executive summary
introduction
pillars of
grassroots outreach
If you asked the question, “What’s the score?” in Gainesville, Fla., before
February 1, the answer would have hit home among Gator sports fans.
After February 1, “score” took on a new meaning.
The campaign did more than ask the question – it changed the
response.
Your Credit Score Affects More Than You Think!
CONNECT
listen to Gainesville
audiences and engage in
two-way communication
Lenders, cell phone carriers, utility companies and employers often look at an
applicant’s credit score.
SCORE: a number that expresses accomplishment or excellence;
the act of getting points or adding value
Knowledge is critical to achieving financial goals. Without the right
information, building a good credit score and making sound financial decisions can be difficult.
The 2010-2011 University of Florida Bateman team recognized the need for a
network of resources to build financial literacy in the Gainesville community.
Based on the three pillars of a grassroots campaign, the team built a
framework and inspired the fourth pillar of change.
CONCISE
develop and deliver
key messages
SCORE! helped members of the Gainesville community to recognize thier
financial goals and gave them the finanical resources necessary to SCORE!
everyone can score!
situation analysis
Ally Financial
In 2008, in the midst of one of the world’s largest economic crises, GMAC Inc.
was approved as a bank holding company and received $17.2 billion in bailout
funding under the 2008 U.S. Troubled Asset Relief Program. GMAC launched
Ally Bank in 2009, rebranding as Ally Financial in 2010.
As a result of the recent economic challenges, Ally Financial has undertaken
a significant effort to expand the former GMAC’s SmartEdge financial literacy
program - a national initiative designed to bring basic knowledge of personal
finance to underserved populations.
Brand Recognition
Survey data revealed little familiarity with the Ally Financial brand among
Gainesville audiences. About 84 percent of high school students, 80 percent
of college students and 60 percent of community respondents had never heard
of Ally. The UF Bateman team recognized this fact as an opportunity to
create a positive impression, positioning Ally as a socially responsible
company throughout the financial literacy campaign.
CREATIVE
build momentum through
innovative
audience-appropriate outreach
CHANGE
increase financial
literacy in Gainesville high
schools, colleges and
underserved populations in the
community
1
Local Economic Situation
University of Florida students comprise 46 percent of the population of
Gainesville, Fla., and the university contributes $6 billion annually to the state
economy and generates nearly 75,000 jobs. Yet within perceived financial
stability there exists economically struggling population segments. A total
of 13.8 percent of Gainesville families are living below the poverty level. The
median household income in Gainesville is $31,778, lower than the national
median income of $52,029, and more than 6.5 percent of Gainesville
households received food stamps in the last year.
Problem
Many Gainesville residents lack the basic financial knowledge to make smart
money management decisions. Florida is among the 35 states that do not
require personal financial education. Only about 13 percent of high school
students, 4 percent of college students and 6 percent of community members
reported having taken a personal finance course.
Our research revealed several barriers to learning about personal finance, including misperceptions, a lack of physical
access, a lack of faith in mainstream financial insitutions and negative emotional reactions to financial discussion.
Delivering financial information can be difficult. Misconceptions and anxiety over financial terms often create a roadblock in
the minds of the audience. Recognizing the need for a positive approach to personal finance, SCORE! channeled the
competitive nature of the Gainesville community, challenging them to score financially.
Personal finance is just that – personal. Individuals are often resistant to discussing financial matters, making trusted
relationships the key to delivering financial information. Building on the credibility of opinion leaders and existing
community resources, our grassroots approach gave Gainesville a program that met its needs and connected to the culture
of its community.
Opportunity
Unfortunately, those who need financial literacy the most are often overlooked. Large national financial literacy initiatives
often ignore small towns such as Gainesville. The UF Bateman team recognized the need for a financial literacy program that
speaks to the unique needs of the people of Gainesville, delivering information in a format with which they can connect.
The purpose of this campaign is to empower members of the Gainesville community with the knowledge, confidence and
tools to make informed financial decisions. By connecting people with familiar resources and developing new partnerships
among members of the community, SCORE! created an enduring network of support.
secondary research
Secondary research from more than 72 sources highlighted the need for financial education among a variety of audiences.
High School Students
According to a 2001 report by the American Savings Education Council, the majority of parents stated they depend on their
child’s school system to provide financial education.
In Alachua County, Fla., 2010 budget cuts eliminated Life Management Skills courses, cutting personal finance from the
curriculum and leaving many students with no opportunity for formal financial education.
