SunTrust Foundation Provides Grants of $16.6 Million in 2016 to Boost Financial Well-Being

ATLANTA, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The SunTrust Foundation announced today it provided $16.6 million in 2016 to more than 1,500 educational institutions and nonprofits to help advance financial stability in its markets.

"We are fortunate to have the ability to give back to our communities in ways that directly align to SunTrust's purpose of Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being," said David Fuller, president of the SunTrust Foundation. "Our grants are strategically allocated to help people get access to the building blocks that lead to financial confidence, including financial education and counseling, entrepreneurship and career readiness skills."

In 2016, grants were up by $2.5 million from the year prior, with an increased emphasis on efforts that promoted financial well-being. The grants provided helped more than 173,000 people take steps that lead to financial confidence. Since its inception in 2008, the SunTrust Foundation has provided grants totaling more than $100 million to not-for-profit organizations focused on education, health and human services, and civic and cultural activities.

Major 2016 recipients included:

• Georgia State University (GSU) for a Financial Management Center to help students address financial issues to increase graduation rates and the creation of a GSU/SunTrust National  Playbook to share with other universities
• Junior Achievement in Tampa to create a  Finance Park that brings financial education to students 
• United Way Worldwide to create a best-in-class online portal for financial
  well-being resources 
• Operation HOPE to digitize and expand the reach of its learning curriculum
• Florida International University (FIU) for a Financial Wellness Clinic to promote financial literacy and stability to the FIU community, high school students and their parents 
• Virginia Union University to create a financial education program for students, parents and the local community 
• Autism Speaks to create a Financial Planning Toolkit for families to plan for the long-term financial needs of children with special needs 
• American Red Cross to assist in disaster relief efforts

Additionally, SunTrust teammates donated $6.5 million to United Way during the company's annual giving campaign, the most in SunTrust's history. SunTrust also is among the United Way Global Corporate Leaders and has the highest level of Tocqueville giving in Atlanta.

About SunTrust Banks, Inc.
SunTrust Banks, Inc. (NYSE: STI) is a purpose-driven company dedicated to Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being for the people, businesses, and communities it serves. Headquartered in Atlanta, the Company has three business segments: Consumer Banking and Private Wealth Management, Wholesale Banking, and Mortgage Banking. Its flagship subsidiary, SunTrust Bank, operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, along with 24-hour digital access. Certain business lines serve consumer, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients nationally. As of September 30, 2016, SunTrust had total assets of $205 billion and total deposits of $159 billion. The Company provides deposit, credit, trust, investment, mortgage, asset management, securities brokerage, and capital market services. SunTrust leads onUp, a national movement inspiring Americans to build financial confidence. Join the movement at onUp.com.

About SunTrust Foundation
The SunTrust Foundation is dedicated to the company's purpose of Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being by engaging organizations to advance financial confidence. Grants and activities focus primarily on financial empowerment, but also include education, health and human services, civic improvement and cultural growth. The SunTrust Foundation supports American Red Cross disaster relief efforts and contributes as a United Way Global Corporate Leader. Established in 2008, the SunTrust Foundation has proudly provided grants totaling more than $100 million throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

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SOURCE SunTrust Banks, Inc.