The end of the year and the dawn
of a new one typically brings with it a series of reflections that are
significant to us and also bear a strong relationship to financial advice.
We find ourselves asking questions like:
Has this year gone to plan?
Have I achieved what I set out to do?
Where am I now?
What are my goals and priorities for next year and beyond?
Some additional questions that are worthwhile considering:
How consistent is the alignment of my personal values with my goals, priorities and current state?
What should I spend more time on / less time on?
What have I learnt this year that I can change or apply next year?
What was your best experience of 2019?
What was the most challenging event of 2019?
For us at Advise Wise as we reflect on 2019 we are typically drawn at this time of year to expand on our fundamental purpose as a business – helping people.
Whilst some cynicism
has been directed at the Financial Services industry in the course of the past
12 months (and in many cases that have been brought to bear justifiably so), we
strive to set an example of integrity and professionalism in financial advice
that always puts clients first.
The question we ask internally every day in our work is “how will this help our clients?”
Expanding on that
purpose of helping others, we are proud to support a number of fantastic
organisations that provide help, support and assistance to those in need.
It is always difficult
selecting causes to provide support to, there are so many charitable
organisations that do such great work across many different fields, and that
being the case we do endeavour to cover a range of different worthy causes.
This year we are supporting the below organisations and we’d like to provide you with more information about them and why we have chosen to support them.
The Drought Angels mission is to provide support to Australian Farmers in a way that is relevant to their needs at the time of their request. By supporting families in this way Drought Angels believe that the assistance we provide is more meaningful and personalised – aiding these families both emotionally and financially in times of stress.
According to a study by the University of Melbourne Australia is facing
what may be the worst drought in 800 years. The drought has no end in site and
the effects reverberate throughout Australian society. The financial and
emotional toll on those at the coal-face is devastating.
If you have not seen the ABC story “The Big Dry” we would urge you to watch it via the following link :Watch “The Big Dry” HERE.
Not only do people in regional areas require financial and emotional support, it is important also to recognise the critical role that that agriculture plays in our society and our economy. Obviously, agriculture is a valuable source of local produce, but also is invaluable to us for food security.
It would be impossible for us to ignore such a cause that helps others
in our own backyard.
If you are interested in making a donation to Drought Angels you can do so by clicking HERE.
The statistics surrounding suicide in Australia are alarming and trending in the wrong direction. Gotcha4Life was established because we do not accept the alarming statistics surrounding suicide in Australia, with eight people taking their life every day. Given $9.1bn of Government funding was spent on treating poor mental health and suicide prevention in 2016/17, Gotcha4Life believes greater emphasis should be on the prevention of poor mental health.
Suicide is a difficult topic in any circumstance, and for those who have
been touched by suicide, it not only means facing the loss of a loved one, but
often it brings with it unanswered questions and feelings of guilt.
The statistics on suicide are alarming – suicide is the leading cause of
death for Australians aged between 15 and 44 (ABS). In the most recent report
(ABS, Causes of Death 2015) deaths due to suicide were 3,027 and it is
estimated that approximately 65,000 people attempt suicide each year.
We have chosen to support Gotcha4Life this year because their focus is
on preventative action. Through workshops, training programs and community
engagement they aim to build resilience, particularly in youths and encourage
them to speak out and to ask for help.
If you’d like to see this cause in action, check out the following video of Australian Steve Smith’s visit to Baulkham Hills High School HERE.
If you are interested in making a donation to Drought Angels you can do so by clicking HERE.
The Children’s Cancer Foundation has supported children with cancer since 1992. We strive for better and less harmful treatments and believe that every child should laugh, dance, play and live as only a child can.
Each year approximately 1,000 children are diagnosed with cancer and over 5,000 continue to be treated. When it comes to children and this horrible disease, we think everyone would agree that it is unjust for anyone, let alone someone so young to have to deal with cancer.
At Advise Wise our team
has been touched by cancer both personally and with clients a number of times
over the course of recent years including this one. We are passionate about
contributing to supporting those in need and contributing to improved
treatments for those suffering.
This foundation does
great work in research, care and support and are making a difference in many
children’s lives.
For a glimpse at how tough it is for these resilient young children – watch the inspiring story of Grace West HERE.
If you are interested in making a donation to the Children’s Cancer Foundation you can do so by clicking HERE.
We see equal value in all lives. And so we are dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals around the world. From the education of students in Chicago, to the health of a young mother in Nigeria, we are catalysts of human promise everywhere.
The Gates Foundation –
established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates – is the
largest private foundation in the world. In 2006 Warren Buffett, the founder of
Berkshire Hathaway also pledged a large proportion of his fortune to the
foundation, bringing the endowment to approximately $50 billion USD.
The selection of the Gates Foundation this year was due to the depth and breadth of the reach of this organisation. They focus on five different program areas including global development, health, the US, global policy and advocacy and growth and opportunity. They concentrate on selecting and supporting organisations that can make a real difference in these domains. The causes that they have and continue to support are far too many to mention, but a comprehensive overview of this can be found on their website: Gates Foundation – WHAT WE DO.
Perhaps one of their most notable achievements to date is the virtual eradication of Polio.
If you are interested in making a donation to the Gates Foundation you can do so by clicking HERE.
