The Siebert Williams Shank Foundation kicked off Black History Month with donations to support two of America’s historically Black colleges and universities.
The Foundation, established in 2020, is the philanthropic arm of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., the nation’s top-ranked minority- and woman-owneed investment banking company.
The Foundation is giving a total of $200,000 to Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm said that it hopes to motivate other financial institutions who have not yet aided HBCUs to do so in order to help support the next generation of Black business leaders.
President and CEO Suzanne Shank has been a board trustee of Spelman for seven years while Chairman Christopher Williams and equity partner Gary Hall are both alumni of Howard.
“Even prior to my joining the board of Spelman College, I knew Spelman College was a strong training ground for women who lead and excel in their careers and communities,”
SWS is headquartered in New York City and Oakland, California, and has more than 15 offices around the country. It is one of the most diverse firms in the municipal bond industry with 64% of its workforce made up of women and minorities.
“Our contributions to two of the many deserving Historically Black Colleges and Universities, represent a single gesture in support of the critical missions that these institutions have served since post-war Reconstruction, and signals our intent to use our talent and resources to support development of future generations of diverse professionals,” Williams said.
The gift to the Howard University School of Business will support its 50th anniversary strategic initiatives, which include student retention, career placement, technology enhancement, curriculum development and undergraduate scholarships.
The gift to Spelman will create an Innovation Lab fellowship program, which will support students to learn and put into practice key elements of business strategy and entrepreneurship in a year-long program.
“The students that our firm employs from HBCUs are smart and success driven. I know this donation will provide generations of students with an important ladder into the beginning of their careers,” said Hall, who runs the firm’s Oakland office and is national head of infrastructure and public finance.
Separately, Northeast Women in Public Finance will present its third annual
“Black Women Leadership: Strategies to Advance in Finance,” will be a fireside chat with Arlene Isaacs-Lowe, global head of corporate social responsibility and President of Moody’s Foundation and Valerie Irick Rainford, founder and CEO of Elloree Talent Strategies.
They will discuss strategies for women to navigate and advance their careers in the corporate world.