College Students
A 2006 report by the Eastern Family Economics and Resource Management Association indicated college students expect to
receive financial information from their universities but often do not.
Research also reported that college students are not likely to save on a monthly basis, maintain a budget or balance a
checkbook. According to the 2004 Nellie Mae Credit Card Study, college students struggle with debt. The average college
student is carrying $2,169 of debt.
Female Heads of Household
A 2010 Harris Interactive study concluded that women in general are substantially less financially literate than men, finding
that women are less confident and less willing to learn about personal finances than men are.
Although households headed by single mothers tend to spend less money than two-parent households, a greater percentage
of their income is spent on necessities. In Gainesville, about 31 percent of families with female heads of household live below
the poverty level.
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Parents, Ages 18-34
Research revealed that parents are a child’s main point of reference for understanding financial information. A 2002 study
by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago explained that without parental training, children are less inclined
to apply money skills in real life, regardless of formal financial education in high school. Yet research also shows that the
parents themselves lack accurate financial knowledge.
Minorities
According to a policy report on financial services in distressed communities, minority populations form a large portion of
the 12 million Americans who use banks the least.
In addition to the underuse of financial resources, Latinos and African Americans in Gainesville have lower average
household incomes and rates of college attendance than Caucasians. Research from the U.S. Census Bureau suggests both
of these factors significantly affect potential earning power and financial behavior.
The limited use of banks among minority populations challenged the UF Bateman team to create a message that
emphasized the benefits and safety of financial institutions to deliver to these audiences.
primary research
The UF Bateman team conducted both qualitative and quantitative primary research to learn more about the motivations,
habits and perceptions of our audiences, conducting four focus groups, 18 in-depth expert interviews and three surveys.
Survey data for the 643 respondents was cross-tabulated and analyzed across the demographic categories of gender, age,
race and socioeconomic status.
High School Students
Motivations
Research revealed that high school students are motivated by short-term financial goals, such as saving for a car or college.
Misconceptions
High school students have a variety of misconceptions regarding financial information, including a distorted perception of
how much they spend, the belief that it is too early for them to start saving and the mentality that they will be as financially
successful as their parents.
College Students
Focus group research revealed the negative emotions evoked by financial terms, as students described personal finance as
“boring” and “intimidating.” Accordingly, the UF Bateman team recognized this as an obstacle our campaign would need to
overcome in order to effectively communicate with this audience.
Focus groups revealed that for many students, college is the first experience of financial independence. Research also
highlighted college students’ anxiety regarding their financial futures.
Female Heads of Household
Sources of Financial Information
Focus group research identified a fear among female heads of household of feeling belittled when seeking financial advice.
Women identified ideal sources of financial information as relatable, approachable individuals with similar life circumstances
and real-world financial experience. For this audience especially, the UF Bateman team recognized the importance of
strategically selecting messengers.
Learning Preferences
Adults in the community, especially female heads of household, African Americans and Latinos, said they preferred learning
in small, familiar group settings in local meeting facilities, as opposed to the classroom-style preferred by high school and
college students.
target audiences
Based on our primary and secondary research, the UF Bateman team identified three primary audiences in Alachua county:
High school students
College students
Female heads of household
A secondary audience of parents ages 18 - 34 was also identified. Throughout the campaign, special attention was placed
on reaching underrepresented members of each audience.
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primary audiences
Alachua County High School Students, Ages 14-19
The ethnic composition of Gainesville, Hawthorne and Newberry high schools is diverse:
Students in grades 9-12 are highly competitive. High school
athletics play a large role in the community culture of
Hawthorne and Newberry, small rural towns on the outskirts
of Gainesville.
The Internet plays a significant role in the daily lives of high
school students. Their competitive nature translates to online
games, as well. In fact, 58 percent of students at Hawthorne
and Newberry high schools reported playing online games
at least once a month. From a tool for online learning to a
platform for communication, the Internet plays a role in the
daily lives of high school students.
College Students, Ages 18-23
College students account for 46 percent of the Gainesville population. Two institutions make up
the college audience in Gainesville: the University of Florida and Santa Fe College.
With a student body of more than 50,000 students, UF is among the ten largest universities in the
country. UF students are competitive both in and out of the classroom and are no strangers to
success. The fall 2009 incoming freshman class had an average SAT score of 1963, and the Gator
Nation prides itself on its many national championship athletic teams.
Santa Fe College, formerly Santa Fe Community College, has a student body of just more than
17,600 students. SFC is largely a commuter school, with only 53 percent of students enrolled full-time.
While the size of the schools may differ, the psychographics of college students at both institutions are similar. College
students are characterized by their connectivity. UF students are active members of the college campus community and
belong to more than 760 student organizations. The Internet and social media electronically connect this audience. In
fact, 94 percent of college students use Facebook, 42 percent of whom check their account two- to-five times a day.
Female Heads of Household, Ages 18-34
According to 2010 U.S. Census, almost 40 percent of households in Gainesville with children
under age 18 are headed by females with no husband present; minorities make up a significant
portion of this population.
secondary audience
Parents, Ages 18-34
More than 44 percent of Gainesville households are made up of parents with children under age 18.
The Gainesville community is family-oriented, yet parents are not actively involved in their children’s education.
Participation in Parent Teacher Association (PTA) programs in Alachua County is notoriously low, as compared to other
counties in the state, and few parents volunteer in their children’s schools.
The more than 261 churches in the greater Gainesville area play an integral role in Gainesville culture, serving as both
places of worship and community centers.
African American and Latino communities in Gainesville passionately uphold cultural traditions, maintaining strong ties
to local ethnic churches, organizations and businesses.
key messages
The UF Bateman team constructed six audience-driven key messages to combat misperceptions by bringing accurate
information to the forefront, stimulating conversation and building relationships based on trust.
Everyone can do it! Banking is easy!
Focus group research revealed that all audiences, especially women and minorities, do not utilize the resources provided
by mainstream financial instutions because they are unfamiliar with the services offered and have misperceptions about
their accessibility.
4
This message framed discussion for the following financial concepts: convenient services offered at both physical and
online banks, requirements for opening accounts and accessibility of services.
Banks offer resources that can help you!
The recent economic climate has perpetrated negative perceptions of financial institutuions, framing banks as predators
who victimize ordinary people. The 12 million unbanked American households are unfamiliar with positive services and
resources offered by banks.
This message framed discussion for the following financial concepts: savings accounts, money market accounts, CDs,
debit cards, ATM services, direct deposit, credit cards, checking accounts, check registers, monthly statements, bank
reconciliations and overdraft protection.
Your money is safe – only in an FDIC-insured bank!
Secondary research revealed a distrust of banks, especially among minorities. Non-banking culture and fear of
predatory lenders encourages practices such as hiding money under mattresses.
This message framed discussion for the following financial concepts: the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and
financial security.
Reach your financial goals – start now and plan!
Survey research revealed that preparing for the future is the primary motivator for learning about personal finance
among all audiences. Survey research also showed that a large percentage of members of all audiences do not keep
track of their spending, actively save or invest money.
This message framed a discussion on the following financial concepts: short-term goals, long-term goals, financial goals,
needs, wants, fixed expenses, variable expenses, flexible expenses, preparing a budget, savings plans and spending
plans.
Create debt only if it’s manageable and benefits your future.
Focus groups revealed that many members of our target audiences did not know that debt could be beneficial. For
instance, one high school student said his mom told him never to get a credit card; yet this can be instrumental in
building a good credit score.
This message framed discussion for the following financial
concepts: credit as a loan, credit as reputation, credit history,
loans, principal, interest, collateral, interest rates,
simple interest and compound interest.
Your credit score affects more than you think!
Surveys indicated that about 50 percent of college students
and 25 percent of adults have never ordered a copy of their
credit report.
This message framed the discussion on the following financial
concepts: credit history, FICO credit score, credit report, credit
reporting bureaus and the effects of credit score on loans,
downpayments and employment.
goal, objectives & outcomes
At the SCORE! Ballon Pop Challenge launch event,
UF students popped 720 balloons, representing 720+
- an ideal credit score.
In order to effectively link community members to financial
resources and raise the awareness of the importance of financial literacy, our mission was to make the message of
financial literacy personal.
Goal
Foster an understanding and appreciation of responsible personal financial habits among members of the greater
Gainesville community.
Objective 1: To create awareness of the importance of financial literacy among high school
students, college students and community members by March 8, 2011.
5
Strategy 1: Engage the college and community audiences in one-on-one personal conversations.
RATIONALE: Both our primary and secondary research revealed that our audiences prefer human over non-human
sources when seeking financial information, making personal interaction the most effective way to deliver
financial information.
Tactic 1: Personally deliver key messages and encourage session attendance by distributing audience-specific campaign material at both high school and UF basketball games, as well as multicultural celebrations – Black History Month
and Chinese New Year events.
Tactic 2: Create educational personal-finance-based games to individually engage the UF audience with a tailgate-
themed booth at Gator Nights, a carnival-style event attended primarily by underserved audiences.
