What is Nebraska Money Smart Week?
Money Smart Week is a public awareness campaign designed to help consumers better manage their personal finances. This is achieved through the collaboration and coordinated effort of organizations across the state and Midwest including businesses, financial institutions, schools, libraries, not-for-profits, government agencies and the media. These groups come together once a year to stress the importance of financial literacy, inform consumers where they can get help, and provide free educational seminars and activities throughout the week. Programming is offered to all demographics and income levels and covers all facets of personal finance from establishing a budget to first time home buying to estate planning.

When is Nebraska Money Smart Week?
Money Smart Week is November 8-14, 2010.

How Did It All Get Started?
The idea of this week originated in Chicago and has also been undertaken in the Kearney area. Nebraska Money Smart Week effort is coordinated by the Nebraska Financial Education Coalition, a diverse group of close to 100 Nebraska organizations working together to promote personal financial literacy. The Coalition officially formed in 2007 to help organizations interested in financial education share resources, network, and increase awareness of the importance of financial literacy in Nebraska. The goal of the coalition is to help all Nebraskans – no matter the age – to become better educated on how to successfully manage their personal finances.

Can I Get Involved?
Those interested in the cause of financial literacy are welcome to join us! Those involved with Money Smart Nebraska typically:
Provide educational materials, instructors or a seminar for consumers
Provide facilities to host events, sponsor events or promotional materials
Leverage resources to publicly support or endorse Money Smart Week
Participants post their events for free to an online database of events. In addition, they receive access to a wide range of materials to help promote their events.

What are My Next Steps to Get Involved in Money Smart Week?
1. Learn More.

To get involved with Money Smart Nebraska Week, please go to www.MoneySmartNebraska.org to learn more.
2. Plan.
Identify your target audience (i.e. seniors, women, unbanked, youth). Consider audiences your organization may already have a relationship with
Select a topic, secure a venue and select a presenter/speaker.
Remember: All workshops, seminars and activities must be educational in nature and relate to improving knowledge of personal finances, from basic savings tips to advanced money management strategies. Sales pitches and/or commercial marketing are strictly prohibited.
Most workshops, seminars and activities should generally be free and open to the public. Private events may be included for appropriate audiences such as students, employees and professional groups.
3. Add Your Events
Submit your Money Smart Week event information by clicking on “Add an Event”.
4. Market and Promote.
Get the word out about your event to get the attendance you want. Use some of the free resources under Resources as promotional tools. Think about traditional and social media, websites, flyers, email blasts, news releases, etc.
Use the free printed promotional cards for the week available to you from the Nebraska Financial Education Coalition to help share information about the week and your events.
5. Have Your Event.
Conduct your event for your target audiences. Have fun, and remember that financial literacy is essential for all Nebraskans.
6. Evaluate.
We need your help to measure the success of Money Smart Nebraska. Complete and return the information we’ll request – attendance numbers, surveys, photos, media clips and samples of promotional materials.

Contact Us
To become a partner, visit. For more information, contact Jennifer Davidson at jdavidson@nebraskacouncil.org or 402.472.2333.
The Nebraska Financial Education Coalition
For more information about the Nebraska Financial Education Coalition, visit our site at www.nebraskafinancialeducation.org.

Contact Nebraska Financial Education Coalition