At LCM, our mission to ‘invest wisely, live abundantly, and give purposefully’ extends into every aspect of our business and personal lives. We are dedicated philanthropists who strongly believe that it is our responsibility to share our abundance by helping others when, where, and however we can. As Gideon writes in his book Giving, “A philanthropist is someone who gives their ‘time, talent, and treasure’ to help make life better for other people… it is all about performing acts of kindness, humanity, and love for the people and the causes we care about most.” Here are just a few highlights of our team’s recent efforts to do just that. We hope our actions inspire you to give abundantly this holiday season and all year long.
2022 Thanksgiving Gifts
Our tradition of selecting two recipients of an annual philanthropic gift each Thanksgiving has helped us turn giving into a predictable and consistent process. This year, Patrick Maxwell and John Schaus took a turn selecting organizations to receive gifts in honor of the Leisure client family.
Patrick chose Women’s Transitional Living Center, Inc. (WTLC), a Fullerton-based organization serving survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Patrick’s mother passed away in 2016, leaving behind a strong legacy in giving. “My mother started her career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Riverside County, and she saw the need for organizations such as WTLC first-hand,” says Patrick. “She taught me and my brother to look for those who need help and to offer it whenever we could.” Patrick and his wife, Nicole, have continued to personally support WTLC over the years in his mother’s memory. He is happy to bolster that support through LCM’s generous donation.
John chose Meals on Wheels Orange County. Meals on Wheels has a long history of delivering nutritious meals to homebound seniors. They also provide a large menu (pun intended!) of services to support older adults and their families. The popular Lunch Café gives seniors an opportunity to visit a local community center where they can share a meal together and participate in a variety of activities. Other services include adult day services, care coordination, and weekly visits from volunteers who come to talk, play a game of cards, or take a walk with seniors in the community.
2022 WHOW
Again this year, LCM supported Ray’s participation in the WHOW Tournament, one of the largest programs in the country dedicated to raising funds for continued therapeutic services for
combat-wounded Veterans.
LCM donated to WHOW and to their partner, Freedom Alliance. LCM also contributed financial support to pay for fuel and food, and Ray took part in person with his friend Don Orr, Captain of the Patron, to host two Vets for this year’s tournament. During the 5-day event, Ryan and Mario (seen here riding an inflatable lobster during the boat parade heading out of Newport!) seemed to appreciate every moment, sharing stories, competing in events and, of course, fishing. Ryan was even able to reel in a marlin after a 45-minute battle between man and fish! You can watch the emotional video recap of this year’s event here. To learn more about WHOW and how Ray first got involved, read the October 2021 story from our blog here.
Gideon recognized by OCBJ
Each year, the Orange County Business Journal names a select few as Distinguished Leaders in Wealth Management. We are proud to announce that Gideon was included on this year’s list in honor of his commitment to helping our clients grow and protect their assets—as well as give their assets away. Here is an excerpt of the writeup:
“…Bernstein has made it his personal mission to not only help others grow their assets, but also to help them give their assets away. In late 2021, Bernstein published his first book, Giving: A Handbook to Happiness for the Modern Philanthropist. Filled with personal stories, scientific research, and great insights, the book is written in a style that inspires giving at every level and offers strategies to help every reader create a personal plan and put it into action. In response to requests from enthusiastic readers and business leaders, Bernstein recently published the follow-on Workbook for Giving that offers personal exercises from the book in an easy-to-use workbook format. Anyone who knows Bernstein personally (which includes a surprising number of individuals, families, and business leaders in Southern California and beyond) will not be surprised to know that all profits from his books are being given to charity. Bernstein puts giving into action for himself every day. Through his work at Leisure Capital Management and his books on giving, he is sharing that passion with the world.”
Whether you choose to give your time, talent, or treasure (or perhaps all three), we hope you will join us in giving to the people and causes that matter most to you this year. If you need guidance in building an effective giving strategy, please reach out. We are happy to help!