Strategy 2: Establish strategic partnerships with local opinion leaders.
RATIONALE: Our credibility and the trust of our message was enhanced by the use of local community leaders to deliver
SCORE!’s messages.
Tactic 1: Develop partnerships with leaders of local churches, community centers and charities; owners of thrift shops, barber shops, hair salons, ethnic markets, quick stops, Laundromats and dollar stores; Volunteer Income Tax Assistance volunteers, and instructors of GED and English language classes, using credible leaders to verbally distribute key messages and physically distribute campaign materials.
Tactic 2: Develop partnerships with leaders of churches frequented by minority populations, ethnic markets and
instructors of migrant education classes using credible leaders to verbally distribute key messages and
physically distribute campaign materials in Spanish.
Tactic 3: Organize a financial literacy display at the Alachua County Headquarters Library with SCORE! campaign
materials and books about personal finance.
Tactic 4: Meet with high school and college faculty and community leaders to share our research and discuss the
importance of financial literacy, ultimately connecting leaders with SCORE! educational materials and online
educational resources.
Tactic 5: Offer high school and college faculty and community leaders the opportunity to be a SCORE! session trainer.
Tactic 6: Garner support from elected University of Florida student leadership for financial literacy education on campus by working with the UF Student Senate to pass a resolution affirming its support of personal finance education for UF students.
Tactic 7: Organize a network of peer advocates to support the SCORE! campaign’s goal, training 28 student leaders to be SCORE! ambassadors.
Strategy 3: Remove the communication barrier caused by apprehension of financial terms among college students.
RATIONALE: Both our primary and secondary research highlighted apprehension of financial terms among the college
audience as a message barrier to financial education. In order to create a positive first impression and begin building relationships, SCORE! began with a teaser campaign centered around “720+.” The tagline deliberately avoided words directly related to money, but indirectly tied to personal finance, as 720 is the benchmark
indicating an ideal credit score.
Tactic 1: Visually penetrate the University of Florida campus using posters and sidewalk chalk with the tagline “720+”
during a one-week teaser campaign to pique interest.
Tactic 2: Host the “720+ Balloon Pop Challenge” event to launch the full campaign – challenging students to pop 720 helium-filled balloons to raise awareness of the importance of credit score. At SCORE’s flash mob event, which drew more than 400 spectators, the official campaign was launched, and 720+ was revealed as an ideal credit score.
Strategy 4: Design appropriate communication materials to increase awareness.
6
Tactic 1: Distribute attention-grabbing credit card envelopes stuffed with a small white balloon and an informational insert to tie 720+ to the SCORE! campaign and our key message: your credit score affects more than you think!
Tactic 2: Distribute key message bookmarks to high school, college and community audiences.
Evaluation: Objective 1 – EXCEEDED
Qualitatively evaluating this objective reveals success. Our team met with more than 30 influentials in the
greater Gainesville community, including:
Three high school principals
Educational directors for more than five local not-for-profit organizations
Dr. Michael Gutter, president of the Florida Jump$tart Coalition
Several money mentors at the University of Florida
Multiple UF and Santa Fe College professors and administrators
Twenty-eight UF students trained as SCORE! ambassadors
UF Student Senate (which passed a resolution supporting financial literacy).
Sessions were taught by the following influentials:
John A. Bonacci, III, CFP, the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Florida and the president and CEO of
Holistic Financial Planning Consultants
Nancy Deren, a financial life planning coach and accredited financial counselor
William Parker, a lecturer for UF’s Family, Youth and Community Sciences department
Travis P. Mountain, an adjunct professor for UF’s Department of Family, Youth, and Community
Sciences and instructor of Family Financial Management
Brandon Peterson, CFP, a UF master’s student and teaching assistant
Oscar Suarez, team leader for the sales and renewable department of Infinite Energy; financial literacy advocate
Jennifer Purington, a recent college graduate in the financial services field
A post-test survey administered to all SCORE! session participants asked respondents to indicate on a Likert-scale
the change in the importance they place on personal financial knowledge. Ultimately, 98 percent of high school
students, 99 percent of college students and 99 percent of adults indicated their personal financial knowledge
increased after attending a SCORE! personal finance section.
Objective 2: To conduct financial literacy sessions attended by a total of 300 people by March 8, 2011.
Strategy 1: Create partnerships with the Alachua County public school system.
Tactic 1: Meet with principals and teachers to discuss our research and the importance of financial literacy and schedule
SCORE! sessions.
