KeyBank donates in support of financial literacy
Assists first-generation students at Clark
VANCOUVER, Wash., – KeyBank donated $10,000 to Clark College Foundation in support of Clark College’s financial literacy coach.
Left to right, Bruce Whiting, KeyBank’s regional corporate responsibility officer, Lisa Gibert, Clark College Foundation’s president/CEO, and Michelle Weisenbach, KeyBank president, Oregon & SW Washington
The goal of the financial literacy coach is to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by serving more than 2,000 low-income Clark College students through high-touch financial coaching in both one-on-one and group settings. The coach assists with a significant number of vulnerable Clark students, 54 percent of whom are from families below the poverty level and 60 percent are unemployed and/or on public assistance. Moreover, nearly three-quarters of Clark students are the first generation in their families to attend college.
“We are grateful to KeyBank for its generous support of Clark College’s mission. The financial coach that KeyBank’s gift supports underscores Clark’s commitment to being the catalyst of the possible for our students. The coach and financial literacy services at Clark offer encouragement, mentoring and practical skills that are relevant to their economic needs and help build their confidence,” said Lisa Gibert, Clark College Foundation President and CEO.
“The focus is to transform the educational success for low-income, first-generation students by getting them off to a great start with sound financial advice as they enter college,” added Gibert.
The gift, one of the largest in Vancouver for KeyBank, fits perfectly with its mission of helping communities thrive.
“This gift combines two of our core values – a commitment to philanthropy and financial wellness,” said Michelle Weisenbach, KeyBank’s market president for Oregon and Southwest Washington.
“Philanthropy is part of KeyBank’s DNA, and we have been nationally recognized for improving the quality of life in our communities. In addition, we focus on helping our clients and the community achieve financial wellness, through conscious and consistent financial decisions, based on an individual’s understanding of financial goals and how to attain them,” Weisenbach said. “We salute Clark College’s efforts to help their students improve their lives through education.”
Clark College’s Career Services offers resources and strategies for choosing a college major and developing career plans, creating job search materials, finding internships and full-time jobs, and making successful career transitions.
KeyCorp’s roots trace back 190 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $134.5 billion at March 31, 2017. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, insurance, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of more than 1,200 branches and more than 1,500 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications, and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. KeyBank is Member FDIC.
Clark College Foundation is a nonprofit organization serving as the fundraising partner of Clark College in support of student learning. Nationally recognized for excellence in fundraising and communications, we are the 2015 gold winner for our campaign fundraising communications by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in District VIII. We are also the recipient of the 2015 Educational Fundraising Award for overall performance and overall improvement from national CASE, based in Washington, D.C.
08/17/2017
