Visa, Council for Economic Education, and Operation HOPE Partner to Advance Financial Education

Collaboration of leading companies will expand

financial education efforts through Financial Literacy for All and FinEd50 initiatives

SAN FRANCISCO & ATLANTA--()--Global payments technology leader Visa, in partnership with leading financial literacy nonprofits, Council for Economic Education (CEE) and Operation HOPE announced today a collaboration to promote financial education and financial literacy throughout the country.

As part of this collaboration:

  • Visa and CEE have joined Financial Literacy for All (FL4ALL), an Operation HOPE initiative whose coalition of more than 40 leading American corporations have committed to help embed financial literacy into American culture, including by providing access to financial resources to their nearly five million combined employee base.
  • Operation HOPE joined FinEd50, a nationwide coalition of nonprofits, community leaders, and corporate partners founded by Visa and CEE to improve access to quality financial education for students across the country, and effect change in education policy at the state level.

Visa has provided financial education, tools and resources for over three decades, including programs like its award-winning Practical Money Skills and Financial Soccer initiatives that are used by government officials, educators, consumer advocates, merchants and financial institutions to teach a broad range of personal finance skills.

CEE dedicates itself to equipping students and teachers with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics so Americans can make more informed financial decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Similarly, Operation HOPE – a leading nonprofit whose mission is to disrupt poverty and secure financial dignity for all through financial coaching, education, and empowerment – expands the breadth of its commitment to financial literacy through joining the FinEd50 effort to promote financial education throughout the country.

“Each Financial Literacy for All member is committed to the mission of making financial literacy a fundamental part of our schools, workplaces, communities, and its corporate culture. Visa and CEE have proven this commitment through their own programs and as partners in FinEd50’s outstanding work,” said John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chair, and CEO of Operation HOPE and Co-Chair of FL4ALL. “We’re honored to have Visa and CEE join our FL4ALL initiative, and for Operation HOPE to join FinEd50 and help make financial education a part of every school curriculum.”

“Visa is thrilled to welcome Operation HOPE to FinEd50 as we continue on our journey and commitment to help increase access to quality financial education for students in the United States,” said Worku Gachou, Head of North America Inclusive Impact & Sustainability, Visa. “And we are equally excited to join forces with FL4ALL to build on Visa’s longstanding commitment to helping improve financial literacy for everyone, everywhere.”

"This team-up will amplify the efforts of our three organizations and these two outstanding coalitions,” said Nan J. Morrison, President and CEO of CEE. “By working together and alongside fellow FL4ALL members and FinEd50 partners, we can make great strides in providing individuals and families with access to the financial knowledge they need to succeed and create a brighter future."

About Visa:

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

About the Council for Economic Education:

The Council for Economic Education is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting economic and financial literacy among K-12 students in the United States. CEE's mission is to equip students with the tools and knowledge needed to make informed financial decisions throughout their lives. For more information, visit CouncilForEconEd.org.

About Operation HOPE:

Since 1992, Operation HOPE, Inc, has been moving America from civil rights to “silver rights” with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $3.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. Operation HOPE recently received its eighth consecutive 4-star charity rating for fiscal management and commitment to transparency and accountability by the prestigious non-profit evaluator, Charity Navigator. For more information, visit OperationHOPE.org.

About Financial Literacy for All:

Financial Literacy for All is a national initiative of Operation HOPE to embed financial literacy in American schools, workplaces, communities, and culture, led by a prominent group of leaders from the business, sports, entertainment, and nonprofit sectors. This 10-year initiative will reach millions of youths and working adults by meeting them wherever they are on their financial journey, ensuring they have access to and an understanding of the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to make informed financial decisions and take control of their financial lives. For more information, visit fl4a.org, and FL4ALL’s financial education resource library, which is accessible to the general public as well as to all member companies, their employees and their customers.

About FinEd50:

The FinEd50 coalition is dedicated to achieving state-level action that guarantees equitable access to a personal finance course for every student; a curriculum that meets the National Standards for Personal Financial Education and is culturally relevant to students’ lives; providing teachers with access to professional development through innovative funding mechanisms; and a measurement mechanism to track access and ensure equitable reach.

For more information, visit: FinEd50.org.

Contacts

Visa
Brittany Jackson
brittany.jackson@visa.com

Council for Economic Education
press@councilforeconed.org

Operation HOPE and Financial Literacy for All
Bill Mendel
bill@mendelcommunications.com
212-397-1030

Contacts

Visa
Brittany Jackson
brittany.jackson@visa.com

Council for Economic Education
press@councilforeconed.org

Operation HOPE and Financial Literacy for All
Bill Mendel
bill@mendelcommunications.com
212-397-1030