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Citizens Bank (Honorable Mention), Providence, RI

Entry Year: 2019
Entry Category: Financial Education
Asset Size: Large
Program Name: Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money-Community Ambassador Program

Program Summary:

Citizens Bank is committed to empowering our neighbors and communities to thrive through financial education. Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money is a program dedicated to giving our communities the resources, tools and tips to make informed financial decisions and gain financial confidence. With the full support of our executive leadership team, the Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money program has grown exponentially over the years.

In 2014, we launched an initiative to recruit and train ‘Community Ambassadors’ to deliver engaging, interactive and informative financial education seminars using the FDIC Money Smart curriculum. As of 2019, we have over 500 colleagues that participate in the Community Ambassador program. The program is comprised of a diverse group of colleagues which include all levels of expertise and the flexibility to deliver seminars in multiple languages.

From 2014 to 2018, Community Ambassadors have delivered 3,024 sessions, with topics ranging from basic banking knowledge, developing budgeting and savings strategies, improving credit and homebuyer education.

During this time, Community Ambassadors have volunteered a total of 16,591 hours to help individuals outside the financial mainstream achieve financial wellness. As a result of this activity 73,582 individuals and small business owners have participated in a financial education class. The program has had a profound impact on our colleagues and affirms our commitment to the community.