Financial Women's Association Committees

Purpose

The Financial Backpack outreach program teaches personal financial management skills to high school students and young adults. The committee designs and runs financial literacy workshops aimed at providing students with practical financial knowledge on topics such as Paying for College, Banking Basics, Budgeting, Using Credit Cards and Debit Cards appropriately, Saving and Investing, Understanding Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds, Careers in Finance.

Participants highlight that the FWA-developed case study exercises represent the best part of our seminars, helping students practice what they have learned. High school students also have the opportunity to learn from the FWA facilitators, volunteers who act as role models and share their knowledge and professional experience. The workshops draw on the skills of the Financial Backpack committee members, as well as on the expertise of the FWA membership.

Objectives

Continue to participate in the Weill Institute Financial Literacy Program
Participate in GirlsREACH Summer Program through the NYC Commission on Women’s Issues
Plan fall event with Girls’ Inc. and Financial Planning Association of Westchester
Revitalize current school/program relationships
Recruit committee members
Forge relationships with new schools/programs
Generate marketing collateral for our financial literacy program
Fundraising

Accomplishments/Highlights

	We applied and were approved for a generous grant of $900,000 from the Board of the HSBC Foundation to fund a robust and expanded five year program for Financial Backpack.
	For the third year in a row, we participated in the Weill Institute's program entitled “Women in Finance” at the High School of Economics and Finance in lower Manhattan. Financial Women's Association members discuss a broad range of financial careers and provide students with an opportunity for discussion in an informal setting. We are currently creating a curriculum for the Weill Institute’s Introduction to Finance course which we will be facilitating this April through June.
	Last summer, the Financial Backpack Committee was featured at the GirlsREACH summer program run by the NYC Commission on Women’s Issues. We led a workshop on the importance of financial independence for women for the audience of 50 GirlsREACH high school-age girls. We hope to participate in this worthwhile program again this summer.
	• In April 2008, we led a workshop at the first NYC Young Women’s Volunteer Summit – part of Youth Service America’s Global Youth Service Day, the largest volunteering event in the world. Sponsored through a partnership between the NYC Mayor’s Office, CosmoGIRL! and Children for Children, the program attracted over 1000 kids from all five NYC boroughs, offering educational workshops and panel discussions about women’s issues provided by female community leaders, after which participants engaged in service projects that will benefit women in their communities.
	We partnered with the Financial Planning Association of Westchester on “A Man is Not a Financial Plan” financial literacy program for the benefit of Girls Inc. of Westchester, a non-profit youth organization that provides vital educational programs to millions of American girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas. Prominent women from Westchester were be featured as keynote speakers at the September 2007 event.

Special Thanks

To the Financial Backpack committee members and volunteers throughout the year. Also to Geraldine Flach, Juliette Gould, Marjorie Churgin and Suzanne Matthews for their leadership, and the FWA Office for their dedicated support.