Strategy 2: Accommodate community audiences by making SCORE! sessions convenient and accessible.
RATIONALE: Research showed that underserved audiences are often overlooked by traditional financial literacy
programs, which are offered during the work day, costly to attend and presented in English.
Tactic 1: Schedule sessions at times that were preferred by target audiences in our surveys.
Tactic 2: Bring sessions to participants by securing space at churches, classrooms, motherhood communities, libraries and charity centers they regularly visit.
Tactic 3: Host a Spanish SCORE! session and create campaign and session materials in Spanish.
Tactic 4: Use print and online promotional material to highlight that SCORE! sessions are free.
Strategy 3: Use local media outlets to increase awareness about SCORE! and its financial literacy sessions among high school, college and community audiences.
RATIONALE: Approximately 60 percent of those surveyed still access news from television and radio, and about 40-65 percent of survey respondents still read newspapers. Mass media can influence opinion leaders who can turn around and influence others, keeping in line with strong word of mouth support that propels a grassroots
movement. With that in mind, we focused on working through radio to have the widest outreach possible. We wanted to reach underserved populations, some of whom may not have access to television or a newspaper on a daily basis. 7
Tactic 1: Create a radio PSA with voiceovers in both English and Spanish to direct listeners to SCORE! resources and
sessions.
Tactic 2: Earn story placements in organizational newsletters and local newspapers to reach specific audience segments.
Strategy 4: Promote session attendance among high school, college and community audiences through our online
presence.
RATIONALE: Because high school, college and adult audiences spend a significant amount of their free time on the
Internet, promoting our sessions online offered a greater chance for interaction with our audiences.
Tactic 1: Create and maintain a website with information about free SCORE! sessions.
Tactic 2: Post SCORE! sessions to online community and campus calendars.
Tactic 3: Create Facebook events for SCORE! sessions.
Evaluation: Objective 2 – EXCEEDED
514 high school students, college students and community members
attended SCORE!’s 61 financial literacy sessions.
Location
Sessions
Participants
50*
324
University of Fla.
3
108
Santa Fe College
1
14
SFC Adult Ed. Class
1
12
Women’s shelters
2
8
Churches
3
40
Area High Schools
Spanish Session
TOTAL
1
8
61 Sessions
514 Participants
*324 high school students attended three to four
financial literacy sessions during the month of February.
Objective 3: To increase the personal financial knowledge of 50 percent of high school, 20 percent
of college and 30 percent of community session participants by March 8, 2011.
Strategy 1: Build trusting relationships with high school students.
Tactic 1: Teach weekly financial literacy lessons during health and physical education classes at Hawthorne and
* 324 and
higheconomic
school students
three to
four
financial
literacy
sessions
Newberry high schools
classesattended
at Gainesville
High
School.
SCORE!
trainers
built brand recognition by wearing the same purple polo shirts during
each week.
the month of February.
Tactic 2: Distribute candy attached to a hangtag with our website and other donated prizes to encourage participation during sessions.
Strategy 2: Identify and enlist community leaders and financial experts to deliver financial literacy sessions to college Tactic
and community audiences in a personable and relatable manner.
1: Host an information session based on the SmartEdge Train-the-Trainer program, sharing our primary and
secondary research on how to effectively communicate financial information with Gainesville audiences,
encouraging trainers to personalize presentations with stories and relatable examples, and encouraging the creation of an atmosphere that welcomes audience participation.
Tactic 2: Equip leaders with script guides and PowerPoints about banking, budgeting and credit score that they can modify to fit their audience.
Strategy 3: Provide high school, college and community participants with interactive and audience-appropriate financial 8
material for use in SCORE! sessions.
RATIONALE: Focus group research revealed that many individuals envision financial literacy sessions to be boring and too difficult to understand. Accordingly, SCORE! created interactive, audience-driven material.
Tactic 1: Tailor presentations to fit the needs of each audience, providing audience-appropriate examples and
explanations through audience interaction.
Strategy 4: Reinforce key messages among all audiences through repetition on the SCORE! website and social media platforms.
Tactic 1: Create an educational online game – the SCORE! Balloon Pop Challenge – to engage audiences in interactive learning. Players tested their knowledge of financial topics answering questions for the chance to SCORE! points by popping floating balloons.
Tactic 2: Use the SCORE! website to provide additional resources for supplementary material on key messages in both English and Spanish, as well as links to external resources.
