Community Involvement
Pekin Hard Strauss is committed to making meaningful change in their community through charitable endeavors.
Community Involvement
We love our hometown, Pekin Hardy Strauss Wealth Management has called Chicago home for a quarter of a century, and we are proud to give back to our community. Whether it’s through all-staff service days at local nonprofits, individual volunteer hours, or participation on local boards and advisory boards, our firm and staff strive to make a positive impact on our city.
Community Investing for Impact
Besides giving back through charitable efforts, we seek out appropriate community investing vehicles as a tool for directing capital to environmental projects, low income communities, and local businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are driving sustainability at a local level.


Pekin Hardy Strauss has added to its community investment portfolio by investing in the Benefit Chicago program. The program is mobilizing $100 million in impact investments to finance the growth of impact enterprises throughout the Chicago region to support community-based entrepreneurs. Powered by deep philanthropic commitment and impact investing experience, Benefit Chicago is a collaboration of The Chicago Community Trust, MacArthur Foundation and Calvert Impact Capital.
Pekin Hardy Strauss has partnered with North Carolina based Self-Help Credit Union for several years, and we are strong supporters of their mission and work.
In the summer of 2020, Pekin Hardy raised more than $1.1 million of capital to support the work of Self-Help in Chicago. Through the creation of a special certificate of deposit (CD) in partnership with Self-Help, $1,171,000 was raised by Pekin Hardy clients and employees, with $250,000 of the total coming directly from the firm and the Pekin Hardy management team. 100% of the capital raised from this offering will be invested in individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in low-income communities of Chicago.

The Pekin Hardy team spent an afternoon volunteering at Lakeview Pantry, a non-profit organization whose mission is to eradicate hunger and poverty in our community.

Pekin Hardy team members paint playgrounds at a local school as a part of the Chicago Cares Serve-a-Thon, a one-day volunteer event in which more than 5,000 Chicagoans made an impact around our city by volunteering their time and talents.

Josh Strauss and Annie Rijks of Pekin Hardy Strauss participate in the Chicago Bike Commuter Challenge, which encouraged Chicagoans to bike to and from work in order to promote a healthier environment and healthier bodies.
Because impact investing may eliminate certain securities as investments, it may cause performance to behave either positively or negatively compared to strategies containing investments that are not excluded due to various criteria.
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APPLESEED FUND DISCLOSURE
You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund's prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing. You may obtain a current copy of the Fund's prospectus by calling 1-800-470-1029.
There is no guarantee that the vehicles presented will succeed; and investment results may vary. Bonds are affected by a number of risks, including fluctuations in interest rates, credit risk, and prepayment risk. Alternative Private Investments, such as REIT's and real-estate related securities involve special risks. such as limited liquidity and interest rates risk. Investors in alternative investments should bear in mind that these products can be highly speculative and may not be suitable for all clients. Investments in commodities may be affected by overall market movements, changes in interest rates, and other factors, such as weather disease, embargoes, and international economic and political developments.
The universe of acceptable investments for the Fund may be limited as compared to other funds due to the Fund’s ESG investment screening. Because the Fund does not invest in companies that do not meet its ESG criteria, and the Fund may sell portfolio companies that subsequently violate its screens, the Fund may be riskier than other mutual funds that invest in a broader array of securities. Although the Pekin Hardy believes that the Fund can achieve its investment objective within the parameters of ESG investing, eliminating certain securities as investments may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance.
The Fund's past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-800-470-1029.
The Fund is managed by Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. an SEC registered investment firm dedicated to value investing. For more information, visit www.appleseedfund.com.
The Appleseed Fund is distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC. (member FINRA)