More than 250 employees volunteering to deliver financial literacy sessions to Canadians in November

TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2014 /CNW/ - To mark Financial Literacy Month, TD Bank Group today announced that over 250 employees from coast-to-coast will be volunteering their time to deliver more than 230 financial literacy programs to Canadians in November. TD employees have volunteered their personal time to help people understand how to manage money wisely, in the communities where they live and work.  

"At TD, financial literacy is a priority for us and we and our employees are very committed to helping all Canadians achieve it," said Linda MacKay, Senior Vice President, Retail Savings and Investing, TD Bank Group. "Our strong commitment is demonstrated by our growing level of financial support and our progress so far is thanks in great part to the dedication of our employees.  They share our belief that financial literacy is a critical life skill for all Canadians."

In 2014, 840 TD employees from across Canada volunteered more than 4200 hours of their time to deliver financial literacy sessions to Canadians.   Some of the great organizations TD employees teamed up with in 2014 include:

• Money Matters: Since 2010, over 300 TD employees have volunteered over 4,000 hours teaching close to 3,000 adult learners – including new immigrants and low-income families – money-management skills.
• Junior Achievement Canada: TD has been instrumental in supporting the ongoing development and delivery of JA's programs across Canada for more than 17 years. In October 2014, TD donated $1 million to support JA's business education programs and digital learning. As part of this donation, more than 1,200 TD employees will volunteer their time to deliver 800 programs reaching more than 23,000 youth over three years.
• Girl Guides of Canada: In 2013 TD and the Girl Guides of Canada launched a new program called "Girls Count", which encourages girls to gain essential money management and know-how. Three hundred TD female employee volunteers will deliver interactive learning modules to 150 Girl Guide units across the country by the end of 2014

"I wanted to get involved with Girls Count because it is a unique program that works to strengthen financial literacy by targeting females at an early age," said Lisa Dyal, Senior Risk Analyst, TD, in Toronto, ON. "To me, the next generation of leaders – future fire fighters, doctors, politicians and financial leaders are likely to spring from the Girl Guides' Girls Count program. Once you are aware of your ability to financially provide for yourself in the 'real' world, the sky is the limit with what you can do and what you can achieve."

Since 2010, TD has invested $6 million in financial literacy initiatives across Canada.  TD is on track to donate over$1.5 million to support financial literacy programs in 2014, and $2.5 million in 2015. This includes TD's recently announced commitment of $3 million over the next three years to support the Prosper Canada Centre for Financial Literacy, which helps build financial capability among vulnerable Canadians.

"TD's work with leading organizations such as Prosper Canada, Girl Guides of Canada and Junior Achievement is a great example of how partnerships between the private and not-for-profit sectors can benefit Canadians not just during Financial Literacy Month, but year round," said Jane Rooney, Canada's Financial Literacy Leader. "Such partnerships underscore the fact that helping Canadians improve their financial knowledge, skills and confidence is a shared responsibility and can have great impact."

TD has also developed a number of online resources, tools and calculators, as well as products and services for our customers to help them make better financial decisions. This includes a newly launched financial literacy quiz that tests Canadians understanding of saving, budgeting and investing. 

For more information about financial literacy programs supported by TD, go to www.td.com/financialliteracy.

About TD Community Giving

TD Bank Group invests in communities in order to effect positive change in the places where it operates and where its clients and employees live and work. In 2013, TD donated more than $74.7 million to community organizations inCanada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, TD focuses on education and financial literacy, creating opportunities for young people and the environment. For further information, please visit www.td.com/corporate-responsibility.

SOURCE TD Bank Group

 For further information: Jannine Rane, FleishmanHillard, P: 416-645-3662, Jannine.rane@fleishman.ca; Alison Steeves, Senior Manager, Corporate and Public Affairs, TD Bank Group, P: 416-307-6253, Alison.steeves@td.com