Over the past five years, The Prudential Foundation has been a critical partner in LIFT’s fight to eliminate intergenerational poverty. This past year, Prudential doubled-down on its commitment to LIFT’s mission by investing $1.5M in our work with families across the country. In addition to this generous commitment, we’re excited to have one of Prudential’s most influential and civic-minded leaders join our national board of directors. In theme with this year’s annual report, we sat down with Dele Oladapo and the Prudential team to reflect on the next chapter of Prudential’s commitment.
LIFT: Thank you, Dele and everyone at The Prudential Foundation, for your commitment to creating opportunities for hardworking families. Our first question: why do you LIFT? Why are you excited to partner with LIFT?
The Prudential Foundation: At Prudential, we seek to create opportunities for financial security for all Americans through our business and social impact strategies. For us to achieve this ambitious goal, it is critical that we partner with organizations that are working on innovative solutions to address the most complex social and financial barriers to economic security and mobility for financially vulnerable communities. LIFT is one of those partners.
LIFT: What do you see as LIFT’s unique value add to the social sector and to communities in which we serve?
The Prudential Foundation: LIFT’s approach of working with parents/caregivers is smart because we know that child well-being is deeply connected to the success of their parents. One of the most overlooked aspects of well-being is financial stress. LIFT’s ability to provide financial coaching and appropriate financial products and services is critical to addressing a family’s financial challenges and increasing the economic mobility for its members.
LIFT: The theme of this year‘s annual report is The Next Chapter. Recently, the Prudential Foundation made a catalytic investment in LIFT’s work by committing $1.5M. What are your hopes for this next stage of investment?
The Prudential Foundation: Over the next three years, Prudential looks forward to seeing LIFT accomplish its ambition goal to improve the financial well-being of its members and increase their confidence to make good financial decisions. Through its financial coaching program, LIFT will help its members access safe, reliable and appropriate financial products that meet their specific goals and needs and move them toward a pathway to financial stability, security and resiliency.
LIFT: Dele, we are thrilled that you recently joined our national board of directors. What compelled you to serve with LIFT and what do you hope to achieve together?
Dele: The opportunity to serve a board member for LIFT, is tied to the organization’s mission to address poverty. As a son to immigrant parents from Nigeria, my humble beginnings provided a first hand perspective on what poverty can do to families. Being able to help families across urban locations like NYC, Chicago and LA, will allow me to make an impact at scale. It is my hope that we can increase the number of families above the poverty line and to have sustainability in each family’s success.
This story was featured in our 2018 annual report, The Next Chapter. Explore the interactive, all-digital report now: Report.WhyWeLIFT.org