Citizens today announced a series of community investments that reinforce its long-standing commitment to Rhode Island, spanning financial education, workforce development, small business growth, and housing stability.
“Rhode Island is our home state, and we’re proud to invest here—not just with capital, but with our more than 4,000 colleagues and a long-term commitment to the communities we serve,” said Keith Kelly, Rhode Island State President at Citizens. “From financial education to workforce development, small business growth and housing stability, we’re focused on building deep partnerships, expanding impact, and supporting community needs across the Ocean State.”
Key Highlights:
- $1.5 million workforce development commitment in Rhode Island, backing partners such as College Visions, the Genesis Center, Skills for Rhode Island’s Future and Crossroads Rhode Island, as part of a $20 million national commitment.
- $155,000 committed to financial literacy programs in Rhode Island, supporting six local organizations, including Amos House, Junior Achievement of Rhode Island, and RhodeWay Financial as part of a $2.85 million enterprise-wide financial education investment.
Investing in Workforce Pathways for a Changing Economy
Citizens is investing in workforce development efforts designed to prepare Rhode Islanders for in-demand careers as skill requirements continue to evolve.
A cornerstone of this work is Citizens’ partnership with the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) to build skills-first pathways that connect education directly to employment. Through CCRI, Education Design Lab and several local banks, Citizens helped launch the nation’s first statewide Banking Micro-Pathway, a tuition-free, 15-week hybrid program that prepares learners for entry-level banking roles and connects graduates directly to hiring opportunities. This banking pathway earned Citizens a Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship (BCCC) Innovation Award, recognizing leadership in designing innovative, skills-first workforce solutions.
Citizens also partnered with Rhode Island College, CCRI and Building Futures this year to launch Rhode Island’s first Registered Apprenticeship Program for Information Security Analysts, offering paid, work-based learning, industry recognized credentials, and mentorship from Citizens professionals to prepare participants for cybersecurity careers shaped by technology, AI, and evolving risk environments.
These initiatives are backed by Citizens’ broader workforce strategy, including a $1.5 million commitment in Rhode Island over the next three years as part of the bank’s $20 million national investment, and long-standing mentorship partnerships such as Year Up United, where Citizens recently marked 20 years of collaboration.
Citizens’ workforce efforts are complemented by its national focus on career exploration through its partnership with Roadtrip Nation, helping fuel Many Roads Forward, a documentary series highlighting nontraditional career pathways.
That work is powered by colleagues across the enterprise. In a record-setting 2025, Citizens colleagues volunteered more than 265,000 hours, including 70,525 hours from Rhode Island colleagues.
In recognition of this impact, Citizens ranked No. 15 on Newsweek’s America’s Most Charitable Companies 2026 list. The bank also recently was recognized with the 2026 Joe Belew Award from the Consumer Bankers Association, recognizing leadership in strengthening Main Street economies.
Expanding Financial Empowerment Across Rhode Island
As part of its continued focus on financial empowerment – and in recognition of Financial Literacy Month – Citizens announced $155,000 in funding to six organizations across Rhode Island, supporting financial education programs tailored to local needs. That investment is part of $2.85 million in financial education funding across Citizens’ footprint, reaching individuals, families, and small businesses at key financial moments.
Financial education is delivered through Citizens Money Essentials (CME), the bank’s colleague-led program offering accessible workshops to customers and small businesses in English and Spanish. The program also expanded to include youth-focused workshops that build foundational money skills linked to future education and career planning.
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.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260526979750/en/
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