As we reflect on the May 11th OpportUNITY Summit, Glenmede is once again proud to serve as the Presenting Sponsor of this meaningful event.

The Summit is a chance to meet with business, civic and community leaders in our own backyard to work toward the shared goal of making opportunities abundant and equitable for everyone. It is a reminder not only of Glenmede’s shared values but also of our place as stewards in our communities.

“We are fortunate to be part of United Way’s mission as it works tirelessly to improve the lives of individuals and support worthwhile causes in our region. Our partnership reminds us that we all have a responsibility to be reliable stewards of our communities,” says Gordon B. Fowler, Jr., Glenmede’s Chief Executive Officer. “A partnership like the one we have with United Way demonstrates how the Glenmedes of the world can help affect change and support the organization’s mission of eradicating poverty.”

Stewardship Is Part of Our DNA

Glenmede embraces United Way’s mission, which complements our core values of excellence, agility and stewardship. The first two values affect our clients and employees directly, but it is the third — stewardship — that defines us as a corporate citizen and drives us to be a strong community partner. Stewardship encompasses all aspects of how we operate, from our responsibility to clients, to our employees and to the communities we serve. It is at the heart of our values and part of our corporate DNA.

As an investment and wealth management firm with offices in several U.S. cities, we understand how vital it is for companies of all sizes and their employees to have a presence at the local level. After all, this is our community, where we live and work — and where we embrace our responsibility to give back in terms of both time and dollars. Glenmede and its employees have established purposeful relationships with several organizations in our geographic footprint and have maintained those commitments throughout the recent periods of uncertainty presented by the pandemic and market volatility.

“A partnership like the one we have with United Way demonstrates how the Glenmedes of the world can help affect change and support the organization’s mission of eradicating poverty.”

No doubt that supporting causes and giving through turbulent times present challenges, both for nonprofits and for donors. For nonprofits, there is the increasing demand for services and dollars, and for donors the pull to give more, not just dollars but also time. But these periods also allow us to take a step back and reassess our communities’ needs and how we give. For Glenmede, this means not only in our headquarters in Philadelphia but also throughout the country.

Financially, we continue to support our communities through our Matching Giving Program, annual United Way Campaign and various donation drives held throughout the year. Employees in all our offices also participate in a number of volunteer projects, including the following from 2022:

• In Philadelphia and the regions, Glenmede employees joined the Walk Against Hate, sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League.
• In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Glenmede supported recovery efforts by donating thousands of dollars to Collier Community Foundation Collier Comes Together Emergency Relief Fund and the Florida Disaster Relief Fund through Volunteer Florida Foundation. Glenmede sponsored an incremental matching gift program for employee donations to both organizations.
• Employees throughout the organization supported our PRIDE Month Wish List Drive, which benefited SMYAL, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit providing support and resources to LGBTQ youth. Our employees generously donated personal care items, clothing essentials and other necessities to support SMYAL’s Youth Housing Program for homeless LGBTQ youth.
• Employees from our Princeton, Philadelphia and Washington, DC offices participated virtually in Read Across America week with Foundation Academies in Trenton, New Jersey in March. Our volunteers virtually read their favorite childhood book to classrooms of enthusiastic students in kindergarten, first and second grades.

As Nina Cohen, Glenmede’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, emphasizes, “Since our founding by the Pew family more than 65 years ago, Glenmede has a long-standing commitment to stewardship in the Greater Philadelphia region. We acknowledge our responsibility to work toward building an equitable community, in which all residents can prosper and thrive. Through our partnership with United Way, we join other leaders across sectors to support scalable solutions that aim to end poverty and expand opportunity.”

United Way, Glenmede and the Region: A Strong and Flourishing Partnership

Over the past decade, Glenmede has forged a meaningful relationship with United Way. Each year we host a two-week United Way Campaign, led by volunteer leaders, helping to raise awareness for organizations doing important work in our communities. Employees have the opportunity to donate to United Way or to a nonprofit of their choice. During that time, we have developed a deep partnership with United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey — one that has evolved into a business relationship as well, with United Way selecting Glenmede to manage its endowment. We recognize how well Glenmede’s values align with the philanthropic mission of United Way to provide support to vulnerable and marginalized communities in the area we call home. 

"Through our partnership with United Way, we join other leaders across sectors to support scalable solutions that aim to end poverty and expand opportunity.”

We’re proud to say that each year we reach significant employee involvement in United Way’s Campaign across all Glenmede offices, whether through donations or volunteerism. Our firmwide participation rate was 65% in 2022, and we have been above 60% for the past five years.

We have also reaffirmed our commitment to the city of Philadelphia, our home base, by signing a long-term lease to remain in One Liberty Place. We understand that our city, like many of us, is in transition, which offers an opportunity to infuse more excitement and energy into what we do in our communities. Also, through our ongoing partnerships with City Year Philadelphia, the Cristo Rey Program and Heights Philadelphia, among others, we provide resources, funds and development opportunities to youth in our area.

All of Us Can Make a Difference

We learned many lessons during the pandemic and through the recent periods of economic volatility, but one of the most impactful is how important strategic partnerships are to the wellbeing and, sometimes, survival of some groups. We’ve also learned that the need for help is increasing, and there is no such thing as a too-small contribution. We can all make a difference in giving our time, talents or treasures to help organizations like United Way in achieving their missions in our communities.

“Regardless of what’s going on in the world, there is always need,” says Ken Spruill, Director of Glenmede’s Center for Family Philanthropy & Wealth Education. “Being an active supporter of the critical work of United Way means working together across sectors to address these needs, and continuing to change our communities for the better. We have to work with people who have less access, and use our voices to amplify the voices which are not as easily heard."

"We have to work with people who have less access, and use our voices to amplify the voices which are not as easily heard."

"If we do this willingly and consistently, we can truly call ourselves stewards. This is the work of United Way, and one of the many reasons why employees and their families choose to support their meaningful work in our communities.”

United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey is grateful for the support of corporate partners who invest in our mission to fight poverty and expand opportunity for all. Learn more from the team at Glenmede on how their corporate partnership with United Way elevates their values and amplifies their efforts to build more prosperous communities.