In 1997 almost 12 years after founding Cain, Watters and Associates, Darrell Cain had another vision. He believed financial freedom could be obtained by all people if they had the right tools. With that, he created the 3to1 Foundation – a public charitable organization dedicated to serving the community and people of all ages, through the Foundation’s signature program, the Accumulating Wealth Seminar.
Through these interactive seminars, students learn about goal setting, budgeting, investing, debt management, retirement planning and investing principles. Over the past 17 years, hundreds of students from throughout the country have attended 3to1’s Accumulating Wealth seminars and have been given the opportunity to make significant changes to how they manage their finances and save for the future.
This year, 3to1 Foundation’s aim is to begin expanding its reach by connecting to colleges as well as with high school students and other community groups that may have limited exposure or access to resources that teach and encourage financial independence.
“…a misunderstanding by most people is that they believe you have to earn a lot of money to ever accumulate wealth. That is not the case…” Darrell Cain.
The 3to1 Foundation’s Accumulating Wealth Seminar (AWS) is designed to help people of all ages and financial backgrounds. AWS draws attendees with a range of interests — from personal finances and investing to college savings and career planning. The team is always amazed to see what each one might take away from their AWS experience. In the end, they all leave knowing how important it is to have a financial plan and that it’s never too early, or too late to begin building a successful financial future.
AWS is also a family affair. During the Seminar, parents and young adults can come together to learn the principles of wealth accumulation and talk about what financial planning means for their households and for themselves as they become independent. This includes making large purchases and how wise financial decisions positively affect their personal financial plans. We’ve seen parents who attend AWS with their children continue the conversation at home and find that they’re on the same page — everyone is on board with achieving financial goals as a family and as individuals.
Attendees often share their inspiring stories…
• Sarah Cassatly is a law student who recently attended the AWS with her sister, Hannah. Sarah says she had never really thought about saving and retirement:
“The most valuable thing I learned at the Accumulating Wealth Seminar was the importance of saving money… What I found to be the most useful was the concept of goal setting—you can’t plan for your future without thinking about what you want to accomplish and how you are going to get there.”
• Danielle and Brandon Olsen are a newly married couple. See their personal story of how combining finances and the ordeal of unexpected expenses created a need to learn to manage their finances together and how AWS has helped.
• Another AWS attendee offered, “This may very well be one of the most important speeches of my life,” after a one-day Accumulating Wealth Seminar held this past March in Charlotte for CWA clients and their staffs and family of staff.
The 3to1 Foundation is currently in the planning stages of creating an AWS for high school and college audiences. The goal for high school students is to introduce them to the basic concepts of budgeting, saving, college planning and investment strategy. Additionally, college students will learn from CWA Planners who are alumni of their schools. The Foundation’s experience has been that although people may have knowledge of business principles, they often aren’t equipped with a good financial plan. To help build this critical knowledge, a long-term vision of the Foundation is to have programs available to colleges and universities nationwide.
Recently, as part of the mission to carry out “responsible and effective community philanthropy”, the Foundation Board has also voted to establish a college scholarship program that will provide five scholarships for college-bound children of employees of specified dental practices. The scholarship will be academic- and need-based. Details will be announced later this year.
The core aim of the 3to1 Foundation is to educate and connect people to a successful financial future, and you have the ability to help. Join us in positively influencing a person’s financial future by hosting a regional Accumulating Wealth seminar at a school or other community venue, or by supporting the attendance of a family member, colleague or friend at the upcoming AWS, June 12-13, in Plano, Texas. Because as Darrell Cain believes, education is the gift that can truly change a person’s life.
