Tag: 3BL

Key Points

• Marathon Petroleum’s El Paso, Texas, refinery is helping a local nonprofit provide specialized therapy and care to more children with disabilities.
   
• The refinery has renewed its annual financial support of the Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center after bolstering a capital campaign to build the Center’s second treatment facility.
   
• The refinery’s assistance also involves two employees who are in their third and ninth years on the nonprofit’s board of directors.

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At the age of four, Rahja suffered from a severe feeding condition that made it difficult for him to ingest food normally and get adequate nutrition. His parents relied on a gastrostomy tube (G-tube) inserted into his stomach through his abdomen. His life changed after he was enrolled in therapy at the Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center (PdN Children’s).

“With intensive therapy, doctors estimated that the feeding tube could be removed in a year or year and a half,” PdN Children’s Chief Executive Officer Al Velarde said. “The therapists and team in our pediatric therapy feeding clinic delivered the evidenced-based therapy adopted by the program, and Rahja’s feeding tube was removed in less than four months.”

Rahja’s experience represents a level of care that PdN Children’s provides annually to over 2,500 children across the El Paso, Texas, area who cope with a variety of disabilities and developmental delays. The nonprofit’s services include speech, physical and occupational therapy, dietary support, auditory/verbal intervention, childcare, and education for parents to help them advocate for their children and support their development.

“Our contribution reflected our deep commitment to PdN Children’s mission and was intended to inspire others to join us in advancing this important cause.”

Formal grants don’t address all financial needs. The Center also relies on community support funding from companies like Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC), which is providing assistance in 2026 through its El Paso refinery as it has done for almost a decade.

“Community support funds help cover expenses that are not paid for by other grants or fees,” said Velarde. “Marathon’s annual support is very important to PdN Children’s.”

MPC also recently helped the nonprofit expand its reach. The company made a foundational commitment to a capital campaign that allowed for building a second facility, PdN Children’s East, which opened in 2025.

“As the first corporate donor, our contribution reflected our deep commitment to PdN Children’s mission and was intended to inspire others to join us in advancing this important cause,” said MPC Principal Corporate Social Responsibility & Community Relations Representative V.J. Smith. “Thanks to the collective efforts and generosity, the Center was able to fully fund the new facility in east El Paso.”

Beyond financial assistance, the El Paso refinery’s support involves employees who lend their professional expertise. Accounting Division Controller Mark Anchondo has served on the PdN Children’s board of directors for nine years, and Refining Products Control Director Greg Boyer is in his third year as a board member.

^{MPC Refining Products Control Director Greg Boyer (left) is in his third year as a board member of PdN Children’s, and MPC Accounting Division Controller Mark Anchondo has been on the board for nine years.}

“Mark and Greg have knowledge that has helped tremendously in building and developing programs and resourcing them,” Velarde said. “From facility design efforts to identifying financial trends and offering solutions to ensure healthy financials, their business acumen has been a true asset. Their dedication reflects Marathon’s steady commitment, which is helping keep PdN Children’s strong in our 78^th year of serving the community.”

Key Points

• Marathon Petroleum’s El Paso, Texas, refinery is helping a local nonprofit provide specialized therapy and care to more children with disabilities.
   
• The refinery has renewed its annual financial support of the Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center after bolstering a capital campaign to build the Center’s second treatment facility.
   
• The refinery’s assistance also involves two employees who are in their third and ninth years on the nonprofit’s board of directors.

---

At the age of four, Rahja suffered from a severe feeding condition that made it difficult for him to ingest food normally and get adequate nutrition. His parents relied on a gastrostomy tube (G-tube) inserted into his stomach through his abdomen. His life changed after he was enrolled in therapy at the Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center (PdN Children’s).

“With intensive therapy, doctors estimated that the feeding tube could be removed in a year or year and a half,” PdN Children’s Chief Executive Officer Al Velarde said. “The therapists and team in our pediatric therapy feeding clinic delivered the evidenced-based therapy adopted by the program, and Rahja’s feeding tube was removed in less than four months.”

