REAL Solutions® Grants advance financial education

One of the many goals of The Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation is to support programming that improves the financial literacy of the public. It does this, in part, through its REAL Solutions® Initiative Grant. The 2012 recipients of these grants are doing some great things to advance financial education.

"Financial illiteracy is not an issue unique to any one population. It affects everyone – men and women, young and old, across all racial and socio-economic lines. No longer can we stand by and ignore this problem. The economic future of the United States depends on it."

Executive Summary, 2008 Annual Report to the President of the United States, President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy

Recipients of these grants in 2012 include:

Blackhawk Community Credit Union in Janesville, which is purchasing iPads to help implement web-based financial curricula within the two high schools that house its in-school credit union branches. As part of its effort, the credit union will train its student tellers as Financial Literacy Student Ambassadors. They will serve as role models and leaders providing peer-to-peer financial literacy education. The credit union estimates it can reach as many as 540 students with education that emphasizes saving and wealth building, improving creditworthiness and budgeting.
Park City Credit Union in Merrill, which is offering a Credit Rebuilder Program to help members and non-members improve their creditworthiness and improve budgeting skills to make consistent loan payments. The grant will help fund advertising as well as promotional and educational materials needed to offer the program, as well as training for two employees to become certified credit counselors (for a total of four at the credit union). Enrollees in the program will pay down a secured loan with regular payments reported to the credit bureaus to improve credit scores. Participants will have access to online support materials and spend at least one hour with certified staff to create a budget.

"Each of these efforts aims at making Wisconsin citizens more financially self-sufficient and thus fulfills the aim of Wisconsin credit unions' REAL Solutions® initiative," said Foundation liaison Mary Bliss. "We congratulate these recipients and encourage other credit unions to consider applying for these grants in 2013 as they develop their own programs."

If you would like to help The Foundation continue to provide services like the REAL Solutions® Initiative Grant, please consider making a contribution today.