Structured Finance Industry Group, Inc. (SFIG), a member-based trade industry group, focuses on improving and strengthening the broader structured finance and securitization market. Their recently formed charitable foundation, SFIG Foundation, has selected Mentor Foundation USA as their charitable partner as it will “increase access of underserved youth to educational opportunities,” Sairah Burki, Executive Director for the new SFIG Foundation, said.
SFIG’s staff and members are “committed to ‘doing the right thing,'” Burki said.
“Forming the SFIG Foundation has been, therefore, a very important initiative, with many of our members devoting a lot of time and energy to its creation,” she said. “Our Board decided that focusing on youth education was a way in which the SFIG Foundation could make a significant impact on the community.”
SFIG will hold its first annual fundraising event on Jan. 19, 2017 in New York, New York at The Plaza Hotel.
“We are extremely excited and about our new partnership with SFIG and Scholarship America,” Gunilla Girardo, President & CEO of Mentor Foundation USA, said. “There are so many inspiring, deserving, and talented young people in our programs that we now will be able to support beyond their high school education.
“Every child wants to be successful and realize their dreams. The scholarships that our mentees and youth ambassadors will have access to via SFIG Foundation will have a huge impact on the youth that we serve.”
Mentor’s Career Mentoring Program is customized to meet specific, unique needs of school partners and hosting companies. The curriculum supports healthy decision-making in adolescents by providing them with professional mentors coaching in career and professional development and serving as positive role models.
For two hours once a month, the program – facilitated by Mentor – takes place on location at the host company. Career mentoring provides post-secondary, entry-level career, and trade school preparedness to participating youth, gives them a sounding board in the professional community, and aids graduation success rates. Companies participating give back to their community in a direct, positive way – improving employee morale while helping at risk students to succeed with their life goals be it post-secondary education, trade school, or other career pursuits.
“Now more than ever we need more businesses to become career mentoring companies,” Girardo said.
Mentor is pleased to announce this new collaboration. The scholarship money provided by SFIG will contribute greatly to the support young people need to be successful.
“I’m confident that the scholarship recipients will benefit for many years to come from our membership network,” Burki said.
For more information on SFIG and their programs, visit www.sfindustry.org.
If your company is interested in Mentor Foundation USA’s Career Mentoring Program, visit www.mentorfoundationusa.org/get-involved.
by Sidney Randolph