Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001, attacks claimed the lives of 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund continues its mission of aiding victims of terrorism, natural disasters, and emergencies. Edie Lutnick, who co-founded the fund three days after the attacks, reflects on the organization's journey and its enduring impact.
On that tragic day, Lutnick's two younger brothers, Howard and Gary Lutnick, were working in the Cantor Fitzgerald offices on the 101st to 105th floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Gary was among the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees who did not survive. The profound loss spurred Howard Lutnick, then CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, to establish a charity to support the victims' families, tasking Edie Lutnick with its leadership.
"Helping them forced me to do something other than grieve Gary," Edie Lutnick stated. The Relief Fund was established with a pledge of 25 percent of Cantor's profits for five years and 10 years of healthcare for the families, with Cantor Fitzgerald underwriting all administrative expenses to ensure 100 percent of donations went directly to aid.
In the initial weeks and months following the attacks, the fund operated with a volunteer corps of over 100 people, working around the clock to manage an influx of mail, checks, and requests for assistance. The tasks were varied and demanding, ranging from locating next of kin and sharing funeral information to distributing financial aid and providing grief counseling.
The first memorial service, held in Central Park on October 1, 2001, drew approximately 5,000 people, marking a moment where those who had lost loved ones began to form a community. The first round of financial checks was sent out on October 4, 2001, to families with infants.
Beyond immediate aid, the Relief Fund became involved in advocating for the families' needs regarding the World Trade Center site's memorial and museum. Howard Lutnick joined the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation board, and Edie Lutnick spearheaded efforts to ensure the names of the lost were listed with meaningful adjacencies at the National September 11th Memorial & Museum, honoring their relationships.
Cantor Fitzgerald also established an annual Charity Day tradition. On September 11 each year, celebrity ambassadors join Cantor and BGC Group employees in making trades, with all profits from that day donated to the Relief Fund and other charities. This event has become a key fundraising mechanism, supporting disaster relief and aid to military families.
The fund's disaster relief efforts expanded in 2012 with a focus on families impacted by Superstorm Sandy. This model was later applied to assist those affected by disasters in Moore, Oklahoma; Houston, Texas; and Puerto Rico. The fund's 2026 distribution aided individuals impacted by wildfires in Los Angeles, California.
To date, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund has raised over $320 million. Cantor Fitzgerald also made a commitment to hire the children of 9/11 victims who wished to work at the firm, a promise many of their children and even grandchildren now fulfill.
Edie Lutnick emphasizes the importance of finding a mission larger than oneself during times of trauma, stating, "If you find a mission larger than yourself in times of trauma, it will not only help you heal, but you can do spectacular things in the world."