Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York Honors Citi at Annual Celebration at the Museum of Modern Art

Released April 24, 2013

Contact: Phoebe Plagens, pplagens@cccnewyork.org,  212-673-1800 ext. 19

Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York Honors Citi at Annual Celebration at the Museum of Modern Art

New York, NY – Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) honored Citi last night at its annual event at the Museum of Modern Art. Citi was recognized for its innovative work advancing the field of asset-building and financial capability in low-income communities. The cocktail reception and art event was to benefit CCC, New York City’s premier multi-issue, non-profit and non-partisan child advocacy organization, founded 69 years ago by Eleanor Roosevelt. This is the fourth year that CCC hosted this event to support its independent research, education and advocacy to improve the lives of the nearly 2 million children living in New York City.

“CCC has been truly inspired by the work that Citi has undertaken to provide low-income families with help achieving financial stability so that they have the tools needed to provide for the long-term well-being of their children,” said Jennifer March-Joly. “Our annual event at MoMA is a time to celebrate those who are making a difference in the lives of children and families, and we are privileged to have the opportunity to recognize Citi for their pioneering efforts in the area of asset development.”

With 1 in 3 New York City children living in poverty, CCC champions innovative policies and programs that help all families to save for long-term goals, such as higher education and home ownership. Citi is at the forefront of these critically important initiatives and has invested over $200 million in the financial education and asset building needs of the communities they serve. Accepting on behalf of Citi was James A. Forese, Co-President of Citi and Chief Executive Officer of its Institutional Clients Group.

“Citi is incredibly honored to be recognized by Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York. They are an exceptionally worthy organization and we are proud to partner with them to help address the needs and rights of children,” said Mr. Forese.

Citi’s groundbreaking initiatives at the community level include financial education opportunities for vulnerable children. Citi’s work includes the Kindergarten to College Program which helped more than 3,300 Kindergarten students in San Francisco learn how to begin to save for college and manage their savings over time, and the Youth Financial Empowerment initiative in New York City, which teaches young people in foster care, ages 16 to 21, how to manage money and prepare for financial independence and link them to savings platforms (IDAs).

World-renowned sculptor and native New Yorker Joel Shapiro also joined CCC as Honorary Artist and Special Guest. Shapiro has had exhibitions and retrospectives in museums and galleries around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Said Shapiro, “I can think of no more essential and meaningful cause than the advocacy of children’s rights. I am delighted to be honored by the Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York.”

Festivities began at 6 pm with a VIP reception and private viewing of the 2013 Museum of Modern Art exhibition Claes Oldenburg: The Street and The Store. From 7- 9 pm, guests gathered in the Agnes Gund Garden Lobby for a cocktail reception, viewing of the contemporary galleries, and a silent auction.

Attendees included Honorary Event Chairs Agnes Gund, Alexandra Herzan and James G. Niven. CCC Executive Director Jennifer March-Joly, Chairman Chris Stern Hyman and President Jessica Aaron were also in attendance. Event Co-Chairs included Joan Davidson and Neil Barsky, Diana and Frederick Elghanayan, Ricki Tigert Helfer and Michael Helfer, Nancy and Alan N. Locker, and Susan Wasserstein and George Sard.

About CCC

Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York educates and mobilizes New Yorkers to make the city a better place for children. Since 1944, our advocacy has combined public policy research and data analysis with citizen action. We cast light on the issues, educate the public, engage allies, and identify and promote practical solutions to ensure that every New York City child is healthy, housed, educated and safe. For more information on CCC, visit our web site at www.cccnewyork.org. Stay up to date on the latest news and information regarding the well-being of New York City’s children by following us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/cccnewyork) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/CCCNewYork).

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at http://www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://new.citi.com | Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi.