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Through Citizens Money Essentials program, the bank provides funding and volunteer assistance to support students, individuals, and small business owners
PROVIDENCE, R.I., April 01, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To kick off April’s Financial Literacy Month, Citizens today announced $2.6 million in financial education grants and ongoing volunteer support to bolster programs that help students, individuals, and small business owners build the knowledge and confidence to own their financial futures. Support includes funding for the bank’s national financial education partners Junior Achievement (JA) and Council for Economic Education (CEE) as well as 132 local nonprofits across the communities the bank serves. Additionally, it includes volunteer assistance from Citizens colleagues delivering Citizens Money Essentials financial education curriculum to help give people the tools they need to budget, save, invest and make informed financial decisions.
"At Citizens, we believe that financial knowledge is a foundation block for long-term success," said Bruce Van Saun, Chairman and CEO at Citizens. "By investing in financial empowerment programs and sharing our insights to deliver financial education, we are helping students, families and entrepreneurs gain the confidence and skills they need to make informed financial decisions."
Expanding Impact Through Nonprofit Partnerships
Citizens’ financial empowerment grants will support a range of nonprofits and initiatives, including:
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Junior Achievement (JA) – Providing students with real-world financial education, career readiness skills, and entrepreneurship training.
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Council for Economic Education (CEE) – Addressing the gender gap in financial literacy through support of its Invest in Girls program providing young women with financial education, career mentorship, and exposure to finance-related professions.
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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) – Providing funding and volunteer support to organizations offering free tax assistance for individuals earning $67,000 or less.
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132 Local Nonprofits – Supporting the delivery of financial education to students, families and entrepreneurs across the bank’s footprint.
Citizens Colleagues Powering Financial Education
A core element of Citizens financial education commitment is colleague volunteerism. Through the bank’s Citizens Money Essentials program, colleagues deliver interactive Citizens-branded financial education curriculum in English and Spanish, sharing expertise and resources with individuals and small businesses in communities across its footprint. In 2024, Citizens colleagues provided more than 6,500 hours of financial education.