Seven local nonprofits are teaching people how to manage their money, thanks to grants from the United Way of Snohomish County and Boeing.
The United Way awarded $50,000 in grants for its fifth annual financial literacy program, funded by Boeing. The grants are meant to help nonprofits weave financial education into their other work.
This year, 16 organizations requested $173,000 to pay for programs that teach people how to save and spend wisely. United Way’s Families Matter Vision Council, a volunteer board, whittled that list down to $50,000 for seven programs.
The grant recipients are: the Arlington, Lake Stevens and Granite Falls family resource centers; Everett Boys &Girls Club; Housing Hope; Senior Services of Snohomish County; and Washington’s Community Alliance for Self-Help. The grants range from $3,028 for the Everett Boys &Girls Club to $11,638 for Housing Hope.
Many of this year’s recipients have won grants in the past. United Way estimates that nearly $200,000 has been given out in the past five years, reaching more than 1,400 families.
“Financial education is so important, and isn’t part of basic education,” said Lark Kesterke, director of community initiatives for United Way, in an email. “We often learn financial lessons through mistakes or misconceptions about money.”
Senior Services of Snohomish County is using a $7,859 grant to teach people about avoiding scams and to protect vulnerable consumers, especially seniors who aren’t familiar with the technology and tricks scammers use.
“Just recently, we’ve become more aware of abuse of seniors by financial exploitation,” grants coordinator Norm Frampton said. “This was a great way, when the United Way funding became available, to kind of jump on that gap in education in Snohomish County.”
The grant pays for seminars, a conference and some one-on-one casework for seniors. The program teaches people how to recognize and avoid scams, check their bank accounts and credit, and correct problems with credit reports.
“Scams are so prevalent,” Frampton said. “I think it’s so important for people to have that awareness. It’s really a community education piece.”
Other programs funded by the grants teach how to budget for a family, afford to live independently, and how to save for longterm goals like college or a house.
“Our hope is that through these grants, people will learn how to control money, not let money control them,” Kesterke said.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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