Rahja’s experience represents a level of care that PdN Children’s provides annually to over 2,500 children across the El Paso, Texas, area who cope with a variety of disabilities and developmental delays. The nonprofit’s services include speech, physical and occupational therapy, dietary support, auditory/verbal intervention, childcare, and education for parents to help them advocate for their children and support their development.

“Our contribution reflected our deep commitment to PdN Children’s mission and was intended to inspire others to join us in advancing this important cause.”

Formal grants don’t address all financial needs. The Center also relies on community support funding from companies like Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC), which is providing assistance in 2026 through its El Paso refinery as it has done for almost a decade.

“Community support funds help cover expenses that are not paid for by other grants or fees,” said Velarde. “Marathon’s annual support is very important to PdN Children’s.”

MPC also recently helped the nonprofit expand its reach. The company made a foundational commitment to a capital campaign that allowed for building a second facility, PdN Children’s East, which opened in 2025.

“As the first corporate donor, our contribution reflected our deep commitment to PdN Children’s mission and was intended to inspire others to join us in advancing this important cause,” said MPC Principal Corporate Social Responsibility & Community Relations Representative V.J. Smith. “Thanks to the collective efforts and generosity, the Center was able to fully fund the new facility in east El Paso.”

Beyond financial assistance, the El Paso refinery’s support involves employees who lend their professional expertise. Accounting Division Controller Mark Anchondo has served on the PdN Children’s board of directors for nine years, and Refining Products Control Director Greg Boyer is in his third year as a board member.

^{MPC Refining Products Control Director Greg Boyer (left) is in his third year as a board member of PdN Children’s, and MPC Accounting Division Controller Mark Anchondo has been on the board for nine years.}

“Mark and Greg have knowledge that has helped tremendously in building and developing programs and resourcing them,” Velarde said. “From facility design efforts to identifying financial trends and offering solutions to ensure healthy financials, their business acumen has been a true asset. Their dedication reflects Marathon’s steady commitment, which is helping keep PdN Children’s strong in our 78^th year of serving the community.”

April 6, 2026 /3BL/ – During its three-year membership in the Sands Cares Accelerator, which provides funding, facilitation and strategic consulting to aid community organizations in achieving greater impact, The Food Bank Singapore has set its sights on expanding and digitizing its Bank Card Program.

With a vision to achieve food security in Singapore, the organization offers the Bank Card Program to facilitate food distribution to beneficiaries, primarily students. The program offers a physical card that is pre-loaded with monthly virtual credits beneficiaries can use to redeem meals from food vendors. The current system involves the manual issuing and tracking of physical cards to enable the redemption of meals.

To improve the Bank Card Program’s efficiency, reach and overall experience for both partners and beneficiaries, the food bank is focusing on digitizing the offering as its Sands Cares Accelerator goal.

In year one of its Sands Cares Accelerator membership, The Food Bank Singapore focused on establishing technology infrastructure for the digital transition and reviewed potential technology partners to support the endeavor, as well as onboarded the selected company.

The Food Bank Singapore also began work on rebranding the Bank Card Program to provide a clearer and more compelling value proposition for donors and partners. The organization plans to launch the new Meals Forward branding with this year’s release of the Hunger Report III, a study on the state of food security in Singapore.

“The resources we have received from the Sands Cares Accelerator equipped us to achieve tremendous progress in updating our Bank Card Program,” Dr. Arthur Chin, executive director at The Food Bank Singapore, said. “Along with funding from Sands, Marina Bay Sands supported us each step of the way as we strengthened the program across technology, branding and fundraising. As we move into the next phase of relaunching the Bank Card Program, we are well positioned to ensure more low-income students can access nutritious food while pursuing their education.”

The Food Bank Singapore joined the Sands Cares Accelerator, Sands’ flagship capacity-building program for nonprofit organizations, in 2025. Nonprofit members work on a strategic program or goal over their three years in the program and receive annual funding, along with goal planning and facilitation, and consulting from Sands and its regions, to help them achieve and sustain their desired outcomes.

In year two during 2026, The Food Bank Singapore will focus on scaling partnerships with food partners to offer more extensive meal options for beneficiaries, expanding fundraising to sustain support for more students in need, as well as relaunching the program as a sustainable, data-informed solution to food insecurity.

