SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY...AND BEYOND

When looking for a firm to help you work toward your financial goals –whether itʼs affording retirement, helping a child or grandchild pay for higher education, or making a luxury purchase, such as vacation home – you obviously want to find one with the resources you need.

a better place. At Wells Fargo & Company, for example, all employees are called to:

• Be leaders

• Be engaged and connected in our communities

ERIC KOHLMEIER

But I think thereʼs more to it than that; you should seek one thatʼs committed to supporting our community and helping make the world

• Value and promote diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our business

One way employees are encouraged to be leaders is by becoming members of board of directors at nonprofit organizations.

We know that employees play a valuable role in improving the lives of individuals and families, and board service is one way of demon- strating commitment to our communities.

To help deal with the significant time commitment that a board membership, or other charitable activity, can represent, Wells Fargo & Co. allots each employee 16 hours of paid time per year to be used exclusively for volunteer work.

In addition, the Community Care Grants program, governed and funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation, recognizes employees for their financial giving and volunteer service activities – including board service. Through this program, an employee can qualify for up to $2,000 per year in Community Care

Grants. Once an employee has received a grant, they can choose which eligible charities theyʼd like to support by directing the funds to any of the approximately one million eligible charities.

Leveraging our strengths

While our primary motivation is the chance to help others, we also see participating in community leadership as an opportunity for employees to commit to a cause, issue, or organization where they have an affinity and a passion. This experience can help them leverage their strengths and expertise, develop new skills, and tackle new challenges.

Investment and Insurance Products are:

• Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency

• Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate

• Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested

On top of that, volunteering offers a variety of development opportunities, including hands-on learning, either on the job or through volunteer activities or special assignments. Volunteering helps us to:

• Positively shape our communities

• Expand community connec- tions with others where we live and work

• Expand our networks, gain visibility, and build business acumen

• Build greater insight by being a “voice” for inclusion and build diversity awareness and cultural competence.

Promoting diversity

As the last bullet above shows, Wells Fargo & Co. focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our strategic framework is focused on driving outcomes in three key areas:

•Workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes (recruitment, development, engagement, and retention)

•Marketplace outcomes (growing market share in diverse market segments and identifying new and improving existing relationships with diverse suppliers)

•Diversity, equity, and inclusion advocacy activities (supporting regulatory, external-relationship, and reputation-building efforts as well as personal accountability for diversity, equity, and inclusion advocacy)

This article was written byWells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Eric Kohlmeier, Senior Financial Advisor, Managing Director - Investments in Park Ridge at (201) 505-0472.