Group of MN women financial planners, including Birchwood’s Kay Kramer and Dana Brewer, celebrate anniversary with $25,000 donation

Birchwood’s Kay Kramer and Dana Brewer are long time members of a local study group of female financial planners, the Goddesses of Financial Planning, that recently announced a $25,000 donation to the Center for Financial Planning initiative in honor of the group’s 25th anniversary. The funding will support the initiative’s work to promote women and diversity in the financial planning industry.

Founded in 1995, the Goddesses of Financial Planning is a group of more than a dozen women financial advisory firm owners in Minnesota. The group meets regularly to share strategic advice and best practices to support each other in the financial planning industry. In addition to the Goddesses of Financial Planning, each member also belongs to the Financial Planning Association of Minnesota (FPA MN), a nonprofit organization of more than 900 financial planning professionals.

Dana Brewer, a Birchwood Principal and Financial Advisor shared, “Our study group had been looking for opportunities to advance women and minorities in the financial planning industry. When presented with this option, our group quickly knew this was a great fit.”

“Finding true community in our industry – both through the Goddesses of Financial Planning and the FPA MN – has been invaluable as my business evolves,” said member Lauri Salverda, owner of Castle Rock Financial Planning. “With our donation to the Center for Financial Planning, our group hopes we can help aspiring planners find the same support as they begin their careers.”

Approximately 23% of certified financial planners in the U.S. are women and less than 3.5% are black or Latino. The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board)’s Center for Financial Planning initiative is working to attract, onboard and train women and people from diverse communities to become the next generation of financial planners.

Members of the Goddesses of Financial Planning include: Dana Brewer and Kay Kramer of Birchwood Financial Partners, Cassidy Burns of WR Baird, Ellen Dubuque and Joan Rossi of Rossi Dubuque Breckenridge LLC, Echo Huang of Echo Wealth Management, Laura Kuntz of Laurel Wealth Planning, Kathy Longo of Flourish Wealth Management, Kelly Olson Pedersen of Caissa Wealth Strategies, Lauri Salverda of Castle Rock Financial Planning, Janet Stanzak of Financial Empowerment, Amy Jensen Wolf of AJW Financial, and Susan Zimmerman of Mindful Asset Planning.