The Sands Cares Accelerator was inspired by the entrepreneurial and philanthropic legacy of Sands’ founder Sheldon G. Adelson. Since 2017, the program has provided nine organizations in Las Vegas, Singapore and Macao with focused resources for building capacity to better serve their missions.

To learn more about the Sands Cares Accelerator and its impact on building nonprofit capacity, visit: https://www.sands.com/responsibility/communities/sands-cares-accelerator/

April 6, 2026 /3BL/ – During its three-year membership in the Sands Cares Accelerator, which provides funding, facilitation and strategic consulting to aid community organizations in achieving greater impact, The Food Bank Singapore has set its sights on expanding and digitizing its Bank Card Program.

With a vision to achieve food security in Singapore, the organization offers the Bank Card Program to facilitate food distribution to beneficiaries, primarily students. The program offers a physical card that is pre-loaded with monthly virtual credits beneficiaries can use to redeem meals from food vendors. The current system involves the manual issuing and tracking of physical cards to enable the redemption of meals.

To improve the Bank Card Program’s efficiency, reach and overall experience for both partners and beneficiaries, the food bank is focusing on digitizing the offering as its Sands Cares Accelerator goal.

In year one of its Sands Cares Accelerator membership, The Food Bank Singapore focused on establishing technology infrastructure for the digital transition and reviewed potential technology partners to support the endeavor, as well as onboarded the selected company.

The Food Bank Singapore also began work on rebranding the Bank Card Program to provide a clearer and more compelling value proposition for donors and partners. The organization plans to launch the new Meals Forward branding with this year’s release of the Hunger Report III, a study on the state of food security in Singapore.

“The resources we have received from the Sands Cares Accelerator equipped us to achieve tremendous progress in updating our Bank Card Program,” Dr. Arthur Chin, executive director at The Food Bank Singapore, said. “Along with funding from Sands, Marina Bay Sands supported us each step of the way as we strengthened the program across technology, branding and fundraising. As we move into the next phase of relaunching the Bank Card Program, we are well positioned to ensure more low-income students can access nutritious food while pursuing their education.”

The Food Bank Singapore joined the Sands Cares Accelerator, Sands’ flagship capacity-building program for nonprofit organizations, in 2025. Nonprofit members work on a strategic program or goal over their three years in the program and receive annual funding, along with goal planning and facilitation, and consulting from Sands and its regions, to help them achieve and sustain their desired outcomes.

In year two during 2026, The Food Bank Singapore will focus on scaling partnerships with food partners to offer more extensive meal options for beneficiaries, expanding fundraising to sustain support for more students in need, as well as relaunching the program as a sustainable, data-informed solution to food insecurity.

The Sands Cares Accelerator was inspired by the entrepreneurial and philanthropic legacy of Sands’ founder Sheldon G. Adelson. Since 2017, the program has provided nine organizations in Las Vegas, Singapore and Macao with focused resources for building capacity to better serve their missions.

To learn more about the Sands Cares Accelerator and its impact on building nonprofit capacity, visit: https://www.sands.com/responsibility/communities/sands-cares-accelerator/

April 6, 2026 /3BL/ – During its three-year membership in the Sands Cares Accelerator, which provides funding, facilitation and strategic consulting to aid community organizations in achieving greater impact, The Food Bank Singapore has set its sights on expanding and digitizing its Bank Card Program.

With a vision to achieve food security in Singapore, the organization offers the Bank Card Program to facilitate food distribution to beneficiaries, primarily students. The program offers a physical card that is pre-loaded with monthly virtual credits beneficiaries can use to redeem meals from food vendors. The current system involves the manual issuing and tracking of physical cards to enable the redemption of meals.

To improve the Bank Card Program’s efficiency, reach and overall experience for both partners and beneficiaries, the food bank is focusing on digitizing the offering as its Sands Cares Accelerator goal.

In year one of its Sands Cares Accelerator membership, The Food Bank Singapore focused on establishing technology infrastructure for the digital transition and reviewed potential technology partners to support the endeavor, as well as onboarded the selected company.

