What we are doing to make a difference

We are in the business of encouraging our clients to help change the world through their money. Hansen’s Advisory Services, Inc. (HAS) has about seventy five percent of assets in sustainable investments. We have special expertise in socially responsible investing and planning for non-traditional couples. Many of our clients are part of the peace, activist, and gay and lesbian communities. We provide retirement plans for non-profit organizations and their employees. We have no strict account minimums and gladly serve average folks.

HAS has been part of the social justice movement since our founding in 1987. Started by a school teacher, HAS and its staff are both personally and professionally committed to social, environmental, and economic justice.

 Governance

HAS is woman owned and women run.

• Each of our advisors owns their own book of business.
• Every employee has a voice in making decisions.

Environment

One hundred percent of HAS electricity comes from wind power sources, which we purchase from Community Energy, through Syracuse Real Food Co-op, where we are members.

• We heat with clean burning natural gas.
• We have programmable thermostat and use it.
• We have evaluated our building’s energy efficiencies and acted on those recommendations.
• We are avid recyclers. In a paper-full industry we do our best to reduce and reuse paper. We print double sided when we can. We reuse single sided paper by printing on the other side.  We are in the process of being paperless, and have reduced our paper use by more than half in the last year.
• Our website is solar powered.
• We use a re-chargeable battery-powered lawn mower.
• We use electric hedge trimmers and an electric weedeater.
• The owner drives a hybrid car.
• Most of our cleaning products are eco-friendly.
• We buy 30% recycled content office paper
• Most of our light bulbs are compact fluorescents and all replacement bulbs are now compact florescent.

 Sustainable Economics

•  We source our design, printing, and advertising to local firms.
• All of our catered events are sourced to local providers and serve fresh, local, and organic food.
• All of the art in our office is from a local artist and for sale.
• We display marketing materials from other local businesses in our office that we think our clients may be interested in.

 Community

• Education
• We volunteer over 100 hours a year to teach financial literacy to inner city youth.
• We offer free seminars to the public on a variety of topics including socially responsible investing, debt management, and retirement planning.
• We present seminars on SRI and planning for non-traditional couples to other financial planners because it’s more important to us that the movement spreads than that we get all the business.
• We publish quarterly newsletters for clients covering socially responsible investing (SRI) topics.

Memberships

• Syracuse Peace Council
• Peace Action of CNY
• Social Investment Forum
• First Affirmative Financial Network
• Co-op America Green Business Member
• Westcott Community Development Corporation
• SAGE Upstate
• Pride Planners

Giving

• Syracuse Peace Council to purchase and renovate a new building which will house the Center for Peace and Social Justice.
• SAGE Upstate, an organization Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Central New Yorkers as they age.
• Peace Action
• Syracuse Community Choir
• Gay and Lesbian Chorus
• WCNY – PBS
• WRVO – NPR
• ACTS (Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse)
• Central New York Pride
• Visiting  Nurses’ Association
• Interfaith Works of Central New York – Community Wide Dialogue to End Racism
• NYCLU – New York Civil Liberties Union
• Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation
• L’Arche