The Kenan Trust funds financial literacy projects with the goal of promoting economic mobility and security for individuals and long-term generational prosperity.
It is estimated that nearly 60% of the U.S. population does not have an understanding of the basic financial concepts that impact their daily monetary decisions and transactions.
The Trust invests in financial literacy projects that offer exposure to and training in basic financial concepts, including:
- An exploration of attitudes, beliefs and values related to money
- A basic understanding of income and expenses
- A framework and understanding of budgeting, credit scores, interest rates and debt
- Long-term financial strategies such as saving, investing, and protecting assets and personal information
The Trust’s work in this area includes support for organizations working on a statewide level to educate K-12 students as well as nonprofits providing basic financial literacy training to adults and families.
Grants in this area are by invitation only, and sizes vary depending on the capacity of the applying organization and the scope and reach of the proposed project.
Featured Grant in Financial Literacy: Virginia Council on Economic Education
The Trust awarded a grant to the Virginia Council on Economic Education (VCEE) for teacher development and to support a Personal Finance Teacher Residency program for under-resourced communities to support VCEE’s goal of ensuring K-12 classroom teachers are equipped to teach economic and personal finance classes. Through VCEE’s work training teachers, 90,000 students are graduating from Virginia high schools with the economic knowledge and financial skills needed to improve their quality of life.