The Food Bank Singapore also began work on rebranding the Bank Card Program to provide a clearer and more compelling value proposition for donors and partners. The organization plans to launch the new Meals Forward branding with this year’s release of the Hunger Report III, a study on the state of food security in Singapore.

“The resources we have received from the Sands Cares Accelerator equipped us to achieve tremendous progress in updating our Bank Card Program,” Dr. Arthur Chin, executive director at The Food Bank Singapore, said. “Along with funding from Sands, Marina Bay Sands supported us each step of the way as we strengthened the program across technology, branding and fundraising. As we move into the next phase of relaunching the Bank Card Program, we are well positioned to ensure more low-income students can access nutritious food while pursuing their education.”

The Food Bank Singapore joined the Sands Cares Accelerator, Sands’ flagship capacity-building program for nonprofit organizations, in 2025. Nonprofit members work on a strategic program or goal over their three years in the program and receive annual funding, along with goal planning and facilitation, and consulting from Sands and its regions, to help them achieve and sustain their desired outcomes.

In year two during 2026, The Food Bank Singapore will focus on scaling partnerships with food partners to offer more extensive meal options for beneficiaries, expanding fundraising to sustain support for more students in need, as well as relaunching the program as a sustainable, data-informed solution to food insecurity.

The Sands Cares Accelerator was inspired by the entrepreneurial and philanthropic legacy of Sands’ founder Sheldon G. Adelson. Since 2017, the program has provided nine organizations in Las Vegas, Singapore and Macao with focused resources for building capacity to better serve their missions.

To learn more about the Sands Cares Accelerator and its impact on building nonprofit capacity, visit: https://www.sands.com/responsibility/communities/sands-cares-accelerator/

In the quiet village of Lenguruma in northern Kenya, Nolntulan knew something was wrong.

Her two-year-old son, Rashaei, was no longer the joyful, playful child she knew. For days, he cried without comfort. At night, he tossed restlessly. When he wasn’t crying, he lay still on a sisal mat, weak and uninterested in the world around him. Even after giving him over-the-counter medicine, nothing changed.

Unwilling to take any risks with her son’s health, Nolntulan sent word to the local Action Against Hunger team, requesting that someone come assess Rashaei’s health condition.    

Patrick Lekirimui, a Community Health Worker (CHW), came quickly via motorcycle to Lenguruma village to give a consultation. 

Accessing formal healthcare is a major challenge for people in the pastoralist community of Lenguruma and many other villages in northern Kenya. Poor road infrastructure and no public transport means reaching the nearest health facility can take a full day of travel. Community Health Workers like Patrick are trained to screen for malnutrition and educate others on health and nutrition matters. They live in or travel directly to underserved communities, creating a vital link to healthcare support.

Patrick assessed Rashaei using a color-coded MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference) tape. The result was clear: the band was yellow, indicating moderate acute malnutrition.   

If left untreated, moderate acute malnutrition can quickly become severe, and life-threatening. Severe acute malnutrition would be much harder and more expensive to treat, and Rashaei’s health could be permanently damaged.

Patrick knew the best path forward was to get Rashaei treated as quickly as possible. He offered to transport Nolntulan and her son to a nearby outreach clinic set up at Lenguruma Primary School for a comprehensive health assessment and to begin his treatment.

On arrival at the outreach center, Rashei went through the triaging process. This involves checking his weight, height, and MUAC band measurements to determine a Z-score.  

“The Z score is used to determine the stage of malnutrition — moderate or severe. After this, we also check for other common diseases in the area, like malaria,” explains Winnie Makena, a Nutrition Volunteer with Action Against Hunger.

Patrick’s assessment was confirmed: Rashaei had moderate acute malnutrition. The child was immediately enrolled in the treatment program. He was given vitamin A supplements, dewormers, and ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). 

RUTF is a specially formulated peanut-butter paste or biscuit that is incredibly effective at treating children with malnutrition. One of its main benefits is that parents can treat their children with RUTF at home. 

The nurse and Patrick had a brief informational session with Nolntulan on how RUTF should be administered. She felt immense relief knowing that her son was on a path of recovery. “I am glad he has been checked and the nurse has assured me that he will be better,” Nolntulan said as she fed RUTF to Rashaei.

