The Vanguard’s Hometown Grants Program supports local human service needs and contributes to the vibrancy of the regions of Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina and London that Vanguard calls home.

It is funded by the Vanguard Group Foundation and run by a committee of Vanguard volunteers. These committees develop strategies for support based on a collaborative selection process to determine the most effective organizations with the highest impact through financial reporting analysis, tangible assessment of how the money was spent and testimonials.

Since the inception of the Hometown Grants Program in 2018, Vanguard has provided support to over 200 unique organizations worldwide.

We recently sat down with site leads across our regions to learn more about their personal experiences with the program. Here is what they had to say:

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Vanguard Hometown Grants volunteer has been realizing the positive enrichments we’ve made around the Phoenix Metropolitan area. After growing up in one of the lowest income neighborhoods in Phoenix, it’s touching to be able to give back to those with the greatest needs in my community. Additionally, serving the committee amid the pandemic has only further exacerbated the needs of our community, including increased homelessness, food insecurity and mental illness rates. With this in mind, we pivoted our strategy to focus on new and existing organizations that could maximize their donations and influence across the valley.

Working as a project analyst at Vanguard has enhanced my volunteer work as a Hometown Grants Investment Committee member, as I am able to deeply explore the financial strength and impacts of an organization and strategically advocate on their behalf. In fact, three of my researched organizations were chosen for funding out of five rigorous and competitive funding cycles.

During the time serving on our investment committee, Arizona Hometown Grants has supported 15 impactful organizations focused on adolescent mental and physical health, homelessness and arts and culture.

It has been extremely rewarding to serve Vanguard’s committed enrichment of our communities and I have been humbled to observe the crucial work of these amazing non-profit organizations.

– Suzanne V.

I was drawn to the Hometown Grants Program as I was interested in leveraging the skills that I had gained in my professional auditing career to make a positive difference in our local community. Further, curiosity and a willingness to learn more about the charity sector only increased the appeal to get involved. The Hometown Grants Program would ultimately put my analytical skills to work, while providing the opportunity to network and collaborate with other Vanguard crew and local charity partners.

As a member of the Hometown Grants Committee, I have really enjoyed all aspects of the work and the committee meetings are the highlight of my week! I joined during the early stages of the pandemic in April 2020. The first thing we did was refresh our grant-making strategy, and I learned a lot by helping with the research and analysis to understand the areas of enduring need in our local community, as well as the areas of pressing need that had spiked as a result of the pandemic. Tackling youth violence, mental health and rough sleeping are core to our approach. We also added a new gift strategy to address issues related to domestic violence, which has unfortunately increased during the pandemic.

I have also had the opportunity to get involved in initiatives to improve our governance and processes for our Hometown Grants UK Committee, such as improving our grant evaluation process to better monitor the success that we are able to achieve with charity partners.

Mostly, I appreciate the robust discussions and debates that we have as a committee, and I have learned a lot from my fellow members, as we are a diverse and supportive group that is not afraid to challenge each other to ensure we achieve the best outcomes.

My biggest takeaway in serving the program is this: It’s important to take the time to be clear (in our investment policy) about the approach and criteria for prioritizing the charities that we partner with. This helps the selection, filtering and due diligence process, and also enables us to have good conversations with these charities about how best to target our funding. Evaluating the impact that our funding has made is also interesting and rewarding to do. I feel privileged to be part of the Hometown Grants Program, and I’m proud to work for a company that gives its crew the opportunity and resources to help make a difference! I’m looking forward to extending my volunteering impact and experience post-Hometown Grants by getting involved as a trustee on a local charity.

– Jack W.

As I reflect on what drew me to Vanguard years ago, I think about how truly lucky I am to have found this organization. I came to Vanguard because I knew I wanted to work for a company that took a stand for every person, placed clients at the forefront of every decision, and provided an environment where I felt empowered to bring my authentic self to work.

I grew up in a single-parent household for much of my childhood. It was during those years that life quickly taught me how important it is to have a trusted financial guide regardless of where you fall on the wealth spectrum. As I entered my teenage years, I was fortunate enough to begin learning and understanding some basic financial concepts such as budgeting and savings. I remember reflecting during that time and realizing that if I applied these concepts sooner rather than later I could help change the trajectory of my family for generations to come. That’s when I knew that I wanted to focus my career and passion on helping people in every stage of life achieve financial peace.

