Pennies on Purpose: Bringing Financial Literacy to Youth in the North State

Pennies on Purpose

Bringing Financial Literacy to Youth in the North State

Trisha Funk of Redding’s Pennies on Purpose is hoping to turn that around. A Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) who has been working in the financial industry for 18 years, she retired from the corporate financial world in 2010 to focus on coaching and financial education. Through this experience, and after working with clients at local organizations such as North Valley Catholic Social Services, the Shasta College Outward Bound and EOPS programs, and Tehama Head Start, she began to envision a program that would bring financial literacy to youth across the North State and beyond.

In the summer of 2016, Pennies on Purpose was launched. Funk says the organization has a mission that came from the heart: “Our mission with Pennies on Purpose is to reach every student in America and beyond to empower and equip them with the skills and knowledge to make confident financial decisions that positively impact themselves, their families, their community, and their world.”

The organization’s model allows it to partner with local schools and integrate the financial literacy curriculum, which Funk herself designed. Along with her growing team of educators, a CPA and another CFEI who works primarily with middle school and high school classes, Funk holds monthly 60-minute sessions which take place in the students’ normal classroom setting.

Currently the sessions take place in 4th, 8th, and 11th grade classrooms, with the coming addition of an optional 12th grade component for students who have already been through the course in 11th grade. The sessions cover a wide variety of financial topics, including fundamentals of money, paychecks, budgeting concepts, the different types of bank accounts available, understanding credit cards and using credit responsibly. The curriculum is flexible, and Funk says that the response from both the students and the educators has been positive. The teachers, she notes, like the fact that the courses are being taught by educators who have a financial background, and are well equipped to tackle the various aspects of finance and all the questions the students may have.

To date, Pennies on Purpose has worked with both public and charter school, including Chrysalis Charter School in Palo Cedro and Grant School in Redding. There is also a potential to use the curriculum in a homeschool setting, depending on interest. The possibility of working with young adults in Juvenile Hall may also be on the horizon.  Along with the classroom element of the program, Pennies on Purpose offers Family Financial Workshops to any school they partner with. The organization distributes an anonymous survey to potential workshop attendees beforehand. This way, Funk states, “We can design the workshop for that group” based on what their particular needs may be. 

One of the best things about this program, says Funk, is that “it is focused on serving ALL youth” because finances do not just affect select demographics, and the knowledge will benefit everyone. Regarding the portion of the curriculum that deals with financial psychology, she states, “The kids realize that they can be in control” (of their own finances) and that they have “to take ownership of these decisions. Something powerful happens when the kids ‘get’ the power of ownership.”

Pennies on Purpose receives support from several corporate sponsors in the North State region, and also welcomes volunteers in the areas of fundraisers, events, a development committee, and future board positions. It also plans to build a list of possible mentors to be part of the 12th grade classroom curriculum. Through sponsors and donations, Funk says that Pennies on Purpose “will be able to provide more children with the materials that they need to be financially literate, without putting the financial burden on the school system or the parents.”

Currently, Pennies on Purpose is exclusive to Shasta County, with the intention to expand in the 2018/ 2019 school year. The organization is open to inquiries and would love to talk to schools and businesses in the area about the opportunity of providing the curriculum in the classrooms.

To find out how to get Pennies on Purpose to come to your school, to set up an appointment and view the curriculum, to develop a plan to implement the program at your school or organization, or for more information on the organization and how to get involved, contact Trisha Funk at (530) 515-3155.

You may also visit the Pennies on Purpose website, or visit them on Facebook.