Community & Culture

What began as a committee of passionate employees has grown into a defining part of the firm’s culture. Since launching M&S Cares in 2015, staff and leaders have rolled up their sleeves to give back, putting in more than 800 volunteer hours annually, raising money, hosting supply drives, and building long-term partnerships with local organizations that support children and families. Making a positive impact on our community is a corporate priority. That’s why our interns, job shadow students, and recently hired staff participate in community service from day one.

While we’re always open to new giving opportunities, our core charities include the below Chicagoland organizations.

Helping Charities Help Children: Our Partner Organizations

Arden Shore

Arden Shore Child and Family Services is committed to rebuilding lives affected by trauma and abuse through foster care, family support, and behavioral health services. We support their efforts by donating school supplies each summer then assembling backpacks to give children a strong start to the school year.

LEARN MORE

Bernie's Book Bank

Two out of three low-income children have no books of their own. Bernie’s Book Bank is Chicago’s largest provider of quality children’s books, serving over 275,000 children throughout Chicagoland. We support Bernie’s Book Bank through book donations and on-site distribution efforts.

LEARN MORE

Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois currently has more than 15,000 members, including some in the Mowery & Schoenfeld family. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. We support local troops and partner with them on service projects and skill-building opportunities.

LEARN MORE

Feed My Starving Children

Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) believes hope starts with food. FMSC meals are developed by food science and nutrition professionals to supplement nutritional needs and reduce problems with malnutrition. Our teams volunteer regularly at their facilities, and each fall, the firm’s remote team members come together for a large group packing event.

LEARN MORE

Keeping Families Covered

Keeping Families Covered provides diapers, period supplies, and other essentials to families throughout Chicagoland. We collect more than 5,000 diapers during our annual November diaper drive, and over the years, our team has also donated thousands of period supply kits.

LEARN MORE

Art Impact Project

Art Impact Project enhances emotional wellness through creative expression with programming curated for each population they serve, from middle school students to senior citizens. They offer more than 100 projects with clear objectives such as increasing positive self-awareness, building confidence, and promoting empathy for others.

Learn more

Our Women’s Initiative – GLOW or Growth and Learning Opportunities for Women – is a direct result of employee participation and engagement.

Mowery & Schoenfeld started by creating an inclusive group of men and women at all levels of the organization. We used feedback and insights from our team members from both formal and informal methods. Internal data was laid with industry information, advisor input and best practices to create a framework for the program.

Ensure an environment of honesty, that lacks judgment or division.
Collaborate and communicate to help build each other up and solve problems.
Build programs based on personal, professional and community growth.
Assist each member to create a plan for clear action to achieve their goals.
Focus on accomplishments and celebrate one another.

Mowery & Schoenfeld sought to ensure accountability through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the organization in five specific areas: pay, recruitment, retention, advancement and representation. Expectations for participants also include actionable takeaways for each event, incorporation into goal setting and a continuous feedback structure.