Rashaei’s recovery program lasted for 6 weeks. A Community Health Worker conducted weekly home visits to monitor his progress while working with his mother to improve food selection and nutrition practices. Every two weeks, Rashaei was also expected to return to the outreach clinic for a more thorough medical checkup. His mother carefully followed Rashaei’s treatment and appointment plan. 

Nolntualn also enrolled in the village’s mother-to-mother support group started by Action Against Hunger, where they undertake peer learning and share experiences on how best to take care of their children. These groups promote the spread nutritional information, and which locally available foods offer the most nutritional value and the best practices for improving their families’ health. 

When the six weeks of treatment we complete, Rashaei was back to his normal self, happy and pulling at his mother’s neck collar ornament at any opportunity he could get. At his last appointment with the clinic, he was given a clean bill of health and discharged from the program.

“I can’t explain the feeling of seeing my son so jovial again,” said Nolntulan. “And I have learned a lot about health and nutrition.” 

 

Increasing Outreach in Rural Kenya 

In some remote areas of northern Kenya, like in Lenguruma village, Action Against Hunger remains the only organization in the fight against hunger, as other organizations have withdrawn due to cuts in USAID funding cuts. However, Gerald Mwangi, field coordinator for the region, remains ambitious.

“Through our outreach clinics and working with community health workers, we want to ensure all children under 5 years are screened and treated for malnutrition,” says Mwangi. “We have several remote villages we have not yet reached, but hopefully we can do that this year.” 

In 2025, Action Against Hunger screened over 78,000 children in Kenya for malnutrition, and over 13,600 of them were admitted for treatment. Our teams continue to go the most remote and hard-to-reach areas in Kenya so that children like Rashaei get the care they need.  

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Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 26.5 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,500+ dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

CLEVELAND, April 6, 2026 /3BL/ – Economic uncertainty hasn’t slowed Americans down – it’s spurred them into action. KeyBank’s 2026 Financial Mobility Survey Pulse Poll, a follow-up to KeyBank’s Financial Mobility Survey conducted in July 2025, reveals that, though concern about the economy has increased (rising from 26% in 2025 to 28% today across all income levels), Americans are responding to financial pressure with intention, adaptability, and proactive decision-making.

“The financial pressures people face today are real and widespread across the financial spectrum. What stands out, though, is that Americans aren’t waiting for conditions to improve,” said Daniel Brown, EVP & Director, Consumer Product Management at KeyBank. “They’re being proactive and resourceful in response to these pressures, and these aren’t just one-time reactions – 88% of Americans have made at least one meaningful adjustment to their finances. People are navigating the current economic climate through daily decisions that are quickly becoming lasting habits.

Financial Decision-Making Has Become a Daily Practice

Perhaps the most striking finding from KeyBank (NYSE: KEY): one in three Americans (33%) are making financial trade-offs every single day, and another 31% are doing so weekly. That means nearly two-thirds of Americans are actively managing their spending and savings on at least a weekly basis – a sign of financial engagement. Higherearners are not exempt, with a quarter (26%) of those with at least $100,000 in income making daily financial compromises.

Americans Are Finding Smart, Creative Ways to Stretch Their Dollars

The survey’s most empowering finding: 88% of Americans have made at least one meaningful adjustment to their financial behavior, a figure that spans income levels and generations. The most common strategies include switching to less expensive brands or services (59%, up from 49% in 2025), cutting subscriptions or memberships (51%, up from 41%), and reducing discretionary spending (11%, up from 8% in 2025). Side hustles are also rising. More than one in three Americans (35%) has taken on additional work to generate supplemental income, with Gen Z leading the charge at 49%.

Confidence is Softening Across Every Income Level

Americans are taking a more measured view of their personal financial outlook, with optimism at 20% today compared to 26% in 2025. This shift cuts across income levels, with 29% of households earning $100,000 or more reporting a positive outlook, down from 34% in 2025. Notably, millennial adults, while maintaining a baseline level of confidence in their personal finances, are also seeing that sentiment ease, with optimism declining to 23% from 28% in 2025.

