TheLiveBigWay® Digest: Pro Bono Edition

Dear Readers,

At Yeske Buie, we believe that sharing unconditionally is the path to abundance, and this belief has long informed the way we serve our Clients and extend our knowledge and compassion beyond our office walls. In this edition of the Digest, we share how we’ve formalized our pro bono efforts to deepen our commitment to service for all. While our work for you remains our highest priority, we are also embracing the profound opportunity we have to make a difference for those facing hardship or crisis. In every enduring profession – from medicine to law – pro bono work is a defining pillar, and we believe financial planning is no different.

As you explore the stories ahead, we hope you feel as proud as we do to be part of a community that lives its values. Together, we’re building a legacy of giving that reaches far beyond financial planning.

Sincerely,

The Yeske Buie Team

We are honored to share that Yeske Buie is part of the Foundation for Financial Planning’s Pro Bono in Practice initiative, a groundbreaking effort to formalize how financial planning firms can embed pro bono service into their culture and operations. Two other notably larger firms also partnered with the Foundation, and together, we serve as an example of how it’s commitment, not size, that allows firms to make a tangible impact on underserved communities.

The Foundation’s report includes detailed case studies that list the firms’ guidelines, expectations, and real impacts from a pro bono client engagement. See ours here.

Yeske Buie has supported the Foundation for Financial Planning, the nation’s only nonprofit charity solely devoted to supporting the delivery of pro bono financial planning, for decades.

• Our Founding Partners both served as Chair of the Foundation’s Board (Elissa in 2013 and Dave in 2024) and left lasting impacts on its strategic vision and outreach.

• In 2018, Yusuf Abugideiri participated in the Foundation’s Pro Bono for Cancer initiative, helping a couple navigate the financial challenges of a cancer diagnosis.

• Sydney Woodward has organized the FPA of San Francisco’s Annual Financial Planning Day for the past two years, offering pro bono coaching to those in need.

Pro bono work isn’t an afterthought at Yeske Buie – it’s a reflection of our values and long-term committment. To ensure our efforts remain thoughtful and consistent, Sydney, our Pro Bono Coordinator, will lead and manage our pro bono work each year.

This year marks the Foundation’s 30th anniversary and to celebrate the occasion, they hosted an anniversary gala that several members of our Virginia team were honored to attend (a gallery of event photos can be found here). It was a powerful evening of reflection, inspiration, and commitment, and reminded us that while much has been accomplished, there’s still so much more to do.

Related to our work with the Pro Bono in Practice initiative, Sydney and Yusuf were recently featured in Barron’s and Citywire, respectively. We’re honored to share their words, and even more proud of the hearts behind them.

“‘When we introduced this idea of taking pro bono a little bit further, there was universal buy-in across the board. No one had to be persuaded or cajoled in any way. It was really just, “Okay, great. This is exciting.” And, “When can we get started?”’ – Yusuf Abugideiri

“[Sydney] helped a woman pay down her credit card and determine how to fund her education. She also assisted the woman, whose husband had been deported, find new insurance for her 10-year-old son. By the end of their relationship, the client had insurance for her son [and] paid off a few thousand dollars of debt. “She felt like she had the tools to continue without continuing to meet with us,” Woodward says.”