I joined Vanguard upon my college graduation. I started on my path towards becoming a financial advisor in Personal Advisor Services (PAS) early on in my career journey, and I remember connecting with several female financial advisor mentors. What I quickly realized is that Vanguard is made up of a community of kind, collaborative, and humble human beings that genuinely want the best for you and others. They were instrumental in building my confidence to share my voice at the table and helped me overcome my test anxiety to successfully pass licensing and certification exams. I can honestly say that if it were not for the mentorship and development programs Vanguard sponsored, I would not have been successful in my goal of becoming a financial advisor and eventually a leader in Personal Advisor Services.

While working in PAS, I have never felt more connected to the Vanguard mission. Each day we work to help clients, to mentor others, and to develop ourselves. I am fortunate enough to see my peers supporting one another through new challenges, and I’m continuously encouraged to think outside of the box and learn skills that push me beyond my comfort level. I see these core principles demonstrated every day when I watch my team of advisors work tirelessly to assist clients. We take a stand for everyone, whether it’s the new family planning for a multitude of goals, the retiree nervous about leaving the workforce, or even the single parent with a story similar to my own upbringing.

Vanguard has been my home where I’ve grown personally and professionally for the past 5 years. I’ve been supported and encouraged as I came out to my family and eventually married my wife, as I worked to obtain the CFP ® designation, and as I continually challenge myself to develop new skills. While this has been a rewarding 5 years, I’m incredibly excited for the possibilities the future holds and what the next 10, 15 and even 20 years will bring.

– Ashley M.

Communities around the world faced unprecedented need in 2020. Throughout these difficult times, Vanguard crew were a constant force for good. With all of their help, we made an incredibly positive impact in our local communities. In this blog, we celebrate some of the amazing ways our crew have shown their support of the communities where we work and live. Here’s to accomplishing great things in 2021 as well.

My Classroom Economy Financial Education Program

To help students learn financial responsibility, our crew developed a free curriculum that enables teachers to build the financial literacy of K–12 students through fun, experiential learning. Through the program, students gain money management skills and learn the importance of long-term
planning, responsible budgeting, and delayed gratification.

Vanguard Strong Start for Kids Program

Our signature charitable initiative, the Vanguard Strong Start for Kids ProgramTM, gives young children growing up in poverty in Greater Philadelphia, Charlotte, Phoenix, and London the opportunity to grow, thrive, and learn, with a focus on improving school readiness. Our philanthropic program is supported by our crew’s volunteer time and talent along with generous contributions during the annual giving campaign, including a 100% company match and additional corporate dollars.

Hometown Grants Program

The Hometown Grants Program provides community grants to nonprofit agencies in the communities near where Vanguard operates. Funded by the Vanguard Group Foundation, the program is run by local Investment Committees made up of crew volunteers who select and vet the giving strategies and grantees. These grants complement the Vanguard Strong Start for Kids Program by targeting needs in a community outside our strategic focus on early childhood. The Hometown Grants Program currently operates an invitation-only grants process from Vanguard’s Greater Philadelphia, Charlotte, Phoenix, and London offices.

Matching Gift Program

The Matching Gift Program, available year-round, enhances crew’s ability to give collectively with focused impact on early childhood and to magnify personal giving to other charitable causes.

If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our Data & Analytics and Information Technology & Security career opportunities.

Vanguard’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Buckley, and Chief Information Officer, Greg Davis, discuss Vanguard’s plan to ensure stable and strong service for our clients, while also keeping crew safe through social distancing.

Tim Buckley: Greg, one of the questions that we’ve been getting from our clients is what are we doing around business continuity? What steps have we taken to make sure that regardless of how long the coronavirus goes on regards to how severe it gets that we can continue to keep the operations going? And now to our viewers out there, if you look behind me, what you’re looking at is one of our trading floors. Usually you’d see it densely populated. That doesn’t mean that people aren’t working out there when you just see people, every other desk or every third desk. It means that we’ve distanced them properly, and I should by the way mentioned that you’ll notice a Greg and I are sitting apart here. We’re trying to practice social distancing and everything that we do. Beyond, social distancing, what are you guys doing? What steps have you taken to make sure this operation continues? How have you distributed your team?

Greg Davis: So it starts really with the fact that hey, it’s a global operation so we have trading locations in the US, trading locations in the UK as well as Melbourne, Australia. And in addition to those global trading locations, we also have contingency sites that we’re leveraging right now in each one of those locations. So we have our team split up between our main hubs and those contingency sites, and we’ve even prepared for the fact that if we need to, our people could trade from home. So we’ve installed the technology, we’ve tested the system, so we could have business as usual, even in a severe event.

