First-of-its-kind early childhood educator training highlights broader investments in workforce development and financial education paired with colleague volunteerism to deliver statewide impact.

Company Website: https://www.citizensbank.com/about-us/sustainability-impact.aspx
BOSTON -- (Business Wire)

Citizens today announced a series of community investments across Massachusetts focused on strengthening the workforce, beginning with early childhood education and extending to financial empowerment, small business growth, and affordable housing. The effort reflects the bank’s long-term approach to supporting families, stabilizing communities, and expanding economic opportunity across the Commonwealth.

“Creating opportunity starts with showing up—not just with capital, but with partnership and long-term commitment,” said Lisa Murray, Massachusetts State President at Citizens. “Across Massachusetts, we’re investing in workforce pathways that support families and strengthen communities, alongside continued commitments to financial education, small business success and housing stability.”

Key Highlights:

• $5 million investment in Massachusetts workforce development, supporting the YMCA of Greater Boston, Per Scholas Greater Boston, Boston Medical Center Health System, Boston Children’s Hospital, The Possible Zone, and Tech Foundry, as part of a $20 million national commitment.
• $325,000 committed to financial literacy programs in Massachusetts, supporting eight local organizations, including Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (New England Region), Way Finders, and Mothers for Justice & Equality, as part of a $2.85 million enterprise-wide financial education strategy.

Workforce Pathways That Support Families and Neighborhoods

Citizens’ workforce strategy in Massachusetts centers on building skills-first pathways that help people access stable employment while supporting the communities where they live.

As part of that effort, Citizens recently invested $100,000 in the Life is Good Playmaker Project to strengthen the early childhood education workforce. The funding provided more than 100 Boston educators with full scholarships to Playmaker University, expanding access to their trauma-informed, play-based training program that strengthens teacher-child relationships, reduces burnout, and supports social-emotional wellbeing. Together, these educators reach more than 1,000 children across the city, helping create stronger learning environments while supporting working families.

At a recent event celebrating educators, Ellen Lempereur Greaves, Executive Director of the Life is Good Playmaker Project said, “We know that Playmaker training improves the quality of care and education delivered to our most vulnerable children. We are so grateful to partner with Citizens and ensure that early childhood educators across our city get the training and ongoing support they deserve to do their life-changing work and stay in the field.”

That work builds on Citizens’ long-standing commitment to support early childhood workforce development, including more than $785,000 in historical support to the YMCA of Greater Boston, helping address educator shortages and support pathways to higher-wage roles.

Citizens is also investing in workforce innovation across healthcare and education. Through Education Design Lab, the bank has committed $400,000 to help Bunker Hill and Roxbury Community Colleges develop micro-credentialing programs that respond more quickly to local workforce needs. In healthcare, Citizens recently committed $150,000 to help support a new cohort of Boston Medical Center Health System’s Patient Healthcare Fellows Program, providing paid training and certification preparation with the goal of placing participants looking to build careers in the healthcare industry into full-time roles.

Together, these efforts are backed by a three-year, approximately $5 million workforce development commitment in Massachusetts, part of Citizens’ $20 million national investment, and complemented by innovation-focused partnerships such as MIT Solve and Roadtrip Nation, which supports Many Roads Forward, a documentary series highlighting nontraditional pathways to education, upskilling, and meaningful careers.

Expanding Financial Capability Across Massachusetts

During Financial Literacy Month, Citizens announced more than $325,000 in financial literacy grants to eight organizations across Massachusetts, reinforcing the importance of financial capability in long-term economic mobility. The funding is part of a broader $2.85 million investment in financial education across Citizens’ footprint, supporting individuals and small businesses through trusted community partnerships.

In Massachusetts, grant funding supports organizations such as Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (New England Region), Way Finders, and Mothers for Justice & Equality, helping residents build practical financial skills tied to employment, entrepreneurship, and long-term stability.

Financial education is delivered through Citizens Money Essentials, the bank’s colleague-led program offering accessible workshops to customers and small businesses in English and Spanish. The program also recently expanded to include youth-focused workshops that build foundational money skills linked to future education and career planning.

A Long-Term Partner in Massachusetts

Taken together, these efforts reflect Citizens’ integrated approach to community investment—combining workforce development, financial education, small business support and housing stability to expand opportunity across the Commonwealth.

That work is powered by colleagues across the bank. In a record-setting 2025, Citizens colleagues volunteered more than 265,000 hours, including 43,788 hours from Massachusetts colleagues.

In recognition of this impact, Citizens ranked No. 15 on Newsweek’s America’s Most Charitable Companies 2026 list and received the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship Innovation Award. The bank also recently was recognized with the 2026 Joe Belew Award from the Consumer Bankers Association, recognizing leadership in strengthening Main Street economies.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $227.9 billion in assets as of March 31, 2026. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail, private banking, wealth management and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,000 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. Consumer Banking includes Citizens Private Bank and Private Wealth, which integrate banking services and wealth management solutions to serve high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as investors, entrepreneurs and businesses. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on X, LinkedIn or Facebook.

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Contacts:

Bennett Griesmer
508-397-7564
Bennett.griesmer@citizensbank.com

Source: Citizens Financial Group, Inc.