Cost-of-Living Pressures Are Reshaping Financial Priorities

When asked about their top financial concerns, Americans pointed overwhelmingly to everyday expenses: grocery prices (58%), housing costs (44%), and healthcare expenses (30%) top the list. Healthcare is a notable mover, up from 22% in 2025, reflecting growing anxiety about medical costs as a driver of financial strain. Even so, 17% of Americans cite retirement savings as a top concern, a signal that despite near-term pressures, many are keeping one eye on the future.

Looking Ahead: KeyBank’s Guidance for 2026

Based on the survey findings, KeyBank has identified five priorities to help Americans turn today’s adjustments into tomorrow’s financial strength:

• Shift from reactive budgeting to proactive planning. With daily financial trade-offs becoming the norm, regularly reviewing spending habits, savings goals, and financial priorities can ensure that short-term adjustments support long-term stability.
   
• Turn supplemental income into lasting progress. Channeling additional income toward emergency savings, debt reduction, or retirement contributions can compound its impact over time.
   
• Seek personalized guidance. Working with a trusted financial partner to build a tailored plan can help Americans navigate uncertainty with greater confidence.
   
• Deepen your relationship with your bank. A strong banking relationship can enhance your banking experience. Some banks have specific relationship programs, like KeyBank’s relationship benefits, which can provide benefits to clients who have a deeper relationship with their bank. 
   
• Turn everyday banking into added value. The right checking account, like KeyBank’s Key Select Checking, or right credit card may also unlock rewards, interest, and relationship benefits.

To learn more about the survey’s findings, visit the KeyBank 2026 Financial Mobility Pulse Poll Executive Summary.

Access KeyBank’s financial wellness online resources, including the Financial Wellness Center’s Banking 101 curriculum, or meet with a local banker to complete a Key Financial Wellness Review to chart a path for a more financially confident future.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online by Schmidt Market Research in January 2026 polling 1,000 Americans ages 18-70. All respondents have sole or shared responsibility for household financial decisions and maintain a checking or savings account. The survey examined respondents’ spending and savings habits, levels of financial confidence, stress and resiliency factors, economic sentiment, and debt impacts.

ABOUT KEYCORP

KeyCorp’s roots trace back more than 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $184 billion at December 31, 2025.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 950 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

CFMA #260327-4271628

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by Jayanth Kashyap, investment lead at Good Fashion Fund

Key Takeaways

• Structural gaps persist in capital, data, policy, and production, creating systems that are out of sync.
• Brands, capital providers, and manufacturers have a key role to play as co-investors in an equitable transition.
• Inclusivity is a prerequisite for progress.

The conversations that stay with me aren’t the ones about ambition. They’re the ones about friction. An small-to-medium-sized textile mill owner in Bangladesh who can’t access a long-term loan because their balance sheet doesn’t fit a bank’s credit model. A brand sustainability team that has committed to Scope 3 targets but can’t finance the transition for their Tier 2 suppliers. A policymaker designing carbon incentives without a clear picture of what manufacturers can absorb.

These aren’t isolated problems. They are symptoms of the same structural gap: capital, data, policy, and production are moving on separate tracks, at different speeds, with different incentives.

That’s the problem the “Source of Good” podcast takes seriously. It’s why I was glad to be part of the conversation in Season 3, and why I am excited to listen to Season 4, which launched this week. Good Fashion Fund works at this intersection, moving affordable capital to SME manufacturers in South and Southeast Asia who are ready to decarbonize but locked out of conventional finance and locked into high carbon assets. What we have found is that the technical and financial solutions largely exist. The harder problem is alignment, and brands have a real role to play here, not just as buyers setting sustainability requirements, but as co-investors in the transition. When brands, capital providers, and manufacturers are pulling in the same direction, individual deals stop being one-offs and start becoming a scalable model.

“Source of Good” doesn’t treat these as parallel conversations. And that’s because the link between supply chain due diligence, procurement decisions, and investment flows isn’t incidental. It’s structural, and none of it holds if workers aren’t part of the conversation. Inclusive progress isn’t a downstream outcome but a condition for the transition to be durable at all. Ultimately, this won’t be driven by any single actor getting it right. It will happen when enough actors stop optimizing in isolation.