Tim: And trading from home is not something you are going to jump to. I mean you guys love the collaboration that happens on the floor even when people are spread out. It’s just much easier to happen there. That said, if we have to go there, we absolutely ready to do it.

Greg: Absolutely.

Tim: Security is going to be the same absolutely whether if someone’s at home as it’s going to be the same if we’re trading from home, as if you’re trading from here.

Greg: Absolutely.

Tim: Now, I should mention Greg that the rest of Vanguard’s operations, whether they’re talking to an associate at Vanguard, whatever area of Vanguard is supporting the client, those areas have been distributed too. That we have taken steps to move associates apart. Moving between different buildings. People are working from home. They are distributed between our sites as well so. We’re taking the steps to make sure that we continue business as usual here or as close to as usual as possible

Greg: Absolutely. 

Important information:

All investing is subject to risk, including possible loss of principal.

There is no guarantee that any particular asset allocation or mix of funds will meet your investment objectives or provide you with a given level of income.

Bond funds are subject to the risk that an issuer will fail to make payments on time, and that bond prices will decline because of rising interest rates or negative perceptions of an issuer’s ability to make payments.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.

Investments in stocks or bonds issued by non-U.S. companies are subject to risks including country/regional risk and currency risk.

© 2020 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

In the spirit of celebrating International Women’s Day, we partnered with women across Vanguard’s Investment Management Group (IMG) to hear their #LifeatVanguard stories. In this series, crew and leaders touch on a variety of meaningful topics, including what drew them to Vanguard, resources used for learning, company culture and advice for women looking to join IMG.

Voyage to Vanguard and first impressions

Agnes H.
Senior Portfolio Manager in the Equity Investment Group

I was attracted to Vanguard as one of the largest asset managers in the industry, as well as its mission-based corporate objective. One of the biggest differences that stands out from where I’ve previously worked is the fact that we are owned by our shareholders, so every decision made at Vanguard is based on aligning with the best interest of our clients.[1]

Tracy R.-W.
Global Portfolio Risk Manager in the Fixed Income Group

When I first became a crew member, I was most surprised by the level to which collaboration and team work was both encouraged and valued. People are genuinely helpful and dedicated to delivering the best possible products and services to our clients. We are mission driven. We are client focused. We are a team.

Learning and development

Peilei C.
Investment Risk Manager in the Risk Management Group

I’m always looking to seek out and utilize every possible resource I can. For example, on market and asset class specific topics, I will read the news and academic papers, but I also like to learn from experts such as our credit analysts, portfolio managers, and traders. On risk topics, tools, and models, I like to keep up with new developments via hands-on application, conferences, and seminars. I also enjoy discussions with my fellow colleagues to shares best practices.

Kelly F.
Investment Analyst in the Investment Strategy Group

I’ve been working on building out my machine learning acumen to supplement my more traditional econometric models. I’ve also been increasing my financial acumen through the pursuit of my Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation, which will help better frame my research questions. Moving into 2020, I want to improve my presentation skills so I can share my ideas with a variety of audiences to get feedback and new ideas to build the best investment solutions.

Living my best

Samantha C.
Regulatory and Policy Risk Lead in the Risk Management Group

A personal passion for me throughout my Vanguard career has been contributing to our corporate inclusion and diversity efforts. I was a member of the core team that developed, piloted, and scaled the Women’s Initiative into Leadership Success: Invest in Yourself (WILS IIY), which is a monthly educational series for women focused on providing an enterprise-wide perspective on core investment topics. It was a special experience for me to participate as a panelist earlier this year during our first global session with the United Kingdom office.

Ashley W.
Investment Analyst in the Fixed Income Group

I plan ahead as much as possible, especially now that I am a part-time grad student. I map out my days, weeks, and months to ensure I have time for everything that’s important to me, including going to the gym, having dinner with friends and family—and rest! It’s essential to prioritize time to recharge as you can’t go the distance on an empty tank.

Career advice

Adrienne B.
Head of U.S. Equity Investment Risk in the Risk Management Group

My advice to individuals starting their careers is to ask a lot of questions and try to learn as much about the company’s business model as possible. No matter what role you’re in and what your level, being able to connect what you do and its significance to the overall success of the business will help you do a better job and align your contributions to the objectives of the company.

