Charles Schwab Foundation

Charles Schwab Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America have collaboratively developed Money Matters: Make It Count. This financial literacy program was designed specifically to help teens expand their knowledge of money management and learn the skills that lead to financial independence and well-being.
Money Matters
The Money Matters: Make It Count program consists of five components: Teen Personal Finance Guide, Program Facilitator’s Guide, Money Matters Web site, Schwab Employee Volunteer Program and Money Matters Awards. The volunteer component is particularly useful, because Schwab employees can pass financial expertise to Club teens through their volunteer involvement.

The Money Matters program was piloted in 20 Boys & Girls Club locations in late 2003 and was distributed to all teen-serving Clubs in 2004. Since the program's inception, nearly 325,000 Boys & Girls Club teens have completed Money Matters at more than 1,700 Clubs. During 2010 alone, more than 71,000  teens completed the program.

The program has proven quite effective in making a positive impact on teens.  Conducted in 2008, an independent evaluation of Money Matters showed that program participants were more likely to improve financially-related behaviors.  Of note, they found statistically significant increases in opening checking accounts, applying for part-time jobs, developing spending plans and beginning to save money regularly.

Since 2004, Charles Schwab Foundation has presented a total of $390,000 in college scholarship grants to 187 teens, ages 16-18, who completed the program and demonstrated their newly-acquired financial literacy skills. Additional money management and financial literacy resources are available for teens, adults and families through Schwab MoneyWise.

About Charles Schwab
The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) is a leading provider of financial services, with more than 300 offices and 7.8 million client brokerage accounts, 1.5 million corporate retirement plan participants, 768,000 banking accounts, and $1.49 trillion in client assets. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company provides a full range of securities brokerage, banking, money management and financial advisory services to individual investors and independent investment advisors. Named “Highest in Investor Satisfaction with Self-Directed Services” by J.D. Power and Associates in 2009, its broker-dealer subsidiary, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (member SIPC, www.sipc.org), and affiliates offer a complete range of investment services and products including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial planning and investment advice; retirement plan and equity compensation plan services; referrals to independent fee-based investment advisors; and custodial, operational and trading support for independent, fee-based investment advisors through its Advisor Services division. Its banking subsidiary, Charles Schwab Bank (member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender), provides banking and mortgage services and products. More information is available at www.schwab.com. 

About Charles Schwab Foundation
Charles Schwab Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization funded by the Charles Schwab Corporation. Its mission is to create positive change through financial education, philanthropy, and volunteerism. More information is available at www.aboutschwab.com/community.

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