, served and packed 58,294 meals, donated 31,009 non-perishable items, and cleaned up 1,880 pounds of trash. 

*All results are approximate. 

Read more about how our associates gave back.

A history of giving

Since its inception in 2012, associated have donated more than 58,400 hours during Raymond James Cares Month.

Raymond James Cares Month 2020

Raymond James Cares Month 2020 was a celebration of our associates' and advisors' commitment to the communities in which we live and work. Our official month of giving was postponed to May and volunteering in 2020 looked different from past years, with more small-group activities, virtual volunteerism, food and supply drives, and record-breaking fundraising campaigns: Associates and advisors collectively raised $283,000 to support local nonprofits from Tampa Bay to San Francisco Bay. The work continued in Canada and the United Kingdom with record-breaking funds raised to support those affected by COVID-19. We remained socially distant but the Raymond James culture persisted and creativity flourished. More than 2,200 volunteers donated 4,600+ hours toward 289 charitable organizations, ultimately helping 47,097 people. 

Raymond James Cares Month 2019

In order to join forces with Raymond James Ltd. in Canada and Raymond James Investment Services in the UK, Raymond James Cares Month officially moved from August to May in 2019. Associates volunteered at animal shelters, served the hungry, packed meals at food banks, built homes through Habitat for Humanity and more. More than 3,300 volunteers donated 10,400+ hours toward 333 charitable organizations, ultimately helping 34,694 people.

Raymond James Cares Month 2018

In 2018, associates teamed up to give back by beautifying parks and shelters, collecting donations for organizations like the Red Cross and the Humane Society, and volunteering at organizations like the Ronald McDonald House and Feeding America. More than 2,500 volunteers donated 7,200_ hours toward 172 charitable organizations. 

“Giving back is so much more than a tradition – it’s our way of thanking those who’ve supported us from the start.” – Chairman Emeritus Tom James

Learn more about our giving story and Raymond James Cares programs throughout the year. 

Raymond James Cares

Together, we make a difference to build, strengthen and grow our communities. To learn more about the firm’s corporate philanthropy, click here.

To see how associates give back all year long, follow Raymond James on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.