Accounting firm Citrin Cooperman”™s client roster includes industries from restaurants to hedge funds to auto dealerships. But that far from covers the population it serves. Beyond its accounting, tax and consulting services, the firm has a long history of community service.
“At the end of the day, everyone here is really striving to improve the lives of our clients and that”™s what we”™re trying to do with our service,” says Mark Fagan, managing partner of Citrin Cooperman”™s Norwalk, Conn., office. “We are trying to make a difference.”
When Fagan says “we,” he isn”™t just talking about partners who contribute at black-tie fundraisers; he”™s talking about each of the firm”™s nearly 500 employees who volunteered in their communities for Citrin Cooperman”™s second annual Day of Service June 3.
Each of its five branches in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Philadelphia closed for the day and employees went in teams to assist at local organizations. Working in conjunction with The Salvation Army, the teams delivered food to needy families, served hot meals, worked with elementary and high school students, volunteered in shelters and helped rebuild homes in Yonkers, The Rockaways and Philadelphia. Participating organizations included the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, Community Food Bank of NJ, Eva”™s Village, Feed the Children, Habitat for Humanity, Interfaith Food Pantry, My Sister”™s Place, New York Cares, Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, Ronald McDonald House, NY, and The Sharing Shelf.
“This year when we were handing out food, it was sometimes in a complete downpour,” said Fagan who volunteered in Norwalk. “It made things a little more interesting, but everyone persevered.”
In addition to the volunteer service, Citrin Cooperman”™s five branches also donated a total of $125,000 to the organizations.
Though the multibranch firm loses hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue from closing its doors for a day, the feel-good return pays out in spades, said Alan Badey, managing partner at Citrin Cooperman”™s White Plains office. Not only do volunteers benefit individually, it”™s a boon to employees as a unified team.
“It really provides a team-oriented experience for our staff,” said Badey, whose branch also works closely with The Food Bank for Westchester. “They are working together doing something outside of the normal course of work. They”™re seeing each other in a different light that is more of a family or team type of atmosphere and that creates different relationships even among the staff.”
Though the Day of Service is the firm”™s marquee event, it”™s just one example of its philosophy of giving that”™s put in practice through Citrin Cooperman Cares, the firm”™s program dedicated to charitable contributions through volunteer work and financial giving. And the group doesn”™t just participate outside office doors; rather, opportunities for giving integrate seamlessly into work life.
Citrin Cooperman”™s Jeans with a Twist program, for example, invites employees to wear jeans to the office on one or two Fridays per month with the requirement that they donate $5 to a select charity. The firm then matches the donation.
“What”™s nice is that because there are so many (Jeans with a Twist Fridays), we can pick charities that are special to us,” said Fagan. “Our philosophy is to get as many people involved in the office as we can and do something that”™s really local.”
The ongoing program has sent tens of thousands of dollars to local charities, and not just the big names, but organizations close to employee”™s hearts. One Friday, funds went toward a scholarship named for a partner who suddenly passed away.
Scholarships, in fact, are another Citrin Cooperman service specialty. For several years, the firm has offered a grant program for college-bound local high school students who will be majoring in business. Winners of an essay contest receive $4,000 for tuition.
“We had a (scholarship recipient) one year who spent three or four months of her school year living in a homeless shelter,” Fagan says. “She was pulling all AP (advanced placement) classes and had a 104-percent average.”
And in true Citrin Cooperman form, giving back doesn”™t stop at sending students checks. Fagan says a mentorship element rounds out the service.
“For juniors and seniors in college that are in the scholarship program, we”™re looking to get them in here for internships during tax season,” Fagan said. “We tell them that if they ever have any questions during their college career about their major or things like that to come in and spend an hour or so to talk.”
Though the dedicated outreach will likely build new business leaders, the Citrin Cooperman team says their philosophy of giving doesn”™t necessarily have to do with demonstrating leadership. Says White Plains partner Badey, it has everything to do about serving one another.
“As business owners, we all have so many worries on our mind about our business and oftentimes we forgot about all the needy people in our community,” Badey said. “I don”™t think we look to lead in any way, I think we just look to do what we think is right.”
Citrin Cooperman doesn”™t only provide service themselves but recognizes others who do so as well.
The Above the Bar awards, now in its eighth year, honors local attorneys who excel in their field and in their contributions to their community. Badey co-created the awards with the Westchester County Business Journal, and the competition received the imprimatur and support of Pace Law School, the Westchester Bar Association and the Westchester Women”™s Bar Association.
On the heels of the Above the Bar awards”™ exponential growth, Oct. 24 will mark the first annual Doctors of Distinction awards. Presented by Citrin Cooperman, Westchester County Business Journal and Westchester Medical Society, these honorees are selected for going beyond the diagnosis as well as advocacy and scholarship.
