Advisor excellence award
Selection criteria & award significance
The Advisor Excellence Award honors professional advisors who go beyond traditional guidance to foster meaningful collaboration between clients, peers, and donor-advised fund (DAF) programs.
Recognising those who integrate strategic philanthropy into wealth planning, this award celebrates advisors who help donors maximize their giving and drive transformative impact.
Past winners
Jaimi Cortez
Winner: Philanthropic Advisor
Jaimi has been a driving force in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors for more than 20 years, facilitating the distribution of over $200 million in charitable gifts. Her work spans nonprofit development, grantmaking, and creating equity frameworks that prioritize underrepresented voices.
Through her work with numerous families, foundations, and donor-advised funds, Jaimi has demonstrated a unique ability to bridge communities and resources, fostering genuine trust and collaboration.
Her dedication to driving transformative change and her deep commitment to equity have made a lasting impact on the field. Jaimi’s work continues to inspire and set new standards for how philanthropy can be used as a tool for social justice.
Mike Burbank
Winner: Financial Advisor
With nearly 40 years of experience, Mike Burbank’s leadership has made The Burbank Group a vital player in the philanthropic community. Their work focuses on helping ultra-high-net-worth clients connect their wealth to philanthropic goals, with an emphasis on complex asset gifting and leveraging donor-advised funds.
The Burbank Group, based in the San Francisco Bay area is primary advisor to over 50 donor-advised fund accounts with Morgan Stanley’s GIFT program and is a recognized expert in structuring complex asset gifts, such as privately held business shares, to maximize charitable impact. Their thoughtful approach helps clients turn significant wealth events, like business sales, into opportunities for lasting social change.