United Way of Story County (UWSC) will receive $114,962 from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation and United Way Worldwide to expand the reach of its Women with Initiative program for at-risk women. The program includes money management training, one-on-one mentoring and access to educational scholarships. With the help of this grant, UWSC will grow the program in Story County by making it easier for women outside Ames to participate.
"We’re excited to expand the financial education program to other communities in Story County through the FINRA Foundation grant,” said Jean Kresse, president and CEO of UWSC. “Helping at-risk women achieve self-sufficiency and confidence through personalized financial education and coaching is the first step toward securing a great education, financial stability and good health – the building blocks for a good quality of life.”
FINRA Investor Education Foundation and United Way are giving more than $1.5 million total in grants to help low-wage families build financial stability, under the Financial Education in Your Community initiative. The initiative provides community-based financial education for working individuals and families as well as grants to nonprofits that are leading financial stability work in the community. The $1.5 million is being awarded in 12 grants, part of almost $8.5 million that has been granted to 68 grassroots projects since 2009. The initiative is administered jointly by United Way and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.
The 12 two-year grants were competitively awarded to local United Ways and other nonprofit community groups to identify best practices for helping low-wage people take action toward increased financial stability. The projects leverage strategic partnerships and successful existing programs, and target a diverse population across the country. In addition to funding, the Foundation and United Way are providing unbiased financial education materials and ongoing technical assistance.
“Reducing transportation barriers and providing better access to our program for our target audience – women who are financially at-risk – is something that has been a goal of ours for several years,” said Jerri Baumeister, Women with Initiative coordinator. “The grant award from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation gives us the opportunity to expand our Women with Initiative program by offering additional Money Management series in locations outside of Ames.”
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FINRA INVESTOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation supports innovative and educational projects that give underserved Americans the knowledge, skills and tools necessary for financial success throughout life. For details about grant programs and other FINRA Foundation initiatives, visit www.finrafoundation.org.