Baker Tilly Foundation
Baker Tilly Foundation
Foundation mission
We believe in the power of working together to make a difference in our profession, the communities where we live and work and causes important to our valued clients and team members.
“Now, for tomorrow” is not merely a tagline — it is our philosophy. We bring our philanthropic efforts together under the Baker Tilly Foundation to prioritize our commitment and inspire each other to do good every day. The Baker Tilly Foundation focuses our charitable involvement on three pillars of philanthropy: education, health and wellness and human services.
Education
Our profession is dynamic, innovative and growing. We are committed to helping today’s students become tomorrow’s generation of business advisors.
Health and wellness
We support organizations that dedicate resources to the treatment of today’s diseases and disorders and seek tomorrow’s prevention strategies and cures.
Human services
We preserve and strengthen the communities where we live and work by supporting organizations that advance human well-being, equity and inclusion, and efforts to end poverty.
Baker Tilly Wishes
Baker Tilly Wishes brings the resources of our firm and our people together to impact our communities now, for tomorrow. In 2022, 15 Baker Tilly team members received $10,000 and up to 40 hours of additional volunteer time for the not-for-profit organization of their choice.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national day of service, we announced our 2022 Wishes recipients. It was a perfect day to honor those who serve others to make our communities stronger.
Our wishes come to life
Animal lover gives back
Baker Tilly's Brittany Kegley is an animal lover. She and her husband have fostered over 300 animals. Brittany is also passionate about supporting people and animals with disabilities. So, when the opportunity came along to combine her passions, she jumped at the chance.
Supporting care is a family affair
Baker Tilly Wishes winner Kathy Cruz discovered her passion for Joy’s House, an Indianapolis-based not-for-profit, through what she calls a “seven degrees of Kevin Bacon story.” Joy’s House provides day care for adults living with dementia and other physical and mental challenges, as well as respite and resources for caregivers.
Doing the books and doing good
Tax Senior Manager Chris Phillips visited the library occasionally when he was young, but it wasn’t until he became involved with the Reading Public Library Foundation that he understood how much impact libraries have on communities. “A library provides so much more to people than just being able to check out books,” said Chris.
Show me the money
Jackson Comeau grew up in a household where money was simply not a topic of conversation. “There was stress around money, but we never actually talked about it,” he said. He didn’t hold a credit card or understand the basics of personal finance until after he graduated from college and described his philosophy until recently as “just spend as little as possible.”
The house that love built
Tax Manager Matthew Heberlein loves helping his Houston community. He and his husband, Alex, are very passionate about volunteering for organizations that are important to them, including Omega House, recipient of a 2021 Baker Tilly Wishes grant.
California dream
Partner Hank Kahrs’ mom ran a nursery school for 40 years. “I grew up surrounded by a sea of kids,” he said. Although Hank’s own sons are grown now, he still loves the energy he gets from working with young people. “As a forensic accountant, I’m kind of a grump,” he jokes, “but when I’m working with kids or playing music, it really gets me going.”
Real life superheroes
Baker Tilly Wishes supports pediatric cancer patients and research.
Gift of giving
Each year we join people from around the world transforming their communities through Giving Tuesday, a worldwide charitable celebration. GivingTuesday encourages people to give back during the end-of-year charitable season — and it’s Baker Tilly’s day to kick off the Gift of Giving, our annual giving event that bookends a yearlong effort of giving back to the communities where we live and work. During Gift of Giving, the Baker Tilly Foundation gives funds to each one of our team members, so they can donate to a not-for-profit organization of their choice.
In 2021, we collectively donated more than $100,000 to organizations near and dear to our team members during the holiday season.
Now for Tomorrow Scholarship
We created the Now for Tomorrow Scholarship in honor of our firm’s 90th anniversary as we look to the future and seek to make an ever-greater impact on our profession.
Funded through the Baker Tilly Foundation, the scholarship supports one of our foundation’s three key pillars: education.
The Now for Tomorrow Scholarship will support students of color seeking to join our profession. A significant scholarship package and development opportunities within our firm will help promising young professionals, who often face barriers and are underrepresented in our profession.
Each year, starting in FY2022, the Baker Tilly Foundation will award five students with a three-year scholarship totaling up to $30,000. Qualifying attributes of scholarship applicants:
- From historically underrepresented ethnic/racial groups within accounting and consulting (specifically, students of color)
- Pursuing an accounting, finance or computer/data science degree
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Enrolled in campuses strategically selected by Baker Tilly for their diversity of student body and geographic representation
The Baker Tilly Foundation is a separate, 501(c)(3) private foundation. We do not accept unsolicited requests, but rather the foundation identifies organizations and opportunities that align with our mission, areas of giving and causes that are important to our valued clients and team members.
Foundation Executive Officers
- Jennifer Soltis, President
- Charles Droege, Vice President/Chief Operating Officer
- Jean Mathews, Treasurer
- Kathy Gebhard, Secretary
Foundation Executive Director
- Georgina Giannelli
Foundation Board of Directors
- Jennifer Soltis, Partner
- Melissa Donoso, Senior Manager
- Nico Glorieux, Partner
- Scott Goldfarb, Partner
- Nick Goodman, Partner
- Kevin Harding, Partner
- Vicki Hellenbrand, Partner
- John Krause, Partner
- Jacqueline Wiggins, Chief Strategy Officer
- Patrick Yu, Partner