DollarWise: Mayors for Financial Literacy

DollarWise presents the City of Baltimore with a 2013 Innovation Grant check. (L-R) USCM staff James Kirby and Dave Gatton, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Director of the Mayor's Office of Employment Development Karen Sitnick, and "Hire One Youth" Chair Don Fry.

DollarWise is dedicated to the idea that all Americans can benefit from increased access to financial education. As individuals become more financially literate, they become better prepared to build stable families, to help themselves and their children gain education, to be productive members of the workforce, and to contribute to their communities. When cities have a robust summer youth employment program, they give their young people the opportunity to gain the necessary skills to move forward in their careers and their future.

DollarWise - Mayors for Financial Literacy is the official financial education and summer youth jobs initiative of The United States Conference of Mayors and its Council on Metro Economies and the New American City. Since its inception in 2004, mayors and cities across America have made a commitment to increasing access to financial education for their citizens by participating in DollarWise initiatives. By 2015, our goal is to incorporate a financial education component into every summer youth jobs program in the nation.

DollarWise supports the goals and objectives of the National Strategy for Financial Education 2011, released by the federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission in December 2010. It invites mayors and city staff to examine their communities’ financial education needs; create an action plan; and forge partnerships with financial institutions, faith-based groups, nonprofits, local businesses, and others in the community to address this important issue. DollarWise offers support through technical assistance, partnerships with national organizations ranging from Bank of America and the Foundation for Financial Planning to the Federal Reserve System, and its two grants programs.

We invite you to explore our website, where you can learn all about DollarWise and find out what it takes to tackle financial illiteracy in your city. Most importantly, we invite your city to make a commitment to financial education and participate in the campaign. Together, we are building strong foundations for the future of our communities and those who call them home.

With Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Founding Sponsor: Bank of America DollarWise has been supported by a generous grant from Bank of America since 2005. Bank of America’s underwriting enables campaign initiatives such as the DollarWise Summer Youth Campaign and the DollarWise Innovation Grants.

Supporting Sponsor: Foundation for Financial Planning

The Foundation for Financial Planning has provided a generous grant to support the DollarWise campaign’s participation in Financial Planning Days.

And Our Partners

DollarWise works to build relationships with national organizations. These partners include national nonprofits such as the Consumer Federation of America; federal agencies, including the Federal Reserve System and the U.S. Department of the Treasury; and the members of The United States Conference of Mayors’ Council for the New American City.