North Star Resource Group honored with Finseca Community Impact Award for transformative initiatives in medical research and financial literacy

DENVER — March 18, 2024 — North Star Resource Group today received the Community Impact award from Finseca, an international organization focused on advocating, developing and promoting the work of financial professionals as they help clients ensure financial security.

The Community Impact Award honors financial security firms that are having a tangible, measurable effect on their clients and their communities. That impact might be the result of a number of activities, such as lives secured, charitable efforts or DE&I initiatives that promote doing well by doing good.

“Receiving this award is a testament to North Star’s dedication to changing the lives of others forever,” said North Star CEO Ed Deutschlander, CLU®, CLF. “It truly is an honor to receive this recognition from Finseca, whom we have a very strong relationship with as a founding firm. We are grateful for their strong support of our profession.”

Each year, North Star Resource Group donates 10 percent of all profits to charitable organizations through the Scott Richards North Star Foundation. To date, the foundation has contributed over $6.8 million to worthy charities.

“Part of being in the North Star Family is giving back to the community,” Deutschlander said. “We stress this in multiple ways—from giving team members the opportunity of paid time off to volunteer to getting important work done in advancing cures and building communities.”

Since founding its foundation in 2004, North Star has focused its efforts on six main causes, including ataxia, Bikes for Kids, Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer, cystic fibrosis and myelofibrosis.

“One area that has been a key focus of our foundation is finding a cure for Alzheimer’s,” added Deutschlander. “Alzheimer’s continues to take millions of lives, and the time for a cure is long overdue.”

Senior vice president at North Star, Shaun McDuffee, founded Stop Alzheimer’s Now (SAN) in 2013, and many North Star team members and advisors have joined him on awareness walks throughout the United States to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research.

Together with SAN and Phillip Richards, founder and chairman of North Star, the Scott Richards North Star Foundation has funded two fully endowed chairs for Alzheimer’s research at Temple University.

Another long-held cause is the annual Bikes for Kids event, hosted by the Foundation since 2004 and coordinated by Joseph Fox, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, senior partner at North Star. Each December, Bikes for Kids hosts a holiday party, and at the end of the night, the children are surprised with a brand-new bicycle and helmet to take home. Each year, this is the top volunteer event at North Star, and most recently, the Foundation has worked with the United Heroes League to connect bikes with families of deployed service members.

In 2024, Finseca also placed a special emphasis on what impact firms were having through DEI initiatives. In 2023, North Star was a founding sponsor of the Black and Brown Run Around in Milwaukee, an event hosted with Lead2Change to empower and uplift underserved communities. Additionally, in 2023 North Star developed financial wellness relationships with Jeremiah Program and Rondo Community Land Trust, nonprofits working to break the cycle of poverty for single moms and provide affordable housing respectively.

“It is an honor for North Star to be recognized for our community involvement,” said Mary Claire Wente, Supervisor of Client and Customer Services. “Helping those in our communities through mentoring and financial wellness is important to us, and it is deeply rooted in our mission and values. We are able to support, educate, and empower underserved communities by truly making an impact on current and future generations.”

Finally, North Star is a long-time supporter and volunteer partner for BestPrep, a local nonprofit providing educational programs to students in grades 4-12 to ensure that students are college-prepared, work-ready and career-bound. Chase Brakke, DIA, DIF, CEPA®, Vice President of Business Owner Solutions, is a member of the board for BestPrep, and each year, North Star advisors and team members volunteer over 600 hours to BestPrep’s eMentor, Classroom Plus and Financial Matters programs.

Finseca has previously recognized North Star with the Master Agency award every year since 1987. The Master Agency award is given to a firm head who is an active Finseca member at a firm with reaching rigorous commission and premium levels, marking a commitment to financial security.

North Star received the Community Impact award at Finseca’s annual Leaders and Managers Program in Denver.

To learn more about how North Star gives back to members of the community, go to www.northstarfinancial.com/company/giving-back.

About Finseca
Founded in 2020, Finseca is the home of the top financial security professionals. Achieving financial security means improving people’s lives, protecting their livelihoods, and enhancing their well-being for the future. Finseca members have access to the tools, support, and network needed to grow businesses and advocate for effective policies affecting the industry. To learn more about Finseca, visit www.finseca.org.

About North Star Resource Group
North Star Resource Group is a Minneapolis-based financial services firm that provides both individuals and businesses with the resources to help create, preserve, and protect their wealth. North Star has more than 192 full-time advisors and over 178 employees. In a network of 42 offices in over 20 states, they have contributed to the financial security and well-being of over 140,000 individuals and small businesses**. To learn more about North Star Resource Group, visit www.northstarfinancial.com.

**Data as of December 2023

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If you would like more information about this topic, please call Ian Rich at 612.617.6076, or email him at ian.rich@northstarfinancial.com.