Overview
Money Smart of Greater Kansas City is an annual community outreach initiative designed to promote and encourage financial awareness for all ages through classes, workshops and the delivery of various resources. Financial education providers throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area coordinate this campaign as an opportunity for the public to receive financial education information and resources that can assist them in making positive decisions with their finances. It is also a chance for financial education providers to showcase their work and services through a cooperative, concentrated approach.  View 2011 Evaluation Report.

Goals
The main goal of the campaign is to provide workshops, seminars, programs and events to help individuals, families, students, homeowners, businesspersons, employees and other community members expand their opportunities through improved financial literacy. Additional objectives include:  raising awareness among individuals, policymakers, employers, educators and social service organizations of the importance of financial education; providing individuals with high-quality financial education resources across six counties (Clay, Platte, Jackson and Cass in Missouri and Wyandotte and Johnson in Kansas) in the metropolitan area; and demonstrating the range of financial education services that are available to meet the diverse needs of Kansas City-area constituents.

Background
Money Smart Month of Greater Kansas City is a collaborative initiative sponsored by several organizations in the metropolitan area that understand the importance of and actively support financial education to various audiences. These organizations have combined resources to organize an annual campaign, which began in April 2008. The April 2011 campaign included more than 342 events hosted by partner organizations for a total of more than 6,200 attendees.  The 2011 campaign featured more events for young people than ever before.  Over 4,000 students from 300 schools participated in Money Smart Month Events.  We are looking forward to a successful 2012 event.

Money Smart Month is coordinated by the following organizations:
American Century Investments
Apprisen Financial Advocates/Consumer Credit Counseling Service
Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St Joseph, Inc.
Central Bank of Kansas City
Commerce Bank
CommunityAmerica Credit Union
Credit & Homeownership Empowerment Services, Inc. (CHES)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Financial Planning Association of Kansas City
Junior Achievement
Mazuma Credit Union
Missouri Council on Economic Education
United Way of Greater Kansas City