Vernita E.
Head of Equity Index-Europe in the Equity Investment Group

For women looking to join the Investment Management Group, a career in trading and investing is not easy, but nothing worth having generally is. A high level of commitment, patience, resilience, and passion is required . . . have more confidence in yourself, you are that good!

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
[1] Vanguard is client-owned. As a client owner, you own the funds that own Vanguard.

There are many anticipated advances that will change the way that we do business. Speculation and ideas about what will shape the future of investing can bring fear or excitement to the industry. Vanguard’s Crew Resource Group, Leadership and Engagement for Asian Professionals (LEAP), held a Q&A session with Vanguard’s CEO, Tim Buckley, and a Principal of the Institutional Investor Group, Jean Lu, on how cultural and technological differences make an impact on ongoing and future ways of working, both at Vanguard and within the industry.

In the opening remarks, Jean Lu reminded everyone that approaching cultural differences can be an opportunity to challenge the status quo. Although difficult, addressing the uncomfortable aspect can provide a new perspective to everyday operations.

As one of the department heads of the Institutional Investor Group and a co-executive of LEAP, Jean discussed her experiences receiving difficult questions about diversity and shared that when we speak up, we become advocates for diversity and bring value and new ideas to light. She referenced a quote from Verna Myers, Vice President of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix, who noted, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance,” to highlight the importance of what we can do to increase diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality in the workplace. Jean later added, “Diversity matters because embracing different cultures give us a competitive edge. It’s my fiduciary duty to share my perspective, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

Tim Buckley also made it clear that diversity plays an integral part in the future of Vanguard. Tim elaborated, “If we listen to each other, we can learn from each other and build on ideas.” As an example of this type of collaboration, he described how Vanguard’s economics team brings together regional expertise from Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, and the U.S. to ensure our research and analysis presents a global picture of the trends investors need to know about.

One trend our economists have an eye on is how technology will impact the future of work. With the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, Tim reminded the room of the distinction between tasks and jobs. Many rote, repetitive tasks can be automated, which means that jobs will rely more on human creativity and problem solving. At Vanguard, we’ll need both technical expertise and what our researchers call “uniquely human tasks” to serve clients well. Jean added that the “. . . need for tech acumen and expertise will only increase. Our ability to go deep is important.”

LEAP holds events throughout the year to participate in meaningful and impactful conversations. John Marcante, co-executive of LEAP, shared that LEAP impacts the workplace by “providing a network of support, development, and empowerment,” and urges that we “Get involved. Dig deep. Ask hard questions. It takes courage. That’s what leaders are made of. It’s about talking about intersectionality.”

—Bridget K.

The end of the year is often a time to reflect on all that’s been accomplished in the last twelve months. We pulled together the top four career stories from 2019. Whether it’s your first read or you’re revisiting a favorite, we hope you enjoy!

12 Vanguard interview tips for experienced professionals

We sat down with five Vanguard recruiters to hear how they coach candidates through the interview process. In this blog, we share 12 ways that experienced professionals can prepare for a Vanguard interview—whether in person or over the phone.

When working in finance isn’t always for finance majors

Annsley opens up about her voyage to Vanguard after college. “To say I was hesitant to join the finance industry is an understatement. Much of my college education was focused on classes like organic chemistry and biomechanics. But my friend assured me that my passion to help people live a better life directly aligned with Vanguard’s mission. With his support along with my family, I took a giant leap of faith, and I couldn’t be happier that I did.”

What a career as a financial advisor looks like at Vanguard

Vanguard’s financial advisors are using time-proven investment methodology to offer investment solutions that lead our clients confidently toward their business or personal financial goals. In this series, our financial advisors share their personal experiences in pursuing a career in this field and the impact they’ve had in driving successful investment results for clients.

Family comes first

Kristen shares a personal story about how Vanguard allowed her to focus on family during a difficult time. “While my personal life was turned on its head, a new leader was assigned to my team. I was experiencing changes both at Vanguard and in my personal life. My first one-on-one was conducted through video conference from my parent’s house. It was during that conversation I finally said the words out loud…my mom had cancer. Not knowing how my new leader would respond, I waited. He took a moment and said, “Family comes first,” a concept I heard Vanguard was known for but never experienced firsthand.”

Inspired? Make your career count—search our opportunities.

“Vanguard has been transforming the world of investing for over four decades and we are in the early years of transforming the world of advice.” – Claire M., Principal, Personal Advisor Services

Watch this video to learn more about how our advisors make a difference in their clients’ lives and put investors first.

Click here to learn more about financial advisor opportunities at Vanguard.

