ATLANTA, Jan. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The SunTrust Foundation announced today that it awarded $19.5 million in grants in 2018 to more than 1,300 nonprofits and educational institutions to ignite financial confidence throughout the country.

"At the SunTrust Foundation, we partner with nonprofit organizations that share our vision of improving the life circumstances and economic stability of communities," said Stan Little, president of the SunTrust Foundation. "Our giving focuses on efforts that meet the unique needs of these communities and positively impact the lives of people across America."

The grants awarded by the foundation helped more than 500,000 people take steps to improve their financial well-being. Since its inception in 2008, the SunTrust Foundation has provided grants totaling more than $160 million to nonprofit organizations focused on financial education, financial counseling, career development/workforce readiness, small business/entrepreneurship and other aspects of community support and development.

Some of the major 2018 recipients included:

• LIFT Orlando, part of Purpose Built Communities, to establish the SunTrust Financial Well-Being Center at the Communities of West Lakes to offer residents a wide range of support services to help them gain financial stability.

• Boys and Girls Clubs of America to fund its Workforce Development Effectiveness Project to provide greater economic opportunities for youth across America by introducing them to various career paths, skill development and work experiences.

• NCGrowth, an affiliated center of the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, to help create new jobs and scalable entrepreneurialism for transformative economic development in Elizabeth City, North Carolina; North Charleston, South Carolina and the Piedmont Triad region, North Carolina.

• Junior Achievement (JA) of Middle Tennessee to expand the innovative JA Finance Park to immerse middle and high school students in personal finance and career options.

• University of Tennessee (UT) Institute of Agriculture to increase financial literacy among middle and high school students across Tennessee through UT Extension's On My Own program.

• National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®) to support a large scale NFCC pilot that will provide bilingual and culturally sensitive financial counseling and education for Hispanic/Latino consumers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and the Houston, Texas metropolitan area.

• Chapman Partnership to fund the new Empower You program, a workforce orientation and job readiness training program to help homeless job seekers obtain employment.

• Loudoun Education Foundation to expand its Community School Initiative to Forest Grove, Sugarland, Guilford, Sterling, Sully and Rolling Ridge elementary schools in Loudoun County in Virginia.

• DC Students Construction Trades Foundation to expand skilled trades career and technical education through paid internships and hands-on building projects in the District of Columbia.

• Durham Tech Foundation to establish the Phail Wynn SunTrust Foundation Scholarship.

• American Red Cross to assist disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Florence and Michael.

• United Way to support local United Way organizations throughout the Southeastern United States. Separately, SunTrust Bank teammates and retirees donated to the United Way's annual giving campaign. SunTrust Foundation and SunTrust Bank are United Way Global Corporate Leaders.

About SunTrust FoundationThe SunTrust Foundation is committed to SunTrust Bank's (NYSE: STI) purpose of Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being by engaging with local and national organizations to advance financial confidence. Grants and activities focus primarily on financial education, financial counseling, career readiness and small business/entrepreneurship, in addition to local community grants. 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 $160 million throughout the United States.

About SunTrust Banks, Inc.SunTrust Banks, Inc. is a purpose-driven company dedicated to Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being for the people, businesses, and communities it serves. SunTrust leads onUp, a national movement inspiring Americans to build financial confidence. Headquartered in Atlanta, the Company has two business segments: Consumer and Wholesale. 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, 2018, SunTrust had total assets of $211 billion and total deposits of $160 billion. The Company provides deposit, credit, trust, investment, mortgage, asset management, securities brokerage, and capital market services. Learn more at suntrust.com.

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SOURCE SunTrust Banks, Inc.