This story was originally published on the Truist Newsroom.

Teammate to Know: Craig Robinson

Investment advisor Craig Robinson had an “A-ha!” moment during his bedtime storytelling routine with his daughters, inspiring the Bull and Bear financial literacy series. He introduced his first book in April 2022.

Craig saw a gap in children’s books about money and investing, noting they lacked an essential element: “FUN!” His vibrant characters, Bull, the optimistic investor, and Bear, the cautious saver, make financial topics accessible for kids aged three to nine.

In honor of National Financial Literacy Month this April, Robinson was interviewed about his book and how it’s impacting young readers.

Describe the Bull and Bear series’ storyline?

The series brings essential financial concepts to life through engaging contrasting characters and rhyming text.

• Bull is Mr. Investor—aggressive, tech-savvy, always seeking new ways to diversify, and eternally optimistic (a nod to the classic “bull market”).
• Bear is more old-school, preferring safe investments, often cautious, and still relying on the morning newspaper.

Here’s a synopsis of the books:

• “Race at the Big Board” introduces Bull and Bear and their two wildly different investment strategies.

• “Learn Piggy Banks’ Golden Rule” shows Bear how to save for a shiny red bike with the help of the new character: Piggy Banks.

• “Build a Bright Future with Bonds” helps Bull and Bear discover the importance of diversifying their portfolios with bonds, while also learning about giving and investing in their communities.

(All of the books contain a glossary of financial terms covered in the back.)

How did you come up with characters like Bull, Bear, Piggy Banks, and Eagle to explain financial concepts to kids?

I leveraged concepts that already exist in the financial world. We are (mostly) familiar with a Bull market which is when stock prices rise and a Bear market which is when stock prices fall. This illustrates opposing investment strategies.

A piggy bank is the most recognizable early lesson on saving; I also wanted to introduce a female character to the series. For the concept of a trusted advisor—which is my day job at Truist— an Eagle was the ideal symbol to represent the treasury and government finance, given its iconic status in the U.S. I simply took these existing ideas and gave them fun, engaging personalities.

How did you decide which topics were “just right” for young readers to grasp without oversimplifying?

I understand why concepts like investing, stocks, and bonds are often left out of school curriculums; they are complex. In my opinion, children don’t have to fully understand these advanced concepts; rather, they just need to be introduced to them in a friendly, non-intimidating way. Leveraging my background in investment advisory helped me simplify complex topics. For example, explaining saving and the need to earn money to get what you want (like in the Piggy Banks book) is a more relatable storyline for younger readers to grasp.

What’s one financial concept you thought would be hard to explain to kids—but found a creative way to make it click?

The stock market. Sometimes my daughters who are ages 9, 8 and 6 will see me watching business news channels or Chief Investment Officer and Chief Market Strategist Keith Lerner on TV and they shout out, “Look, it’s Bull’s day!” The association they make between green up arrow to symbolize markets rising and the Bull character is incredibly strong at that age. While they might not fully grasp investment types, they get the fundamental concept that some days are “Bull days” (stocks going up) and some are “Bear days” (stocks going down). Seeing that color association clicking for them showed me that the character approach was the right strategy.

What’s a moment when you saw your books spark a real financial conversation between a child and their parent or teacher?

I (know a reader) who is one of the biggest fans of my books who bought it when it was first published in 2022 for his 5-year-old. Now, years later, his child asks if he can read the book(s) to him instead, and he’s opening a custodial account for his son, so they can buy and track stocks together. That, to me, is the ultimate success. It’s about normalizing money as a topic at home that everyone can discuss. That’s how we initiate real change—by starting the education and conversations early.

How do you hope your books shape the way kids think about money as they grow into adulthood?

My ultimate hope is that they make an investment early and learn to navigate the equity and fixed income markets and other financial opportunities without fear or a lack of confidence. If they establish a strong foundation—ways to earn money, maintaining a savings account, giving to charity, and perhaps holding an investment portfolio— then they’ve already proven how much they’ve gotten out of the series. They will be on a path to fulfilling their own financial destiny.

What do you do for work?

