By Michael D. Colgan, CEO and executive director

Giving Tuesday is a day devoted to promoting efforts to give back to the community through service and donations. In recent years, I’ve received multiple e-mail requests for donations to worthy causes on this day after Cyber Monday, and I’m sure you experience the same. Solicitations for #GivingTuesday light up Twitter and Facebook as well.

When thinking about giving back, I’m reminded of Joe Seibert’s presentation about our Pennsylvania CPA Foundation. During our tour around the state delivering the Professional Issues Update, Joe talked about his career path to becoming a Big Four partner and how he was a first-generation college grad who grew up in central Pennsylvania. He mentioned how his mentors helped him in ways that his family could not. He expressed gratitude for those that took him under their wing and the benefits of his professional life. Joe always closed with a donation request to our newly formed Pennsylvania CPA Foundation in order to give back to a profession that provides such great opportunities.

The Foundation was established to inspire students to pursue careers in accounting and to provide educational, motivational, and financial support to those working to attain the CPA credential. This year, we have received nearly $87,000 from members and firms to support our efforts. This fall, we were able to reach out to more than 2,000 high school students from 96 schools. There is still much work to be done. Our outreach is year-long and designed to ensure that the accounting profession has a strong pipeline. Firms and businesses need CPAs to maintain high standards of integrity and objectivity, and the Pennsylvania CPA Foundation works to identify and inspire future candidates.

So, when you receive #GivingTuesday requests, I encourage you to consider making a donation to the Pennsylvania CPA Foundation. Join the 900 members who have already contributed this year. Give back to your profession – a profession that has earned a reputation of trust and is committed to continuing that reputation in the future.