Vanguard believes that being a global leader also means being a local leader.  Through volunteer Investment Committees, The Vanguard Group Foundation is making grants in the regions around the world that we call home.  The Vanguard Gives Back Hometown Grants Program is charged with funding pressing, local human services needs and working with nonprofit partners that contribute to the vibrancy of the community.  The program is fueled by crew volunteers who commit two years of service dedicated to learning about the nonprofit sector, philanthropy, and the local community landscape.

In this blog, we asked three Vanguard leaders to write about their experiences in serving as site leads for the Hometown Grants Program. The combined efforts of these leaders and their teams have placed $2.3 million into local organizations over their two-year commitment. Here is what Amanda M. from Arizona, Ed F. from North Carolina, and Steve H. from Pennsylvania, had to say:

Vanguard has long had a culture around community that you are no stranger to, what drew you into this particular opportunity with Hometown Grants?

Ed: Hometown Grants enabled me to take my passion for impacting our local community to a much deeper, grass-roots level.  Having previously been involved in Vanguard Gives Back initiatives in Charlotte, including leading our workplace giving campaign and our volunteer efforts, Hometown Grants provided an opportunity to start-up a hyper-local focused program from scratch, which is pretty cool.  While we were provided with some loose guardrails and guidelines, we were also given a significant amount of autonomy to figure out the best strategy that would have meaningful impact in the Charlotte community.

Steve: In 2012, I had the honor of serving as the lead for the crew fall charitable giving campaign. Not only did that experience tap into my longstanding passion for service, it opened my eyes to the incredible impact Vanguard can have in the community. I was very excited about the Hometown Grants program because it was yet another way to harness the energy and passion of Vanguard crew to make a meaningful difference in our communities, but I was also intrigued by the entrepreneurial nature of this new venture.

What skills have you developed through your participation in this initiative and how have you applied these skills both inside and outside of the office?

Amanda: Debating which organization to fund can be a sensitive and emotional topic. My peers and I all have preferences on which charitable cause is the most important and those often differ from the priorities of others. Plus, when you find so many organizations doing great work, it can be hard to reduce the list to a manageable few. Learning how to listen with empathy and understanding was critical to ensure each team member was heard and team health remained strong. Outside of work, it has given me a platform to talk to my kids about philanthropy. Now, when we debrief our day at the dinner table, I am talking to them about organizations I went to visit or work that is being done in the community. It’s been rewarding to talk to them about the importance of giving back and about some of the neat initiatives that are happening in our neighborhood.

Ed: Most importantly, I gained a deeper understanding of the Charlotte community and the critical issues our city is facing.  Upward mobility remains a challenge even as Charlotte continues to have one of the highest rates of highly educated new residents moving to our city.  I have met and learned from some very influential non-profit partners who provide critical services in our community often with few resources or limited budgets.  I am looking forward to continuing my work post-Hometown Grants, whether it be through volunteerism or board involvement.  Hometown Grants also enabled me to hone my leadership and finance skills as we have conducted research, reviewed non-profit financials and tax-filings, and conducted on-site visits to select the non-profit agencies we partner with.

What has been the biggest takeaway in serving as a site lead for the program?

Amanda: There is always a need for more work to be done in the community than there are hours in the day to support or dollars to fund. It is not hard to find an important cause that will improve our community. The hard part is prioritizing which organizations to focus on. It took a lot of time to research, really get to know these teams and the impact they are trying to make. Then ultimately determining where we could have the biggest impact. And there is no “right” answer. It is only part science, the rest is art.

Steve: In the past two years, the work of the Hometown Grants team exposed us to countless organizations that are making an incredible difference in communities. There are so many worthy, effective, innovative charitable organizations out there doing great work, we could have funded many more groups than we were able to. But I believe our team did a tremendous job of honing in on the key organizations that both had amazing impact and could best benefit from the dollars we had. The most rewarding parts of the job were when we heard the profound gratitude from these groups for our contributions, and the excitement they expressed about how they were going to put the money to work. You feel the very tangible benefit of all the hard work the committee put in.

More careers blogs about Vanguard in the community

Why you should raise your hand for that volunteer opportunity at work

Serving in both my day job and night job

It’s the season of giving at Vanguard

Meet Bonnie D. She is an Advertising Manager who did not expect to find herself in the financial services industry. Now after having spent a number of years in creative roles at Vanguard, one thing she says she never takes for granted: “I laugh every single day.”

If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, learn more about our MBA programs at www.vanguardjobs.com.