What We Learn When We Give Freely
Over the past 18 months, our team has made an intentional commitment to expanding our impact in the community through pro bono financial planning. This commitment is rooted in one of our core values: Give Big.
We believe that sharing unconditionally is the path to abundance. The use of the word abundance in our definition has always felt impactful, particularly so when we are giving to underserved communities. A speaker at a recent conference told a story about his hometown that had a population of less than two dozen, and the profound impact that community had on him growing up. He closed by saying that, while its members lacked financial wealth, the people who shaped him were “rich in family, rich in purpose, rich in life.” That is abundance.
To Give Big is to share unconditionally, and not just with money, but also with our time and talent. Offering our talents inspires our commitment to pro bono. Holistic financial planning can change lives, as we know and hope you feel, too; and we believe that the impact shouldn’t be limited only to those with financial resources.
Financial planning is a profession built on trust, relationships, and a genuine desire to help people. Pro bono planning is an extension of how we believe financial planning should be practiced. When we show up as fiduciary financial professionals, we do so with expertise, empathy, and a focus on helping people make meaningful progress toward what matters most to them.
Our Impact
At YeskeBuie, we believe financial planning is about much more than money. It is about understanding people — their goals, concerns, families, and the lives they are trying to build. Our pro bono work provides a variety of opportunities to practice that belief.
Our dedication to this work has existed for decades, dating back to Elissa’s involvement in co-creating the Foundation for Financial Planning’s logo, her impact on the organization’s decision to focus on one-on-one pro bono financial planning, and her years of service on the Board of Trustees, including Chair of the Board in 2013. Dave and Yusuf have also long been involved, with Dave serving as Chair in 2024 and Yusuf participating in the Pro Bono for Cancer initiative and joining the Board of Trustees this year.
We set a new standard for our team in 2025, one that would also function as a message to the profession: every financial planning team member is required to participate in at least ten hours of pro bono work each year. Here’s a quick summary of our pro bono impact thus far in 2026:
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- 100% Financial planning team participation
- 75+ Hours of pro bono service
- 11 Households served
- 2 Financial literacy programs
- 1 Junior Achievement Finance Park experience
- 1 Four-part financial education workshop in development
A Snapshot of Organizations We Work With:
Making Us Better, For You
We’re often asked by others in the profession what our Clients think about our pro bono work. We share with them that you, our Clients, are kind, generous, and value-driven people yourselves, and we believe that’s exactly why you appreciate that we live our values out loud. Pro bono service is a vital aspect of all professions and we’re working to make that more broadly true in ours.
Our commitment to pro bono work reflects something deeper about how we approach financial planning overall. It shows that we do this work because we genuinely want to make people’s lives and their families’ lives better. We are not here to sell or persuade, but to act in your best interest and act as the guide to your Live Big® life. That desire to show up for people and help expands beyond financial situations and availability of resources.
The impact of pro bono also extends beyond the communities we serve. It shapes our professional lives and makes us better financial planners. These experiences challenge us to think differently and approach each relationship with greater curiosity. Working with people whose financial circumstances and experiences may differ from those we typically encounter encourages us to listen more closely, ask thoughtful questions, and meet each person where they are. The lessons we learn through our pro bono work come back with us and strengthen the way we serve you.
“The most powerful thing we can do is listen, make them feel heard and cared for, and show up. We don’t give them power, but we reflect their power back to them. And that’s all they need us to do so they can do what they need to do.”
– Yusuf
This is the heart of what we believe financial planning is about. Our role isn’t to tell someone what their life should look like. It is to help them understand their options, see what’s possible, and feel empowered to make decisions that are right for them.
This is especially true for our Associate Financial Planners who are continuing to gain experience by having the opportunity to lead a Client through the entire financial planning process. Ultimately, the more opportunities our planners have to learn, practice, and grow, the better we can serve you.
“I started working with pro bono Clients in 2023; my first was a single mom trying to make ends meet while she supported her son. On a human level, I learned more about dedication, long-term perspective, and resilience in the face of what feels like constant obstacles. As a financial planner, the experience deepened my problem-solving skills and taught me to look more creatively and strategically at the opportunities and resources available to a Client.”
– Sydney
“Even the seemingly most insurmountable obstacles can be overcome or worked through with help, persistence, and a plan.”
– Yusuf
“People are people. The things we worry about, get excited about, and plan for are often so similar. We tend to chase the same things: a good life for our families, the chance to follow our dreams, some security, some freedom. And we all have good days and bad days, days where we win and days where we lose. Through it all, everyone deserves a hand when they need it and someone who’s got their back. My experience in pro bono work has only reinforced that view.”
– Tim
Bringing Us Together
We truly believe that financial planning can be life-changing. The discovery process that helps us understand who and what matters most to our Clients allows us to build plans around their specific needs, wishes, and goals.
Pro bono service, for us, is rooted in sharing not just our knowledge, but our time, our talent, and the same care we bring to every planning relationship. It reminds us why we chose this profession in the first place.
Pro bono isn’t separate from the work we do at YeskeBuie. It is one expression of the way we believe financial planning should be practiced, and it makes us better at serving every person who trusts us with their financial life.