Sterling Helps Goalsetter Usher in the Next Generation of Financial Literacy

Published on April 22, 2021 |

With a resume that includes Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., ESPN, and Discovery Education, Tanya Van Court knows entertainment—and education. But it was a conversation with her eight-year-old daughter Gabrielle that set her on a new course – transforming from a successful and savvy media executive to a visionary fintech entrepreneur dedicated to bringing real and lasting change to communities across the country.

“My daughter said to me one day, ‘Mommy, for my ninth birthday, I really only want two things: enough money to save for an investment account, and a bike,’” recalls Van Court. “My first thought was if I can get every kid to say that, I can change the world.”

“And my second thought was, why not me?”

“To make a difference, you have to do things differently,” Van Court continues. “There has never been a financial app developed by a person who intersects so many of the categories that are not represented traditionally in financial literacy and financial services. I bring the perspective of two groups that have not historically been represented in this space: people of color and women. I’ve also been immersed in school systems and education for many years.”

Inspired and driven by a personal mission to make saving and financial literacy a reality for every family in America through access and empowerment, Van Court’s founded Goalsetter in 2016. A groundbreaking app that combines financial literacy education and real-life savings and money management in a kid-friendly package, Goalsetter helps children learn to save their money for the things that really matter to them while also learning about the basic financial concepts they need to know to save and grow their money along the way—features not seen in traditional savings apps, let alone in financial apps geared towards young people.

The Power of Strong Partnerships

 
In addition to building partnerships with community and religious organizations, schools, and a variety of other companies (sports, entertainment, tech, etc.), Van Court knew that to disrupt the status quo and bring Goalsetter’s financial literacy program to as many children as possible she would need strong partners inside of the financial industry. That said, these organizations would need to share her enthusiasm for not only promoting financial literacy but also democratizing previously inaccessible information and embracing new ways of doing things.

Enter Webster Bank. As a regional bank with strong roots in communities throughout Greater New York (as well as budding national visibility), Sterling shared in Goalsetter’s vision for actively promoting financial literacy among young people through its extensive philanthropic and volunteerism efforts, making the bank a perfect partner.

“Sterling represents exactly what a bank that is working in and for the community should represent,” says Van Court. “This partnership means so much because it really is about Sterling investing in schools, Sterling investing in kids, Sterling investing in families, and Sterling investing in local businesses. And I can’t think of anything better than that.”
Most recently, Sterling supported the Goalsetter’s “Drafted” campaign—which enlisted support from Nike, Howard University, the YMCA, and NBA superstar Chris Paul to promote financial literacy and empowerment in minority communities across the country throughout Black History Month. As a part of this initiative, Sterling seeded FDIC insured savings accounts for 1,000 students selected by the Eagle Academy Foundation, which seeks to empower and equip at-risk young men from minority communities.

“When we discovered that Sterling already had a preexisting relationship with Eagle Academy, it just showed how committed they already were to the community,” Van Court says. “When they partnered with us, they essentially took that commitment up a notch, saying, ‘We want every kid in the communities that we serve to be financially educated, to be financially literate, to have a chance to be financially free when they’re adults, and to be the next generation of savers and investors.’”

From Sterling’s perspective, the opportunity to support the campaign and strengthen its partnership with one of the most innovative and disruptive leaders in the financial literacy space was an opportunity the bank simply could not afford to pass up.

“With Sterling’s commitment to education, partnered with Tanya’s vision, together we made a meaningful impact in the lives of many kids’ futures,” says Lucy Amicucci, Director of the Webster Bank Charitable Foundation. “We’re not afraid to put in that hard work where we know that work is going to benefit the community (and especially kids) in the end, and we knew our commitment to support Tanya, Goalsetter, and the ‘Drafted’ campaign would offer innovative ways to teach kids to save that we have never seen in the industry.”

Setting Sights on the Long-Term

Going forward, Van Court knows that there is still work to be done to break through and affect the level of meaningful change that inspired her to start Goalsetter in the first place, but she remains confident in value of her work and the dedication of partners like Sterling.

“I didn’t start Goalsetter because I wanted to be an entrepreneur, I did it because I wanted to change kid’s lives,” she says. “If I can get every kid across America to understand financial language, learn how to build wealth, and be confident about not only using money but growing money … that is the maximum return on the investment of my time.”

“We are so excited that there are banks like Sterling that truly care about the people and the communities they serve, and we want the next generation of Sterling customers to have the benefit of financial education all of their lives. That makes them better customers, it makes them better citizens, and it builds up the wealth in our community for all of us.”

Webster Bank is dedicated to helping communities thrive. View our Philanthropy page to learn more about our commitment to giving back.