Citizens Financial Group announced a series of community investments across Massachusetts focused on workforce development, financial education, small-business support, and affordable housing. The bank said the investments are designed to strengthen economic opportunity and support long-term community stability across the state.
The company highlighted a broader $5 million workforce development commitment in Massachusetts as part of a larger $20 million national initiative. Organizations receiving support include YMCA of Greater Boston, Per Scholas Greater Boston, Boston Medical Center Health System, Boston Children’s Hospital, The Possible Zone, and Tech Foundry.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. also committed $325,000 toward financial literacy programs supporting eight Massachusetts organizations, including Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Way Finders, and Mothers for Justice & Equality. The funding is part of a broader $2.85 million enterprise-wide financial education strategy.
One of the highlighted initiatives includes a $100,000 investment in the Life is Good Playmaker Project to support the early childhood education workforce. The funding provided scholarships for more than 100 Boston educators to participate in Playmaker University, a trauma-informed, play-based training program focused on strengthening teacher-child relationships and reducing educator burnout. According to the organization, the educators collectively support more than 1,000 children across Boston.
The bank said the initiative builds on more than $785,000 in historical support for the YMCA of Greater Boston to address educator shortages and create pathways to higher-wage roles in early childhood education.
Additional workforce investments include a $400,000 commitment through the Education Design Lab to support micro-credential programs at Bunker Hill Community College and Roxbury Community College. The company also committed $150,000 to support a new cohort in Boston Medical Center Health System’s Patient Healthcare Fellows Program, which provides paid training and preparation for certification for individuals pursuing healthcare careers.
The financial education programs are delivered through Citizens Money Essentials, a colleague-led initiative providing workshops for consumers and small businesses in both English and Spanish. The program recently expanded to include youth-focused financial education workshops tied to education and career planning.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. said its Massachusetts-based employees contributed 43,788 volunteer hours during 2025, bringing the companywide total to more than 265,000.
KEY QUOTES:
“Creating opportunity starts with showing up—not just with capital, but with partnership and long-term commitment. 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.”
Lisa Murray, Massachusetts State President, Citizens
“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.”
Ellen Lempereur Greaves, Executive Director, Life is Good Playmaker Project
