2020 Annual Report 
Enduring Culture, Extraordinary People
Impacting Our Communities
Inclusion & Diversity
We’re proud to have a long tradition of community involvement at Baird. Our associates continue to build on this legacy through their strong commitment to giving back. They share a passion for making an impact in the community. As a firm, we recognize the importance of sharing our time, talents and resources and are proud to support our associates’ drive to make a difference.
In a similar vein, Baird is committed to inclusion & diversity for our clients, our associates and our communities. As a firm, we are focused on serving an increasingly diverse client base and inclusively engaging the best talent globally. We demonstrate our commitment to inclusion & diversity through a variety of initiatives, including our Associate Resource Groups (ARGs). These associate-led groups provide networking and professional development opportunities while emphasizing meaningful community outreach. The ARGs support firmwide initiatives dedicated to cultivating multiculturalism, volunteerism, professional development opportunities for women, next-gen talent, LGBTQ equality and support for veterans.
CLIENTS TELL US
I want to work with a firm who shares my values.
THE BAIRD DIFFERENCE
“We all have an opportunity to make the world a better place. From backing deserving organizations to offering a gift matching program and more, Baird is committed to supporting those who support their communities.”
Manish Gupta
Investment Banker – Managing Director
6,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS DONATED
Baird Foundation
Many of our firm’s community efforts are led by Baird Foundation, which supports nonprofit organizations, with a particular focus on health and human services, education, the arts and diversity – areas we believe align with Baird’s commitment to equality and opportunity for all. Baird Foundation is overseen by a board of directors, including representation from across the firm. Although the Foundation does not make contributions to organizations outside the U.S., Baird is a global firm and supports our overseas associates’ commitment to giving back.
To support our associates’ personal giving, Baird Foundation makes matching gifts to deserving charities as well as direct donations to organizations where our associates are actively involved. In 2020, Baird Foundation contributed more than $5.2 million to qualified nonprofits, including more than $2.3 million to match our associates’ charitable donations. These initiatives are complemented by our Baird Cares program, which offers paid time off and schedule flexibility to accommodate volunteer work. Meanwhile, Baird Gives Back Week unites our associates, families and friends annually for collaborative volunteering opportunities.
The Foundation also leads several firm-level giving campaigns. More than 60 of Baird’s U.S. locations participated in our 2020 campaign in support of United Way. Together, Baird and our associates contributed $3.7 million to the organization, with 92% of associates1 donating to the cause. Our annual United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) campaign supports the arts community in southeastern Wisconsin, home to Baird’s headquarters. Baird and our associates contributed more than $300,000 to the cause in 2020. We also held a campaign for Fund for the Arts in Louisville.
$1.4+ MILLION DONATED TO COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORTS
Coming Together in 2020
Giving back took on new urgency in 2020. To support essential workers and charities in need, we donated to COVID-19 relief efforts in select markets, including food banks, disaster relief and community support organizations, and doubled associate match dollars available to our associates to amplify their personal donations. These efforts contributed more than $1.4 million additional dollars into our communities.
In a first for Baird, we hosted a virtual Baird Gives Back Week due to COVID-19. Our associates organized creative, socially distant activities to create safe opportunities for volunteerism. Hundreds of associates and family members participated across more than 130 of Baird’s global locations, including our U.K., Germany and China offices.
Finally, we launched two initiatives to honor former Baird leaders whom we lost shortly before the pandemic accelerated. We established the G. Frederick Kasten, Jr. Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Disease Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin to salute the memory of Fred Kasten, our former President, CEO and Chairman. The initiative has raised more than $3.3 million to accelerate vital research efforts. Additionally, we established the Paul Purcell “Kids Win!” Annual Baird Education Grant to celebrate the legacy of Paul Purcell, also a past President, CEO and Chairman of Baird. The firm, our businesses and our associates have contributed more than $8 million to this initiative. We plan to announce more information about the fund and 2021 grant recipients.
1Participation rate reflects giving in Milwaukee and Chicago.
We are so thankful to all the medical staff during these times! We encourage each of you to give back and let someone...
Posted by The Mahurin Group - Baird Private Wealth Management on Monday, March 30, 2020
Related Links
Discover how the Baird Foundation helps our associates make a meaningful impact in the communities we share with our clients and each other.