City of Savannah Selected for CFE Fund Initiative

Savannah Selected for CFE Fund Initiative to Advance Wealth-Building Strategies 

City selected for national CityStart initiative focused on financial empowerment

SAVANNAH – The City of Savannah has been selected to participate in the CityStart initiative, a program led by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) that supports local governments in developing comprehensive financial empowerment strategies.

The City will receive intensive technical aid and a $100,000 planning grant to craft a community-informed financial empowerment blueprint. This plan will guide policy and programming to support residents in building assets, improving economic mobility, and creating long-term financial stability.

“Building wealth at the neighborhood level is key to building a stronger Savannah for everyone,” Mayor Van R. Johnson II said “Through this initiative, we are not only addressing the barriers our residents face now but also creating a roadmap that breaks generational curses and empowers families to leave financial legacies for their children’s, children.”

“CityStart gives Savannah the tools, expertise, and partnerships we need to turn financial empowerment into lasting outcomes for our residents,” City Manager Jay Melder said, “We’re excited to build on the work we’ve already begun and to design a locally driven strategy that reflects the voices and needs of our community.”

“Across the country, leaders are using the levers of local government to deploy financial empowerment strategies that improve their residents’ financial stability,” Jonathan Mintz, president and CEO of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund said. “Our CityStart initiative provides a platform for deep engagement between governments, residents, and other critical partners to create a community-informed plan for transforming residents’ financial lives. We look forward to working with the City of Savannah and Mayor Van Johnson to advance financial empowerment and wealth opportunities in Savannah.”

This effort builds on earlier initiatives focused on financial literacy and economic mobility in Savannah. Through CityStart, the City will align its blueprint with local priorities and partnership opportunities, helping residents grow, sustain, and protect their assets. Savannah joins the seventh national CityStart cohort, which also includes Kansas City, Mo.; Memphis, Tenn.; Milwaukee County, WI; Springfield, Mass.; and St. Petersburg, Fla.

To date, 44 localities have participated in the CityStart process. City leaders will collaborate with peers across the country to share ideas, best practices, and strategies for addressing shared challenges in local policy, data, and program design. Earlier CityStart cities have already launched innovative financial empowerment initiatives, such as Cincinnati, Ohio and Leon County, Fla.

# # #

About the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund 
The CFE Fund supports municipal efforts to improve the financial stability of households by leveraging opportunities unique to local government. By translating cutting edge experience with large scale programs, research, and policy in cities of all sizes, the CFE Fund assists mayors and other local leaders in nearly 150 cities and counties to identify, develop, fund, implement, and research pilots and programs that help families build assets and make the most of their financial resources – including 44 local governments that already have participated in the CityStart engagement. The CFE Fund has disbursed over $69 million in grant support to municipal partners. For more information, please visit www.cfefund.org or follow us on Bluesky at @cfefund.bsky.social