I work as an institutional investment manager in Truist Wealth’s Institutional Investment management group. I help nonprofit clients manage their investments and create strategies so they can reach both their short-term and long-term financial goals.

To read the full interview, click here.

LINCOLN, Neb., April 6, 2026 /3BL/ – Ponterra today announced a new project finance loan and partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, the world’s largest nonprofit organisation dedicated to planting trees. The loan represents one of the first project finance investments from the Arbor Day Foundation’s mission driven investment initiative, the Arbor Day Impact Fund.

The loan provided by the Arbor Day Impact Fund will support early-stage operations at Ponterra’s latest project, La Esperanza, the largest Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) project in Mexico. Designed to scale to over 100,000 Ha, La Esperanza restores degraded agricultural and idle lands into biodiverse native forest, providing a financially and environmentally sustainable income for local community members.

“Arbor Day’s unique combination of deep carbon market experience and unparalleled reputation make them ideal partners for Ponterra as we bring La Esperanza to market. We applaud the Foundation for stepping up to provide impact capital to projects when they need it most and look forward to working together to unlock nature-based solutions at scale,” said Leigh Madeira, Head of Investments, Ponterra.

“Early-stage reforestation projects often face a critical gap between planting trees and securing long-term financial sustainability. We want to close that gap by pairing low-cost capital with market access. This partnership with Ponterra demonstrates a shared commitment to building forestry projects that deliver positive environmental and social outcomes,” said Pete Davis, Managing Director of the Arbor Day Impact Fund.

For the initial 10,000 Ha, Ponterra will plant more than 6 million trees from more than 50 different native species. The project will create over 200 formal jobs, strengthening community prosperity through employment, skills training, and revenue-sharing. As a result, La Esperanza is forecast to deliver over $160 million in community benefits in the next 40 years.

The Arbor Day Impact Fund was created to fill a critical gap in early-stage finance for nature-based solutions. While demand for high quality reforestation is rising, few financing mechanisms exist that can deploy mission-aligned capital into the early stage of project development, when it is needed the most yet hardest to secure. Through the Arbor Day Impact Fund, the Arbor Day Foundation addresses this gap by providing impact-first, catalytic debt and equity investments that prioritise measurable environmental outcomes and demonstrate that reforestation projects can be financed responsibly and at scale.

Alongside the loan, Ponterra and the Arbor Day Foundation have established a partnership that enables the Foundation and its corporate partners to claim tree planting rights from project activities at La Esperanza as part of their own reforestation commitments. The Arbor Day Foundation will also make La Esperanza available to its vast network of corporates for offtake and upfront financing, giving them access to tree planting claims and carbon credits from one of Latin America’s most ambitious reforestation projects.

Since 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has planted over 500 million trees and works with corporate partners to integrate tree planting into sustainability strategies. The Foundation already partners with project developers globally, including Taking Root in Nicaragua, and GreenTrees in the Mississippi River Valley, to connect corporate demand for high-integrity reforestation with credible, scalable projects. The partnership with Ponterra expands this portfolio into Mexico and adds a large-scale native species restoration project with both carbon and biodiversity outcomes.

The transaction follows Ponterra’s recent announcement of a first-of-a-kind biodiversity credit-backed loan from Fondo Nimbus, and reinforces growing investor confidence in Ponterra’s integrated approach to carbon, biodiversity, and community impact. Together, these transactions demonstrate that diverse sources of capital, from impact-first philanthropic finance to outcomes-based investment, can be mobilised into large-scale restoration when underpinned by operational excellence, high integrity project design, and deep community engagement.

About Ponterra

Ponterra is a commercial developer and operator of biodiversity-rich reforestation projects with the mission to restore nature at scale. Ponterra develops high-quality carbon projects that sequester carbon, restore biodiversity, and uplift rural communities through a vertically integrated model that blends ecology, operations, finance, and technology. Ponterra’s portfolio includes large-scale projects in Panama and Mexico, as well as pioneering biodiversity credits as the only ARR project developer selected for Verra’s SD VISta Nature Credit pilot program. For more information, please visit https://ponterra.eco/.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners.

And this is only the beginning.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

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