Giving Back | Mischler Financial Group

Giving Back & Paying Forward…

In 1994, Mischler Financial Group became the securities industry’s first minority-certified broker-dealer owned and operated by Service-Disabled Veterans (SDVs). We were also the first Finra member to be a federally-certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (SDVOBE). Our original investment banking | institutional brokerage business plan envisioned three critical objectives:

(i) To fill a critical void in terms of qualified minority firms that are able to meet the broad spectrum of federal and state legislative diversity and inclusion initiatives.

(ii) As D&I goals and mandates further extend across the investment industry ecosystem, to provide true added-value for public plan sponsors, institutional investment managers and Corporate Issuers of debt and equity who are focused on engaging qualified and most capable minority-owned firms that can service their respective capital market needs.

(iii) To give back and pay forward via direct support of the nationwide community of Service-Disabled Veterans and their families. It is this group of Americans that has sacrificed so much, but too often lack the resources, support and opportunities that they not only deserve, but have earned through their sacrifice in the course of defending every American’s interests.

Since our formation, and through the leadership and inspiration of both our Founder & Chairman Emeritus Walter Mischler (SDV), a graduate of the U.S Military Academy at West Point (USMA ’69) and our CEO Dean Chamberlain (SDV) (USMA ’85) , our firm has grown exponentially. We now employ 55+ financial industry professionals across eight major-city offices. Our team of highly-seasoned securities industry veterans is made up of men and women who first “earned their stripes” while working for the industry’s most recognized investment banks and includes our “dually-registered veterans”; those who served with distrinction in the US Military prior to transitioning to the financial industry.

Ours is a tight-knit unit whose team members work together to provide aggressively-competitive capital markets services to a discerning universe of the financial industry’s most demanding constituents. Our clients include tens of dozens Fortune treasury executives; the leading public plan sponsors; the most-recognized institutional investment managers as well as a broad spectrum of Middle Market, “under-covered” managers and Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs).

However much we’ve grown and benefited from the hard work of our team and the support and trust we have earned from those who we do business for and the contemporaries we work with across the financial services arena, our priorities have been unwavering. We leave no client behind under any circumstances and we remain fully-dedicated to “doing good by giving back and paying forward” to the disabled military veteran community and their respective families.

Our support of the Service-Disabled Veteran community includes our taking a lead role in a broad variety of philanthropic programs, veteran advocacy initiatives, legislative campaigns and our mentoring service-disabled military veterans who are determined to overcome all obstacles.

Since 1994, we have directly and indirectly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for critical SDV support programs and initiatives that provide for higher education opportunities including, among others, The Fisher House Foundation, The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, Bob Woodruff Foundation , The Semper Fi Fund, Veterans Education Challenge , Lead The Way Fund, Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, Buildon.org, and Wounded Warrior Project.

Fisher House Fallen Patriots Lead the Way Fund Semper Fi Fund Bob Woodruff Foundation Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund Wounded Warrior Project

In addition to providing direct financial support and leading fund raising initiatives for various SDV-related organizations and select philanthropies focused on advancing higher education throughout urban communities. Mischler Financial Group has proven to be trusted thought-leader and advocate in connection with multiple state-based legislative initiatives that advance Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise programs. We have also mentored tens of dozens of men and women who became disabled while serving within our country’s military branches. Our dedication extends across the following activities:

Direct financial support of various Service-Disabled Veteran causes and advocacy groups, including (among others) the Fisher House Foundation, The Bob Woodruff Foundation, The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, The Semper Fi Fund, The Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, Wounded Warrior Project, Veterans Education Challenge (donation-based crowdfund campaign) and Veterans on Wall Street (VOWS).
Career Mentoring of Disabled Veterans who aspire to overcome obstacles and pursue entrepreneurial endeavors as they return to the private sector, including the financial services industry.
Direct Hiring, Training and Mentoring of qualified service-disabled veterans.
Expert Guidance and testimony submitted to state legislatures throughout the U.S. to extend SDVBE legislative mandates similar to those enacted at first by California, and since by Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Guidance to Fortune corporations seeking to expand their support of the veteran community at large, including counsel regarding internal corporate programs implemented by corporate peers across the U.S.
Lead and support roles on behalf of multiple national and local fund-raising programs in which proceeds are directed to select Veteran and SDV advocacy groups and families of service-disabled veterans in need of financial support.

Team Mischler Presents Memorial Day Month Pledge to Semper Fi Fund VP Wendy Lethin (3rd from right)

Mischler CEO Dean Chamberlain (r), MFG Fixed Income Analyst Jon Herrick presenting Memorial Day Month Pledge to Veterans Education Challenge founders Bruce and Avis Richards

Team Mischler Presents Memorial Day Month Pledge check for $20k to Semper Fi Fund’s Wendy Lethin

Mischler Financial Group’s Chairman Walt Mischler presenting a $10,000 check to the Illinois Chapter of Wounded Warrior Project (Mischler library photo)