Firms giving back: Mazars USA donates $100K to local charities

Grant Thornton has named the Warrior Reunion Foundation to its Purple Paladins program, which helps emerging nonprofit organizations grow.

Founded in 2017 by James Ferguson, the Warrior Reunion Foundation works to reconnect military units with customized reunion experiences, from social hours to supportive resources and memorials. The organization customizes its activities based on the needs of attendees.

The Purple Paladin program sees Grant Thornton provide funding, business advice and volunteer support, while also helping nonprofits raise awareness of their work and mission.

“Warrior Reunion Foundation is helping thousands of combat veterans overcome the challenges of post-military life, and we are honored to be supporting this crucial work,” said Grant Thornton CEO Brad Preber in a statement. “We have an obligation to help provide the care and support they need long after they have left the battlefield. Collaborating with [the] Warrior Reunion Foundation gives Grant Thornton a chance to help cultivate the community that so many veterans need to thrive.”

“Even though I was back at home and moving forward with the next phase of my life, I felt disconnected,” Ferguson said in a statement. “I came to realize that, overseas or not, I still needed my unit. They were the only ones who really understood what I had gone through and what I was going through now. ... It’s all about taking the support and strength units share during combat and helping them bring that into the next chapter of their journey.”

More information on Grant Thornton's Purple Paladin program is available on the firm's site here.

Mazars USA announced that the firm is donating $100,000 to local charities as part of its Annual Giving Theme and to mark the firm's centennial.

Mazars has pledged $10,000 to 10 different philanthropic causes across the communities it serves to honor its 100th anniversary. Each cause was selected by the "WeAREMazars" committee and assigned to each individual office.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the firm to collectively support charitable organizations in our local communities," said Chris Moore, Mazars partner and leader of WeAREMazars, in a statement. "Giving back is extremely important to us and we hope that our donations will make a significant difference.”

The ten causes assigned to the Mazars offices include:

• Boston/West Palm Beach: Veterans, elderly assistance;
• Chicago: Disaster relief;
• Dallas: Homelessness, hunger, and poverty;
• Long Island: Environment (water, climate change, etc.);
• Los Angeles: Human rights;
• Maryland: Social services;
• New Jersey: Marginalized communities;
• New York: Medical research, education, pediatric cancer;
• Pennsylvania: Animal care;
• Sacramento: Culture and arts education