Treasurer John Murante today announced the Nebraska State Treasurer’s office, in partnership with the Nebraska Council on Economic Education (NCEE), has been awarded a $99,000 grant for the creation of a Nebraska public employee financial wellness webpage and live webinar series. The webinar series, slated to begin early next year, will be recorded and posted on a newly created webpage with additional financial wellness information to serve as a sustainable resource for public employees’ future fiscal education.
Funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation, this one-year grant comes at a time when many of the nearly 19 million state and local government employees across the U.S. continue to serve on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many governments are also confronting unprecedented budget shortfalls, and workers are increasingly concerned about family finances.
This grant is structured as a collaboration between the Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE), The International Public Management Association For Human Resources (IPMA-HR) and the National Association of State Treasurers’ Foundation (NASTF) and Wells Fargo. A total of 24 state and local government jurisdictions were awarded grants.
In a recent national poll conducted by SLGE, 56 percent of state and local public employees reported that their family has been negatively impacted financially by the crisis, and more than half are worried about their family finances, losing their job, furloughs, and pay and benefit reductions.
“This is great news. Working with the NCEE on this exciting partnership, we will provide a much-needed financial wellness resource for Nebraskans. I’m excited for the potential of this effort,” Murante said.
“Financial wellness is an area that affects every other aspect of life. If you are struggling or unsure about your financial future, it’s an additional weight on your shoulders. We are excited to help bring a financial wellness program to NE public employees that will help lessen financial stressors,” commented Dr. Jennifer Davidson, President of the NCEE.
“Based on previous SLGE research, we know that only 29 percent of state and local government employers offer financial literacy programs to their workforce, while 68 percent of public employees would participate in these programs if they were offered one. This grant program offers a real opportunity for state and localities like the Nebraska Treasurer’s office to launch financial wellness programs for workers who deliver important public services,” said Joshua Franzel, SLGE president and chief executive officer.
“Far too many public sector employees lack access to the financial wellness programs they want and need,” said Shaun Snyder, NAST and the NAST Foundation executive director. “NAST is proud to continue its commitment to financial education through this collaboration with Treasurer Murante’s office and the NCEE, which will strengthen financial wellness opportunities for public employees.”
“IPMA-HR is honored to be part of this initiative, and we look forward to seeing results from the Nebraska State Treasurer’s office planned program. We know that state and local employees with financial security are more engaged and better positioned to serve the public, making this initiative all the more vital during these unprecedented times,” said Cara Woodson Welch, IPMA-HR executive director.
The Nebraska Council on Economic Education is a 501(c)3 non-profit, housed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business. Its mission is to act as a catalyst and lead a statewide initiative to advance economic and financial literacy. For more information on the Council, please contact Jennifer Davidson at jdavidson2@unl.edu or visit nebraskacouncil.unl.edu.
The Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE) helps local and state governments become knowledgeable and competitive employers so they can attract and retain a talented and committed workforce. SLGE identifies leading practices and conducts research on public retirement plans, health and wellness benefits, workforce demographics and skill set needs, and labor force development. SLGE brings state and local leaders together with respected researchers. Access all SLGE publications and sign up for its newsletter at www.slge.org and follow @4GovtExcellence on Twitter.
The National Association of State Treasurers’ Foundation promotes and improves the educational initiatives that enable members to pursue and administer sound financial policies and programs benefiting the citizens of the nation. NAST Foundation programs provide for the enhancement of public officials’ understanding of the public financial arena and delivers education to the public about personal financial management. Founded in 2000, the charitable organization is governed by five-member board made up of State Treasurers. For more information, please visit www.nast.org/foundation/
The International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) represents the interests of public sector human resource professionals at all levels of government. IPMA-HR provides comprehensive resources and solutions to assist public sector human resource professionals in ensuring that their organizations have the right talent to achieve their missions. The association provides a wide range of programs products and services that include research, professional development, certification, communications, public policy, and assessments. Additional information about IPMA-HR is available at www.ipma-hr.org.
