NAPFA Foundation Pro-Bono Service Award
The NAPFA Foundation’s Pro-Bono Service Award recognizes the community service work of NAPFA members who have contributed their time and financial planning expertise pro-bono to helping those in need in order to achieve positive financial outcomes in the future. This award is presented to a financial advisor or financial planning firm in recognition of their significant pro-bono contributions to a nonprofit organization, social services agency or directly to individuals through their own firm.
2024 NAPFA Foundation Pro Bono Service Award Recipient
Lisa Neira
Lisa Neira has shown a sincere commitment to pro bono financial planning throughout her career. Her passion for increasing access to financial planning services led her to launch a pilot program at her company in 2022. After meeting with Advisers Give Back’s leadership team, Lisa recognized a significant gap in access to financial education, particularly among marginalized communities and individuals with lower incomes. She believed that providing pro bono financial planning was a crucial step in addressing this gap and decided to dedicate her time and expertise to making a meaningful difference. Since the pilot launch, she has played an instrumental role in expanding the program within her firm, recruiting advisors, and offering training to ensure the initiative’s success.
Lisa’s involvement with AGB has been pivotal in overcoming the barriers that often prevent financial planners from offering pro bono services. Lisa has held 57 meetings since June 2022 and treats her pro bono work as a priority on her calendar. By blocking off one hour per week for these "office hours," she ensures consistency and creates a repeatable process to make the greatest impact. Her disciplined approach underscores her dedication to giving back and reinforces the value of financial education for those who need it most.
Lisa's passion for providing financial guidance goes beyond merely offering advice; she strives to create an environment where clients feel psychologically safe to make difficult financial decisions. She has worked with a diverse range of clients, each facing unique challenges. One notable example is a client with significant debt, including a loan from a family member. Lisa not only helped him manage his traditional debt but also coached him through the challenging conversation of talking through a solution with his family member. The result was the removal of interest payments, allowing the client to begin saving and work toward his goal of moving in with his girlfriend.
Lisa’s work is the standard for which the NAPFA Foundation Pro Bono Service Award was established. The NAPFA Foundation Board of Trustees awarded Lisa the 2024 award on May 10, 2024.
2023 NAPFA Foundation Pro Bono Service Award Recipient
Abacus Wealth Partners
Neela Hummel began her career in finance as an intern at Abacus Wealth Partners in 2009, later earning her CFP® and working up the ranks to financial advisor, partner, and Chief Advisory Officer before being named Co-CEO of Abacus in 2021, alongside Mary Beth Storjohann.
During her time at Abacus, Neela has served two terms on its Board of Directors, developed its industry-leading parental leave policy (six months paid time off), and launched the company’s women’s initiative, the Abacus Sisterhood. She has helped grow Abacus as a values-aligned firm that supports gender equity through flexible policies, career path creation, and compensation transparency. As a result, over 50% of Abacus’ advisors are women, in an industry where 20% is the industry norm.
Neela’s work has centered around empowering and uplifting women in finance. Throughout her career, Neela has been a devoted mentor for women career changers and next generation talent. She has also led workshops and lectures, taught courses, and has been a keynote speaker at conferences including the Invest for Women Conference and FPA’s Next Gen Gathering. She simultaneously devotes her time to working within the finance industry to guide leaders and stakeholders to build a more inclusive and gender equitable industry.
Over the course of her career, Neela has been recognized on LA Business Journal's Women of Influence list, by Investment News' “40 under 40” for financial advisors, has appeared on ABC 7 News and Your Money (Sirius FM). She has been a guest on podcasts including Work Your Wealth, the People's Tax Page, and RIA Edge. Neela has been a frequent contributor to the Abacus blog, and has appeared in articles in Forbes, Investment News, CNBC, FPA, Financial Planning, Financial Advisor Magazine, US News, Men’s Health, and the LA Times.
Mary Beth Storjohann is Co-CEO of Abacus Wealth Partners. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, author, speaker and podcast host with 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. She joined Abacus in 2019 as Chief Marketing Officer after successfully launching and growing her own RIA firm. In 2022 she was appointed as Co-CEO alongside Neela Hummel.
A believer that “actions speak louder than words,” Storjohann is known for sparking conversations and change in the financial services industry by leaning into uncomfortable dialogue and decisions in an effort to help create a more equitable industry. She is a fierce advocate for women, diversity, equity & inclusion, aligning your money with your values, and making financial advice accessible to underserved populations.
Mary Beth has made frequent appearances on NBC as a financial expert and has been featured in major media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Glamour, NPR, The New York Times, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, CNBC, Forbes, and more.
Her accolades include “Mo100 Top Impact CEOs” by Big Path Capital, “Top 40 Under 40” by Investment News, “10 Young Advisors to Watch” by Financial Advisor Magazine, and she was named one of the Top Ten Most Influential Advisors by Investopedia – a list that celebrates financial advisors making significant contributions to critical conversations about financial literacy, investing strategies, life-stage planning, and wealth management.
2021 NAPFA Foundation Pro-Bono Service Award Recipient
Bob Swift
Bob Swift founded TCI Wealth Partners and also his charity 3rd Decade. 3rd Decade® was founded to provide financial education and conflict-free advisor services to young adults. Bob Swift, recognized an extreme deficit in financial education for young professionals. Their commitment is to providing access to professional mentoring and financial education through 3rd Decade program. Financial experts lead the 3rd Decade® program, to increase financial confidence and success.
While in your 20s and 30s, it is the most critical time for planning and maximizing future financial success. Financial security is more about good money habits and decisions rather than how much you make. Poor financial decisions early in life can compromise your financial security for years. At a minimum, we want you to have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make good financial decisions. which supports financial literacy to those in their third decade of life or 20s to 30s.
2019 NAPFA Foundation Pro-Bono Service Award Recipient
Marjorie A Bennett, CFA
At the 2019 NAPFA Fall Conference, the NAPFA Foundation was honored to present its second Pro-Bono Service Award to Marjorie A Bennett, CFA, Partner at Chicago Partners Wealth Advisors. Previously she was Principal of Aegis Capital Management, Inc. Ms. Bennett has been involved in the asset management and general finance businesses since 1981. Marjorie reported the most pro-bono hours to the NAPFA Foundation's inaugural “One Hour Challenge”.
Marjorie founded the charity Healthy Money Choices program in YWCA Kaua’i. Now in its 3rd year, it has served about 600 clients on the rural island of Kaua’i. The program started with a grant from the Allstate Foundation. It serves domestic violence survivors, single moms and dads, entrepreneurs, kapuna (elders) and school age children. They help the vulnerable build financial health and independence with resources on budgeting, credit repair, investing, career coaching and access to education. The program offers classes, a conference and one-on-one coaching. Participants have said “It’ll change your life”.
2018 NAPFA Foundation Pro-Bono Service Award Recipient
Stacy Francis, CFP®
In May 2018, the NAPFA Foundation presented its inaugural Pro-Bono Service Award to Stacy Francis, President and CEO of Francis Financial, Inc.
Stacy is the founder of the non-profit Savvy Ladies, which has helped more than 15,000 women through free one-on-one financial counseling, weekly webinars and workshops. She has effectively utilized her financial industry connections to educate and empower women to take control of their finances through Savvy Ladies, and by hosting a podcast called Financially Ever After.