Award-winning Old National Bank Demonstrates Clear Commitment to Promoting Financial Wellness through NFEC Partnership

Old National Bank (ONB), a subsidiary of Old National Corporation in Evansville, Indiana, exhibits its strong commitment to the financial wellness movement through its community outreach and personal finance education programs. ONB has partnered with the National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) for more than a decade, making a powerful difference at the community level and also reaping multiple benefits in the process.

The NFEC designs tailored financial wellness programs for banks and credit unions that reflect positively on the financial institution’s brand, align with best practices, and achieve optimal reach and impact. For ONB, the custom-branding approach led to the development of materials carefully designed to fit the needs of the bank’s unique audiences. Those audiences have included more than 20,000 adults and children who have participated in the Real Life Program that strengthens financial wellness; and mentorship for at-risk community members like college students who are struggling with their finances. A custom program called 12 Steps to Financial Success reaches adults who have been incarcerated for non-violent offenses, empowering them to take control of their financial futures.

The custom-branding model incorporates three components – education, awareness, and sustainability – to ensure that banks and credit unions like ONB can make a long-term positive difference in the communities they serve, while also receiving a measurable ROI for their efforts.

Ben Joergens – 2017 Financial Education Instructor of the Year – Leads ONB’s Financial Wellness Campaigns

Ben Joergens was named Financial Empowerment Director for ONB in 2013, and since then he has spearheaded the bank’s financial education community outreach initiatives. For example, Ben was instrumental in forging partnerships with Ivy Tech College in Evansville, Junior Achievement of Southwest Indiana, and the YMCA of Southwest Indiana to bring financial education programs to the region.

Thanks to Joergens’ efforts, the “12 Steps to Financial Success” program has reached hundreds of inmates who had been incarcerated for substance-abuse crimes, both at the Henderson Detention Center and at a rehabilitation facility in Evansville. Together with ONB, Ben is working with various partners to expand this program to other communities across Indiana and in Kentucky and Michigan.

To recognize his stellar efforts, Ben Joergens was honored with the NFEC’s 2017 Financial Education Instructor of the Year Award. This annual award is set aside to distinguish a single individual who has made markedly significant contributions to the financial wellness movement over the previous 12 months. Ben’s considerable accomplishments in bringing economic empowerment education to at-risk community members in Evansville and beyond made him a strong match for the award criteria.

Ben Joergens 2017 Financial Education Instructor of the Year

ONB Financial Education Programs Earn Two Community Commitment Awards

Award-winning Old National Bank Exhibits Clear Commitment to Promoting Financial Wellness.

For more than 10 years ONB has been partnering with the NFEC to leverage custom-designed programming to build greater financial well-being among citizens and strengthen the communities they serve. In 2015 ONB’s community education and outreach programs earned the bank well-deserved recognition – in the form of two first-place American Bankers Association Community Commitment Awards.

Financial Literacy Curriculum Banks Credit Unions

The first award was given to Old National’s 12 Steps to Financial Success, a program designed to empower at-risk adults – specifically those incarcerated for non-violent offenses – to take control of their futures. This financial literacy program educates inmates with key money management tools that help them avoid re-incarceration and achieve financial success. A prime example of this program at work is the partnership between ONB and the Henderson County Detention Center’s Substance Abuse Program, where more than 150 female inmates have completed the training so far.

The second recognition was given to ONB financial empowerment officer Ben Joergens, who was awarded the American Bankers Association George Bailey Distinguished Service Award – a distinction given to a non-CEO bank employee who shows outstanding initiative, commitment to the bank’s customers and communities, and inspires others. Joergen’s efforts have included financial education presentations reaching more than 5,000 adults and children in 2014 alone – through partnerships with 27 non-profits, schools, and universities.

In addition to the ABA awards, ONB demonstrates its commitment to empowering communities through its financial literacy education, volunteer and community engagement programs. In 2015, ONB associates taught over 900 total financial education sessions that reached 17,000 individuals. This Real Life Finance program was delivered in partnership with the National Financial Educators Council, with curricula designed to be custom-tailored to the needs of each individual or group being served.

ONB’s volunteer program, called One Community, matches community needs with the engagement and development of bank associates. By giving bank associates 24 hours per year of volunteer flex time, ONB leverages skills-based, pro bono volunteering to help citizens in the community make positive changes toward secure futures. For example, Old National Internal Audit associates volunteer at the local YWCA.

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Bank Case Studies: Old National Bank Online Learning Center

In 2016, ONB launched the highly-successful Pay it Forward campaign, where Associate and Community Engagement teams in each of 14 regions took the lead in implementing creative ways to take $500 (donated by ONB) and “pay it forward.” For example, associates put together care packages for cancer patients and the homeless, served law enforcement and fire personnel with lunches and care packages, collected books for children, and purchased groceries for families in need and food pantries.

The ABA awards, along with the successful volunteerism and corporate sponsorships, clearly demonstrate how Old National has made community empowerment a pillar of its identity. ONB will continue to maintain a strong commitment to financial literacy, not only because it’s a natural industry fit, but because the organization recognizes the powerful positive impact financial education can have on individuals and communities alike.

Financial Wellness Champion Old National Bank Dedicated to Empowering Communities

Old National Bank (ONB), a subsidiary of Old National Corporation in Evansville, Indiana, is an award-winning example of how to strengthen communities and empower citizens with financial wellness initiatives. ONB’s community outreach and personal finance education campaigns demonstrate its strong commitment to the financial literacy movement. Through its decade-long partnership with the National Financial Educators Council (NFEC), ONB is making a powerful difference at the community level.

ONB leverages its financial wellness programs custom-tailored by the NFEC to build greater financial well-being among the communities it serves. For its stellar efforts in this arena, ONB has earned two first-place American Bankers Association Community Commitment Awards. The first award recognized the bank’s 12 Steps to Financial Success program, designed to empower adults incarcerated for non-violent offenses to take control of their futures by giving them key money management tools. Via partnership between ONB and the Henderson County Detention Center, over 150 female inmates have completed the training so far.

ONB financial empowerment officer Ben Joergens earned the second recognition, the American Bankers Association George Bailey Distinguished Service Award – a distinction given to a non-CEO bank employee who shows outstanding initiative, community commitment, and inspiration. Joergen’s efforts include financial education presentations reaching more than 5,000 adults and children through collaboration with 27 non-profits, schools, and universities. Joergens also received the NFEC’s coveted Financial Education Instructor of the Year Award in 2017, honoring his outstanding contributions to the financial education movement.

In addition to the ABA awards, ONB shows a strong dedication to community empowerment through financial literacy education, volunteer and community engagement programs. In 2015, ONB associates taught more than 900 financial education sessions that reached 17,000 people. This programming, titled Real Life Finance, presents curriculum packages customized to fit the needs of each unique audience.

ONB also sponsors a volunteer program called ONe Community, which matches a community’s needs with volunteer bank associates. The associates receive 24 hours of flex time each year to conduct skills-based, pro bono volunteer work to help their community’s citizens make positive change toward securing their financial futures. Further, the Pay it Forward campaign places Associate and Community Engagement teams across 14 regions to implement creative ways to take a $500 ONB donation and “pay it forward” in the community. Examples have included care packages for the homeless and cancer patients; children’s book collections; and groceries for needy families and food pantries.

These awards, volunteer efforts, and corporate sponsorships – along with Ben Joergens’ outstanding efforts – clearly show how community empowerment through financial wellness has become a pillar of the Old National Bank identity. ONB plans to maintain its strong commitment to financial literacy. Sponsoring financial education is not only a natural fit for the banking industry, but also makes a proven positive impact on individuals and communities alike.