Since 2013 the small Boston-based, US fixed income-only asset management firm Income Research + Management has been holding an annual IR+M Gives BACK Week, an initiative aimed at providing volunteer and financial support for nearly 50 DEI-focused charitable organizations.

The week starts with a motivating guest speaker from one of the community partners, who brings to life the challenges that their organization is facing. From there, IR+M staff choose to participate in a number of activities, each one designed to raise funds for a DEI-focused charity. Activities vary from DEI panel discussions, ethnic cuisine-focused cooking classes, early morning boot camps, bingo at a local senior living facility, beach and zoo clean-ups, heart and mental health discussions, and heritage movie nights. Every year, over 95% of staff join in upwards of 20 events, amounting to approximately 500 volunteer hours.

For not treating donation as charity, but as an investment in people and an educational investment for themselves, judges awarded IR+M the diversity and inclusion initiative of the year Insurance Asset Risk North America award.