National CU Foundation invests in youth financial futures through Biz Kid$ Business Plan Competition Grants

Foundation grants use Emmy Award-winning series

The National Credit Union Foundation’s (the Foundation) Board of Directors has approved three new Biz Kid$ Business Plan Competition Grants for 2019-2019, totaling $25,000. These grants allow credit unions to use Biz Kid$ to provide economic and entrepreneurship education to youth, helping them build a solid financial future.

Biz Kid$ Business Plan Competitions allow students to build their own businesses using knowledge from the series, while practicing financial education, entrepreneurial, public speaking, and teamwork skills. The creation of a business plan truly puts what they have learned in the classroom into action and provides hands-on, outcomes-based financial education to the students.

Granted projects include:

• Northwest Credit Union Foundation in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington will host a competition to increase collaboration among credit unions in the northwest and heighten awareness of the role credit unions play in improving community financial health. They will also work with Junior Achievement and Financial Beginnings, organizations who have shared commitment to youth financial education, to help in judging the competition.
• Southeastern Credit Union Foundation in Alabama is going to work with the Greater Metro Birmingham Children’s Business Fair, partnering with credit unions and a local Young Credit Union Professional Group, to introduce the Business Plan Competition. This will increase their financial health reach in Alabama and help credit unions to connect with the students in the communities they serve.
• WEOKIE Credit Union Foundation in Oklahoma will provide education and training in financial education and entrepreneurship by bringing together credit unions and electric and agricultural cooperatives to partner with teachers and students participating in the Biz Kid$ contest. Through this grant, students will get excited about cooperatives and teachers across the state will receive training on instruction of personal finance and entrepreneurship.

“The Cornerstone Credit Union Foundation is a proud past recipient of a National Foundation’s Kid$ Business Plan Competition Grant. We are currently ramping up for our seventh Biz Kid$ Entrepreneur Contest and have had the privilege to witness the ideation of 139 businesses over the past six years built solely by middle school students,” said Courtney Moran, Cornerstone Credit Union Foundation executive director. “The program has grown leaps and bounds over the years, but it would not have been possible without the initial grant support from the National Credit Union Foundation. We are truly grateful for the support and cooperation efforts.”

Questions about Biz Kid$ or the grant process can be directed to Danielle Brown at 608-556-2406 or via email at dbrown@ncuf.coop.

About Biz Kid$
Biz Kid$ is a financial education initiative launched nationally in January 2008 that teaches kids about money management and business. The initiative includes an award-winning TV series, free classroom curriculum, outreach activities and a website (bizkids.com) targeting children ages 9-16. The goal of Biz Kid$ is to teach kids from upper elementary through high school to understand and incorporate the skills they need to successfully manage their financial lives. For more information about Biz Kid$, click here or visit www.ncuf.coop/bizkids.

About the National Credit Union Foundation (ncuf.coop):
The National Credit Union Foundation (the Foundation) is the charitable arm of the U.S credit union movement, serving as a catalyst for change in people’s financial lives. The Foundation works to ignite understanding and focus on member financial health, inspire and create opportunities for credit unions to leverage their cooperative values, and respond quickly when disaster strikes. Through cooperative support and action, the Foundation helps people achieve financial freedom.