September. Thirty days. Autumn equinox. And, for many, back to school. September is also, like every month in the year, aligned with several worthy causes. Our ninth month is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, World Alzheimer’s Month, and Arthritis Awareness Month, to name a few—and those causes have any number of charities attached. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, there are 86,000 registered charities across the country. With that many out there competing for attention, any one of those charities is likely in sore need of Canadians’ monetary donations and/or volunteer hours.

But, of the 86,000, which one do you choose to support? For Quentin Broad, this month’s guest writer, it was Capitalize for Kids. After 30 years in the financial services industry, Quentin joined the not-for-profit in March 2018 as its managing director. Capitalize for Kids invests in children’s mental health by working with mental health service providers.

“I decided to join Capitalize for Kids because their business model resonated so deeply,” he says. “Kids’ mental health in particular is a foundational piece of the challenge facing our communities. We need to get this right by delivering community-based mental health services how, when, and where families and children need it.” Read more about Quentin’s story in this issue of The Analyst to find out more about this very worthwhile not-for-profit, and how charitable giving ties in to the CFA designation.

Of course, you don’t need to take on a full-time position at a not-for-profit to have an impact; Kelvin Tran, who is featured in this issue’s charterholder profile, makes his societal contribution another way. Despite his busy schedule as the chief financial officer at TD Bank, Kelvin volunteers his time with several committees that tie in to three areas he’s passionate about: health, education, and inclusion.

As for me, I’m passionate about running—and, in particular, running for worthy causes. On Sept. 28, I will start off my fall running season with the Toronto 5K, to help raise funds for SickKids Foundation.

So this month isn’t simply about back to school. It’s also about giving back—and the impact (however small) we can have on the world around us. After all, it really is better to give than to receive.