Builders of the Field – PIMCO
Builders of the Field highlights philanthropic leaders who financially partner with the Network to support our work in the nonprofit community.
PIMCO’s Legal and Compliance team took part in games and mentorship activities with students from the Boys and Girls Club of Central Orange Coast, in Santa Ana.
PIMCO is one of the world’s premier fixed income investment managers. Launching in 1971 in Newport Beach, California, PIMCO introduced investors to a total return approach to fixed income investing. Today they have offices across the globe. They believe in operating globally but also in supporting local organizations in the communities in which they live and work. Since establishing the PIMCO Foundation in 2000, they have worked to support hundreds of local nonprofits. They have foundations in the U.S., U.K., and Germany, and support local communities via local grant programs. Their focus is on hunger, gender equality, homelessness and college and career readiness.
We recently asked Amber Skalsky, Vice President of the PIMCO Foundation, the following questions:
Why do you give back to non-profits?
At PIMCO, we’ve always believed in giving back; it’s a value woven into the fabric of our culture. Our colleagues and executives have a long history of giving time and talent as it’s just something we’ve always believed was the right thing to do. Through our community engagement platform, Purpose at PIMCO, we seek to not only deliver on our commitment to strengthening communities, but to driving impact alongside our nonprofit partners.
What motivated you to make a gift to the Fieldstone Leadership Network?
We understand that if we are to achieve real outcomes and positive social change, we must support the leadership and development of those who are at the helm of our partner organizations. We must arm our nonprofit leaders with the tools they need to build strong teams, impactful programs, and sustainable change in the community. Fieldstone allowed us to play a small part in helping local leaders build networks, strengthen capacity, increase confidence, and more…
What impact do you think the Fieldstone Leadership Network makes on our community?
Too often we hear that organizations have to choose between investing funds in either their programs or staff. Fieldstone helps solve that problem by offering leaders access to knowledge and peer networks on a monthly basis. Participants are able to take advantage of self-learning opportunities and curriculum which helps them become stronger problem solvers, strategically agile, and helps members bring back those learnings to their organizations and teams. Fieldstone Leadership Network has a vast impact on the Orange County community, and across Southern California.
Do you have any personal stories you would like to share as the result of working with or benefiting from the Fieldstone Leadership Network?
As a funder, I have not had any personal interaction with the programs, however, we have many partners who have taken part in Fieldstone programs, and we’ve heard firsthand the positive and lasting impact programming has had on them both personally and professionally. This feedback was one of the key reasons we felt compelled to invest.