RBC Dominion Securities and one of its investment advisors have been finding innovative ways to give back to their community.
It all starts with the personal relationships the business has with its customers, investment advisor Oliver Sayah said last week from his Parksville office.
"We talk to clients about their lives and what's happening with them," said Sayah.
For example, one of Sayah's clients recently lost his vision and told Sayah about the good work being done locally by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
"That's something (the CNIB) we want to support too because our clients benefit so much from that," said Sayah.
The investment advisors said there are three ways the local office gets money to local charities and organizations.
First, there's the RBC Foundation, which is run out of the company's head office that gets specific requests from the Parksville office for local groups.
Secondly, RBC Dominion Securities works with its partners (like Fidelity Investments Canada) to funnel money these partners send to the parksville office for marketing and other uses to local charities and organizations instead, explained Sayah.
Thirdly, Sayah said he gives from his own pocket. Here's a list of the local organizations that have received donations through RBC Dominion Securities and their partners:
• District 69 Society of Organized Services (SOS)
• Parksville Seniors Athletic Group – Slo Pitch
• Milner Gardens
• Ducks Unlimited Canada
• Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
• Wheels for Wellness
• Salvation Army
• Parksville Lawn Bowling Club
• Parksville Legion Branch #49
• Qualicum Legion Branch #76
• Nanaimo Zonta Club
• Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Unit 29