111th Annual Meeting: Business Partner Honoree Affiance Financial

JFCS will host its 111th Annual Meeting from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 9, on Zoom. At the event we will acknowledge the contributions of dedicated volunteers Jory Herman and Alan Ingber and generous business partner Affiance Financial. To RSVP for the Annual Meeting, click here!

Affiance Financial has supported JFCS since 2006, when it first became a sponsor of the Annual Benefit. Its gift continued to increase over the years, as the company became Silver level sponsors for nine years and is now a Gold level sponsor. Affiance began helping JFCS for our stock transfers about five years ago. Affiance is not charging JFCS to use these services, which is a benefit to our donors.

Andy Fishman, Principal and Financial Planner for Affiance, recently spoke about why the company has long supported JFCS.

How/why did Affiance begin supporting JFCS?

Fishman: We started supporting the JFCS Annual Benefit in 2006, sponsoring a table at the event, and later expanded that to two tables. We are supportive of all of the work that JFCS does, from the Jewish Youth Mentoring Program (formerly Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister program) to kosher Meals on Wheels, to the many more services offered, which continue to be expanded. My parents, in their older ages, received services from JFCS, including Meals on Wheels, mobility services, in-home services and care coordination, so I had a personal connection.

Andy Fishman

Why has Affiance Financial continued to grow its relationship with JFCS over the years?

We feel strongly about all of the services that JFCS provides both within the Jewish community and in the broader Twin Cities community. Across the board, the programs resonate with our firm, and how we represent clients as well. We want to support an organization that can provide services and support to people of all ages and backgrounds.

In addition to our company support, our children have been “Bigs” in the Jewish Youth Mentoring Program and my wife, Barb, and I personally make donations to JFCS. Our families created endowment funds in memory of my parents, The Gerda and Haskel Fishman Fund to support senior services or camp scholarships, and in memory of Barb’s sister, The Janet Specht Fund. Steve Lear (Affiance Principal and Financial Planner) and his wife, Sheri, have personally supported JFCS for a long time as well. As financial advisors, we have been proponents, with our clients, of JFCS’ efforts.

Anything else you would like to add?

As a company and firm, the principals have a strong connection to JFCS and are impressed by all of the services that JFCS provides when individuals or families are in need. It’s hard not to be supportive of an organization that is broadly serving families that may not have the same resources as others. We are proponents of giving back to the community at large, in addition to the Jewish community.