Tactic 3: Use social media to create an interactive two-way dialogue with users, making strategic posts that expand on key messages, reading and responding to audience comments and using a blog to create community, as
community members share their own financial experiences.
Tactic 4: Upload a recorded SCORE! session on YouTube for those who could not attend a live session.
Evaluation: Objective 3 – EXCEEDED
A post-test survey administered to all SCORE! session participants asked respondents to rank on a Likert-scale the
extent to which they felt more financially informed. Ultimately, 61 percent of high school students, 49 percent of
college students and 58 percent of adults indicated their personal financial knowledge increased “substantially”
or “to a great extent” after attending a SCORE! session.
Objective 4: To obtain 1,000 unique web hits and an additional 1,000 unique hits to our social media
platforms by March 8, 2011.
Strategy 1: Promote the SCORE! website through the use of campaign material, as well as communication with opinion leaders.
Tactic 1: Direct session participants to startscoring.com.
Tactic 2: Include on all SCORE! materials the web address, as well as QR codes that bring smartphone users to
startscoring.com.
Strategy 2: Supply high school, college and community audiences with online personal financial resources.
RATIONALE: Survey data revealed that all audiences rank the Internet as their preferred non-human source for financial information.
Tactic 1: Create interactive resources for SCORE!’s website. Startscoring.com included downloadable budget forms, links
to external resources, such as SmartEdge, and interactive features, such as an online game and educational videos.
Strategy 3: Create relevant, fresh and engaging content on SCORE! social media platforms.
RATIONALE: Our survey found that 94 percent of college students, 82 percent of high school students and 68 percent of adults use Facebook. Social media mobilizes a network of people around a certain cause in a grassroots manner at no cost, making this an excellent opportunity to extend our reach.
Tactic 1: Use social media, including Facebook and Twitter, to deliver supplementary information. SCORE!’s Twitter included tips of the day and links to external financial resources. A Facebook Fan Page encouraged feedback with personal financial discussion posts, comment options and a photo contest.
Tactic 2: Maintain a YouTube channel with entertaining, educational videos. SCORE!’s YouTube channel featured a PSA in both Spanish and English, a music video parody titled “Livin’ Off Loans” and a SCORE! session webcast for those who could not attend a live session.
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Tactic
3: Use social media to build community through conversation using a blog and Facebook as forums to post
questions, providing real experiences from real people. The SCORE! Playbook blog featured 11 posts written by
11 individuals with ties to the Gainesville community. Bloggers included students, parents, financial experts and the unemployed, writing about topics ranging from paying for college to buying $2 Valentine’s.
Tactic 4: Drive members of the high school and college audiences to SCORE!’s online resources through engaging social media content, such as a Facebook photo contest.
Strategy 4: Integrate identities of all online platforms.
Tactic 1: Use social media to drive members of the high school and college audiences to SCORE!’s online resources and provide strategic links among pages.
Tactic 2: Use consistent colors, shapes and graphics that reflect print
materials, as well as consistent online account names for all online platforms.
Evaluation: Objective 4 – EXCEEDED
During the campaign, there were 2,274 total visits to startscoring.com. The UF Bateman team created an online game
There were 1,314 unique visitors to the website, exceeding our
for students to test their financial knowledge.
objective of 1,000. SCORE!’s social media use also exceeded our
objective with a Facebook Fan Page with 688 monthly active users and a YouTube channel with 591 views. The
SCORE! Playbook blog had a total of 639 page views.
conclusion
budget
SCORE! inspired change.
Throughout the month of February and the first week of March, SCORE! hosted 61
financial literacy sessions in both English and Spanish, reaching a total of 514
participants. SCORE! sessions will enable Ally Financial to qualify for credit under
the Community Reinvestment Act.
Localizing the SmartEdge curriculum, the grassroots campaign equipped community
leaders and local finanacial experts with original, audience-appropriate content,
including PowerPoints, handouts and interactive exercises.
SCORE! also used SmartEdge workbooks to guide session presentations and
facilitate learning.
High school students enjoyed career path simulations and personal budget games,
writing blank checks and competing in financial skills challenges; college students,
curious to uncover the meaning of “720+” became more aware of the importance
of credit score; and community members made connections with local resources to
continue growing their financial knowledge.
Success was measured by observing the personal triumphs of financial literacy
session participants - from the high school student who opened a CD to save for her
education to the college student who applied for a credit card to establish credit.
Gainesville started scoring!
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The success of this grassroots
campaign was dependent on
partnership. The program was
funded by $962 of in-kind
contributions from local business
partners to supplement our $297
cash expenditures.