A week for giving special thanks!

June 18-22 is Volunteer Appreciation Week here at SecureFutures. So each day this week we're sharing stories about the incredible work our volunteers are doing and the impact all of you are having with teens and for our communities.

But just because we've set this week aside to focus on appreciating our volunteers, doesn't mean we don't feel the same gratitude every week of the year, and for all who support our efforts and our teens. Your passion for sending teens out into the world after high school better equipped to be smart money managers and early savers is what makes our communities better places for us all to live.
Supporter Spotlight -
We Energies

We Energies has been a SecureFutures supporter since 2007! That’s more than a decade of commitment to helping us change teen lives. Their financial support during that time has been instrumental in enabling us to provide financial literacy for more than 1,100 youth! 

Not only does We Energies provide valuable financial support, they also encourage employee and retiree volunteerism . Since 2008, volunteers like Eddie Nash (pictured above teaching at Eastbrook Academy), Bill Korducki, Jon Peccarelli, Angela Webb, Cecil Jackson (retired) and Tracey Rodgers (retired) have presented the Money Sense classroom program in 18 different high schools and community-based organizations on 82 different days! That's a significant commitment, and we couldn’t be more honored to have this amazing level of time and energy.

We Energies also recruits high school juniors and seniors as interns to familiarize them with skill-based positions and careers there, such as line mechanic. Students who successfully complete the We Energies Work-Based Learning Partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools also participate in our Money Sense curriculum, learning the basics of budgeting, saving and credit which they can apply during their internship. Many of these teens get hired by We Energies after graduation, giving them an opportunity to put their new money management tools to work.

We are extremely grateful for We Energies support and the commitment of their volunteers. It's an important investment that pays back dividends in the community.
"To pursue a vision, you must make a decision."

We recently announced a goal to raise $100,000 for 2018-2019 Money Coach scholarships. These scholarships fund first-ever savings accounts and provide an opportunity for participants to practice what they are learning as they set goals and develop financial habits that will enable them to achieve their dreams.

With your help we can reach that goal!

Elliya, who went through the Money Coach program at Jame Madison Academic Campus, told us what she learned not only changed her life, it's shown her how to pursue her life vision. She now understands that every financial decision she makes today impacts her financial future, and ultimately, that life goal. “Save and budget,” she proudly proclaims, is her new mantra!

Check out this inspiring video about Elliyah and her Coach Dejunae Smith here .

What's your vision for our community and the teens starting their post-high school careers, jobs and families? Your donation can help students like Elliyah learn how to achieve their dreams, too.
Record attendance
and support marks
10th annual
Investment Conference

Our annual Investment Conference, held May 17 at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, was a record-breaker all the way around, starting with over 600 attendees -- the most ever. Net revenue was just over $300,000 -- an almost 3% increase over last year -- and an incredible 1,672% increase over our very first event 10 years ago! This record-setting amount is due in large part to a greater-than-ever number of sponsors at all levels.

With a slightly different format this year, we are grateful for the participation of a record number of presenters, including an Alumni Panel : Iggy Smetek (Arcataur Capital Management), Rick Lane (Broadview Advisors), John Thompson (Vilas Capital Management); and our Emerging Managers Panel: Larissa Herczeg (Oak Street Real Estate Capital), Scott Kimball (BMO Global Asset Management) and Michael Underhill (Capital Innovations).

We also maintained our reputation for presenting yet another outstanding keynote speaker: David Herro, Partner/Deputy Chairman/Portfolio Manager/CIO of Harris Associates. In an informal interview format that gets high attendee reviews, Herro shared lessons learned, and his investing and market insights, with event emcee, Joe Schlidt of Godfrey & Kahn, some of which included:

  • Inactive management is one of the biggest causes of failure.
  • Follow good managers if they go to another company.
  • Be a patient investor both on the upside and the downside.
  • You don't ever want to worry what an economic slowdown will do to a company. If it has to raise money, it's not going to be a good curve.
  • You have to be prepared to be unpopular with clients. They're paying you to make a sound decision for them, and you have to stick to it.

Our sincere appreciation to our premier sponsor, BMO , and all speakers, sponsors and attendees for again helping us with our mission to help teens become money smart/life smart !
Money Coach highlighted in Journal Sentinel article

We were pleased recently to see Milwaukee's award-winning newspaper feature an article about the benefits of teen financial literacy and the success of our Money Coach program. The article also included photos of some of our volunteers as they worked with teens: Jeff Wozniak of Wells Fargo, Lindsay Whaley Smith of Northwestern Mutual, and Tabath DeLeon of Wintrust Mortgage. If you missed the article, you can check it out here.
Golf outing to benefit financial literacy

Golfers will tee up for financial literacy on August 13th at T he Legend at Bristlecone Golf Course. $20 of each registration fee will be donated to SecureFutures! For more information and to register, click here .

Special thanks to Erik Gauger and the CFA Society of Milwaukee !

SecureFutures
710 N. Plankinton Ave., Suite 310
Milwaukee, WI 53203
(414) 273-8101

There are dozens of incredible companies, foundations and individuals who make our teen financial empowerment mission possible. Along with monthly spotlights of those supporters in this newsletter, you can check out the full list here .