BMO Capital Markets will donate $1.5 million to nine charities as a result of its pledge to donate a day’s worth of institutional equity trading commissions.

The proceeds, raised Wednesday as part of BMO’s Equity Through Education charitable program, will go to select charities that are dedicated to the education of deserving individuals who might not otherwise have a chance to pursue their academic goals.

Since it launched in 2005, the program has raised a total of $9.6 million, assisting more than 2,000 individuals who have directly benefited through scholarships, bursaries and other educational initiatives. BMO Capital Markets also directly supports Equity Through Education by offering paid summer internships at the bank.

“Once again our clients have stepped up to the plate when the need has never been greater,” said Mike Miller, head of equity products, BMO Capital Markets.

“Year after year, the terrific support of our clients for BMO’s Equity Through Education program has made an enormous difference in the lives of thousands, and will continue to do so. I want to thank them for their commitment in investing in education, which will undoubtedly help shape a healthier and more resilient society.”

The charities that BMO Capital Markets will support this year via Equity Through Education are:

> Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation (CMSF)
> Financial Women’s Association of New York Educational Fund
> Foundation for the Advancement of Aboriginal Youth (FAAY)
> The Jackie Robinson Foundation
> Lime Connect
> National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation
> Pathways to Education Canada
> The YAI Network
> Youth in Motion’s Top 20 Under 20 Program

IE