FT Cares Foundation began in 2006 as First Trust Cares, an initiative created as a way for the employees of First Trust Portfolios and its affiliates to “give back”. In that first year, four initiatives were completed: we began our tradition of helping those in need at Thanksgiving and Christmas (locally in DuPage County) and were involved with the national initiative to end breast cancer. By 2011
, First Trust Cares had grown and was involved in 28 different charities and organizations. In early 2012, after five successful years of charity work, and having increased giving each year, the process of creating a Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, began. In May, 2012, the IRS granted tax-exempt status to FT Cares Foundation. The Foundation, which now has five officers, a Director of Development, and a Board of Directors, has a broad mandate: to continue to grow its work with its charity partners each year and to continue to transform lives locally, nationally and globally. Since its official inception five years ago, The Foundation has been involved in over 500 initiatives. We are proud that the Foundation has touched people in all 50 states and in 15 countries around the world. While we are proud of our past work, the Foundation will continue its relentless focus on making a difference and partnering with organizations that are changing the lives of others.
