Firms giving back: Armanino holds 13th annual Great Give

Top 25 Firm Armanino LLP held its 13th annual Great Give day of service on Oct. 28, returning this year to in-person volunteering.

The annual community service event, started in 2009, involves Armanino closing its offices for the day so staff members can work with local nonprofits and help the firm's local communities. The Armanino Foundation has donated more than $1,082,443 to a variety of charities in the firm’s communities and beyond.

“Every year, the Great Give is one of the major ways we demonstrate how we walk the walk and use our business for good to help others,” said Matt Armanino, CEO of Armanino, in a statement. “After a year where we weren’t able to get out there and connect with our community partners and each other in person, this year’s Great Give felt even more impactful. It’s wonderful to celebrate this day of service in person, seeing our firm’s values come to life. Armanino has a long history of caring for others, and it’s exciting to see the Great Give return to its original format and retain virtual volunteering to spread this spirit throughout the country as we’ve grown.”

This year’s Great Give activities benefited several organizations including:

• Austin, Texas: Austin Humane Society, Austin Parks Foundation, BookSpring, Helping Hand Home, Austin Pets Alive;
• Bellevue, Wash.: Youth Eastside Services;
• Boise, Idaho: City Parks and Recreation;
• Chicago/Naperville: Greater Chicago Food Repository, Naperville VFW, Operation Santa’s Workshop;
• Dallas: CitySquare, Equest, Jewish Community Center of Dallas, Momentous Institute/Momentous School, Vogel Alcove;
• Denver: Young Americans Center for Financial Education;
• New York City: Vineyard Theatre;
• Northern California: Abode Services, California Crosspoint Academy, Cityteam, East Bay SCPA, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, Junior Achievement, Larkin Street Youth Services, Martha’s Kitchen, Oakland Museum of California, San Damiano Retreat, Shelter Inc., Sunflower Hill, YMCA Camp Loma Mar/YMCA of the East Bay;
• Southern California: Child Development Institute, Exceptional Children’s Foundation, TreePeople, Orange County United Way;
• St. Louis: Gateway Region YMCA, MindsEye Radio, Ronald McDonald House, United Way of Greater St. Louis;
• Virtual: Meals on Wheels; Career Village; Donate Life, Be the Match; Golden State Opportunity; Junior Achievement; MindsEye Radio; Momentum for Health; Operation Gratitude; Sepsis Alliance; and Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

H&R Block announced a slew of new benefits meant to address staff members’ needs “both inside and outside the workplace as an important component of the ‘future of work.’”

“We are committed to creating a culture where our associates can bring their authentic selves to work, and our more creative and holistic approach to benefits is one important piece of that puzzle,” said Tiffany Monroe, chief people and culture officer of H&R Block, in a statement. “As we execute against our Block Horizons 2025 strategy, we believe this approach marks a new frontier for inclusivity, one that will continue to improve our ability to attract and retain top talent.”

Highlights of the new employee benefits include:

· Expanded mental health benefits: Increased access to therapists, coaching and mental health services via Lyra, a comprehensive mental health hub.

· At-work and at-home resources to support neurodiverse individuals: Manager training to support more neurodiversity in the workplace, support for neurodiverse associates, and social and emotional learning resources for parents and caregivers of neurodiverse individuals via Rethink.

· Expanded paid leave for parenting and caregiving: Eight weeks of paid parental leave for any parent, including adopting parents, along with four weeks of paid caregiver leave to care for a spouse, child or parent with a significant health condition for regular associates.

· Infertility, surrogacy and adoption support: A $30,000 benefit for eligible associates that can be used for fertility treatments, adoption or surrogacy support.

· Pregnancy support: An app, Cleo, to support regular associates from conception through a baby’s entire first year.

Tampa Bay, Florida-based firm Kerkering, Barberio & Co. announced a five-year gift to the University of South Florida Muma College of Business that will benefit the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, including student scholarships. The announcement was made Nov. 7 during the 27th Brunch on the Bay at the USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus.

Kerkering Barberio will provide annual scholarship funds to accounting majors each fall as part of the gift, allowing more KB scholars to take advantage of internships with the firm.

“Our roots run deep with USF and we couldn’t be more excited to establish this important partnership,” said Rob Lane, KB’s managing shareholder, in a statement. “More than a third of our team is proud USF Bulls, and we’ve supported the Muma College of Business for many years through our internship program and scholarships, so this is a natural fit for us that will help grow the next generation of accountants in our community.”

“We’re thrilled to enter this relationship with such a strong locally-owned CPA firm as Kerkering Barberio,” said Mark Taylor, director of the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, in a statement. “Accountancy is much more about relationships than it is about financial statements, and giving the opportunity for our students and faculty to connect with KB in meaningful ways through this gift and support will be mutually beneficial for years to come.”