Citizens Advances Financial Empowerment with $2.85 Million Financial Literacy Investment

Funding, community partnerships, and colleague engagement expand access to financial education nationwide

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To mark Financial Literacy Month, Citizens today announced a $2.85 million investment supporting 135 nonprofit organizations across 23 states to help expand access to financial education and strengthen financial confidence at key life moments. The investment builds on Citizens’ year‑round financial empowerment efforts, supporting students, individuals, families, and small business owners across the communities the bank serves.

Through a combination of nonprofit partnerships, colleague‑led education, and digital and community‑based resources, Citizens delivers practical financial guidance designed to meet people where they are — whether they are planning for college, managing day‑to‑day finances, navigating tax season, or growing a small business.

“Access to clear, practical financial education can make a real difference in how people navigate important moments in their lives,” said Bruce Van Saun, Chairman and CEO of Citizens. “Through our investments, our work with nonprofit partners and our colleagues’ engagement in communities, we’re focused on helping people build skills that support informed choices and long‑term financial well‑being.”

Expanding Financial Education Through Community Partnerships

Citizens’ 2026 financial literacy investment supports 135 nonprofit organizations across 23 states, advancing community‑based programs that strengthen financial knowledge, access, and opportunity.

These efforts include:

• Financial education for individuals and families, supporting foundational skills such as budgeting, saving, and money management
• Programs serving underserved and diverse communities, delivering culturally responsive education and asset‑building support
• Free tax preparation and financial stability initiatives, helping eligible individuals and families access critical refunds and credits

In addition, Citizens supports student‑focused financial education delivered through nonprofit partnerships and school and community‑based settings, helping students and families navigate college planning, financial aid, and early financial decision‑making. In 2025, these efforts engaged more than 4,000 students and families nationwide through Citizens’ College Bound webinar series.

Colleague‑Led Financial Education Powering Community Impact

Colleague engagement is central to how Citizens delivers financial education in communities. Through Citizens Money Essentials, the bank’s colleague‑led financial education program, skilled and passionate colleagues deliver company‑approved financial empowerment workshops to individuals and small businesses across the communities Citizens serves.

Citizens Money Essentials workshops are offered in English and Spanish, helping expand access to financial education and support people at key financial moments. The bank also plans to roll out the modules in Chinese this summer. In 2025, Citizens colleagues contributed nearly 8,000 hours of financial empowerment volunteer service across 21 markets.

In addition to leading workshops, colleagues volunteer with national financial education partners such as Junior Achievement (JA) and Council of Economic Education, helping bring financial education, mentorship, and real‑world experience into classrooms and learning environments. Colleagues also support communities through complementary efforts including free volunteer income tax assistance (VITA), mentoring, and nonprofit board service, bringing financial knowledge and expertise directly where it is needed most.

Supporting Small Businesses Through Education and Digital Skills

Small businesses play a vital role in local economies, and Citizens supports entrepreneurs through education and tools that help them adapt and grow.

Through Digital Doors™, a partnership between Citizens and Mastercard, small business owners can access educational resources designed to build digital skills — including establishing an online presence, accepting digital payments, and promoting and managing their businesses in a digital‑first economy.

Supporting Students Across the Full Financial Journey

Recognizing that financial confidence for students and families extends well beyond a single decision or transaction, Citizens continues to expand access to tools and guidance that support the full student journey.

Launched last year, Citizens’ Student Hub brings together digital resources designed to help students and families navigate college planning, saving, borrowing, and repayment — complementing community‑based education and helping connect guidance across key stages of the student experience. Together with College Bound Citizens and Citizens’ broader student education ecosystem, these efforts reflect the bank’s focus on delivering earlier, more consistent financial guidance that supports informed decision‑making over time.

Overall

Citizens’ commitment to financial education is part of the bank’s broader mission to promote economic opportunity and financial well-being for the communities it serves. By investing in education, entrepreneurship, and workforce development, Citizens is helping build the workforce of the future and fostering stronger communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. In recognition of this work, Citizens ranked No. 15 on Newsweek’s America’s Most Charitable Companies 2026 list.

For more information on Citizens’ financial empowerment initiatives, visit Financial Empowerment | Citizens.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $226.4 billion in assets as of December 31, 2025. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail, private banking, wealth management and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,100 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. Consumer Banking includes Citizens Private Bank and Private Wealth, which integrate banking services and wealth management solutions to serve high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as investors, entrepreneurs and businesses. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on X, LinkedIn or Facebook.