Firms giving back: Dixon Hughes Goodman donates over 1.5M meals

January 15, 2021 3:41 PM

Dixon Hughes Goodman donates over 1.5 million meals; KPMG makes education donations to mark MLK Day; Baker Newman Noyes donates laptops to Maine Schools; and Berdon LLP launches a real estate education program for high school students.

BAKER NEWMAN NOYES

New England firm Baker Newman Noyes partnered with Ruth's Reusable Resources in Maine to donate its laptop computers and accessories that are no longer in use. The donation includes some 180 laptops.

“They could have donated them to somewhere else or actually they could have sold them and received a fair amount of money for them, but instead they donated them to us," Chris Slader of Ruth’s Reusable Resources said in a statement.

Donations will go toward Maine classrooms, where personal computers are much needed for virtual learning during the pandemic.

BERDON

Top 100 Firm Berdon joined Ariel Property Advisors to partner with Legal Outreach and sponsor companies Fisher Brothers and Signature Bank to offer New York high school students a look into the world of real estate.

The program, dubbed, “Let’s Make a Deal,” consists of eight sessions centered around the principles of the real estate industry, business practices and financial knowledge to introduce more high school students to careers in the field.

“We designed this program for Legal Outreach as a way to offer students an opportunity to see what careers are available, whether in a real estate company or any of the many industries that service the real estate industry,” said Meyer Mintz, partner and co-lead of the real estate practice at Berdon, in a statement. “This program is not only helping students to learn more about the New York City real estate market, but also potentially paving the way for their future and the future of this dynamic and exciting industry.”

Sessions will feature professionals from Ariel, Berdon and other partner firms presenting real estate topics to students, who will then utilize that knowledge to analyze a case study and create a presentation to potential investors.

The program is currently seeking other sponsor companies that can offer insight on topics including "Funding the Purchase Price (Lending)," "Finding the Right Investor;" "Finance, Legal and Property-Level Diligence," and "Papering the Deal," among others. Interested parties can contact Shayna Williams at Legal Outreach at swilliams@legaloutreach.org.

DIXON HUGHES GOODMAN

Top 20 Firm Dixon Hughes Goodman hosted its ninth annual Count the Cans food drive to support hunger relief organizations across the firm’s network.

DHG ultimately raised more than $154,000, equal to approximately 1.8 million-plus pounds of food and 1.5 million-plus meals. Some $45,000 of the total raised directly benefited Feeding America, with the remaining funds going towards local food organizations.

"Count the Cans is a unifying way we come together to make a powerful impact in our local communities," said DHG CEO Matt Snow, per a statement. "Our people recognize that this is the time our communities need us most — food banks are seeing unprecedented demand. We matched the demand by setting our highest firm goal to date. I am honored to work among a team of people who gave so deeply this year to surpass our goal and raise more than $150,000."

“Although virtual, we felt the same passion and enthusiasm from our people as we have from the in-person engagements in years past," said Tricia Wilson, DHG managing partner of talent and leadership, in a statement. "There is no doubt that last year was challenging for every one of us, but I am proud of the way our people came together to support our local communities."

KPMG

Paul Knopp, chair and CEO of Big Four firm KPMG US, wrote in a LinkedIn post on Jan. 14 that the firm will be supporting diversity organizations — including the National Black MBA Association, Black Girls CODE, and BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective) — through the firm’s Racial Equity Action Fund in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"Today I honor, remember and celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on the eve of his birthday," Knopp wrote. "His tireless activism, dedication to serving others, and leadership in driving the civil rights movement serve as powerful reminders that we cannot be bystanders or become comfortable with complacency."

Knopp added that over the past two months, the firm's Family for Literacy program has distributed nearly 10,000 books via First Book’s Stories for All project.

"I hope you will join me in remembering and celebrating Dr. King’s life and work and driving meaningful change going forward," Knopp added.