Financial Literacy Grant

The Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions offers the Financial Literacy Grant as part of its global mission to strengthen credit unions and financial cooperatives through education and community engagement. This initiative is tied to the International Credit Union Day campaign and is designed to support grassroots financial literacy efforts across diverse geographic regions. The program reflects the foundation’s commitment to improving financial capability, expanding access to financial services, and empowering underserved populations through education delivered by trusted local institutions. The purpose of the grant is to fund practical, community-based financial education initiatives led by credit unions, financial cooperatives, and apex organizations. These initiatives may include a wide range of topic areas such as savings and budgeting, youth financial education, women’s financial empowerment, digital banking literacy, entrepreneurship and microfinance, credit management, and long-term financial planning. Projects must be new or proposed activities that have not already begun prior to the grant announcement and must be implemented within a defined timeframe from December through May. Each award provides up to 10,000 USD to support program implementation costs directly tied to the project. While co-funding from other sources is encouraged to strengthen the application, it is not required. Applicants are expected to provide a clear and realistic budget outlining how funds will be used, ensuring all costs are directly related to the delivery of the proposed financial literacy activities. The program emphasizes measurable outcomes, requiring applicants to define specific targets such as the number of participants reached, sessions delivered, and improvements in financial knowledge. Eligibility is limited to registered credit unions, financial cooperatives, and apex organizations that have been operational for at least one year. Applicants must demonstrate their capacity to implement the proposed project and commit to completing all activities within the specified timeframe. Organizations must also be in good standing with the funder, meaning they cannot be in default on any prior grant obligations. Additionally, applicants must be able to provide photographic or video documentation of project activities for use in the foundation’s communications. The application process is structured into six sections covering organizational information, project overview, program design, expected outcomes, narrative responses, and budget details. Applicants must provide detailed quantitative projections, including the number of beneficiaries, sessions, and measurable outcomes such as knowledge improvements or account openings. The narrative component is intentionally brief, with reviewers placing greater emphasis on the clarity and credibility of quantitative data and implementation planning. Applications open on June 1, 2026, and close on August 1, 2026, with no late submissions accepted. Grant recipients are announced in mid-October, aligned with International Credit Union Day, and funds are disbursed in November. Projects are implemented between December and May, followed by a required final impact report due in June. Organizations must also respond to follow-up inquiries and provide documentation of activities. Failure to meet reporting requirements may affect eligibility for future funding cycles, indicating that the program operates on a recurring annual basis with structured timelines and accountability expectations.

Lead with quantitative projections such as number of participants and sessions; ensure outcome targets are realistic and aligned with budget; keep narratives concise and factual; clearly specify how funds will be used to strengthen scoring