By Carolyn Merryweather
February 6, 2006

The first round of Dollar Wi$e Capacity Grant awards were presented to Miami, Savannah and Pleasanton during the Plenary session of the 74th Winter Meeting of The United States Conference of Mayors January 27. The Capacity Grants are part of the Mayors National Dollar Wi$e Campaign, which is run by the Council for the New American City.

The goal of the Mayors National Dollar Wi$e Campaign is to educate citizens about personal financial issues. Twenty-five cities applied for the initial round of Dollar Wi$e Capacity Grants, which are sponsored by Countrywide Financial. Miami, Savannah, and Pleasanton were selected due to the outstanding and effective ongoing local Dollar Wi$e campaigns they have created.

Miami’s Dollar Wi$e Campaign was awarded a $20,000 grant for their program, which is part of Mayor Manuel A. Diaz’s “Access Miami” initiative. Miami’s Dollar Wi$e Campaign emphasizes basic money management and planning skills through education, savings, credit card management, and home ownership. The city has trained over 320 community outreach specialists to teach classes on basic money management and credit skills.

Savannah was awarded a $15,000 grant for their Dollar Wi$e Campaign, which helps low-income families in Savannah file for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and then links them with a range of financial education services after tax season is over. Savannah also offers Individual Development Accounts to help residents who complete an extended financial education course become first-time homebuyers.

Pleasanton’s Dollar Wi$e initiative received a $15,000 grant for their regional Tri-Valley Housing Opportunity Center, which coordinates homeownership programs and services for residents of the Tri-Valley area. The Center offers first-time homebuyer training, financial education, and credit counseling to low- to moderate-income families.

“With improved money management and planning skills, our citizens will be in a better position to accumulate and retain wealth,” said Mary Jane Seebach, Managing Director of Public Affairs at Countrywide Financial, who presented the awards.

Applications for the second round of Dollar Wi$e Capacity Grants will be available on March 1, and grants will be awarded at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Conference of Mayors in Las Vegas June 2-6. For more information on the Dollar Wi$e Campaign, please visit the website www.dollarwiseonline.org.