HOLBROOK, NY--(Marketwired - July 28, 2015) - American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS), a privately-held independent broker/dealer that services financial advisors throughout the country, has organized a firm-wide charitable initiative that, to date, has raised more than $18,000 in funds to support earthquake-stricken Nepal. The fundraiser is just one of the firm's many Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) missions.

APFS CEO Lon T. Dolber's connection to Nepal stems back to 2013, when he was part of an expedition to climb Tharpu Chuli, a significant peak in the Annapurna Sanctuary. During that climb, he was assisted by a Sherpa who resides in the Himalayan village of Thame, which is famous for serving as the base camp for many who seek to climb Mount Everest. Since that time, Dolber has stayed in close contact with his guide, learning through him the devastating effects that the April and May 2015 earthquakes had on Thame and its neighboring villages. Like many Nepalese villages, Thame was reduced to rubble and has become a tent city unable to function in its former capacity. For an already impoverished nation like Nepal, with a GDP of just under $20 billion, the amount of time, effort and resources involved in rebuilding and redeveloping the region will be exhaustive. In an effort to provide relief to a community in crisis, American Portfolios organized an ongoing fundraiser to benefit Thame through the Thame Sherpa Heritage Fund, a U.S. tax exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Funds raised by APFS' staff and affiliated colleagues will go a long way for a country like Nepal. "While the firm is committed to CSR on a local and national level, it is equally important to have a footprint in the global community," says Dolber of the effort. "Think about it … the money we alone have raised so far for Thame can help rebuild their school." Dolber has been in contact with Thame Sherpa Heritage Fund Treasurer Vanessa Folkerts, the senior manager of external partnerships and initiatives at United Family Healthcare (Chindex) -- China's largest foreign-invested health care provider. Folkerts reports that a proactive plan has been put into effect to build earthquake-proof structures to replace those damaged during both earthquakes and the aftershocks that followed.

Philanthropic initiatives, like this one, are in keeping with APFS' CSR mission. APFS has a long tradition of partnering with charitable organizations, including World T.E.A.M. Sports, The Dome Project and Virtual Enterprises International. Of the firm's commitment to CSR, Dolber shares, "When I think of our proudest, most unified moments, it is those that have employees and colleagues at the firm engaged outside of our business and work environment, representing APFS' commitment to bettering the communities in which we live and thrive."

About American Portfolios

Headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., APFS is a full-service independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC registered investment adviser. Both entities, along with technology division American Outsources, LLC (AO), collectively reside under the legal entity, American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently serves 811 independent investment professionals located in 361 branch locations throughout the nation.

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