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Citi Foundation $50,000 Grant for Scholarships and Careers

August 4, 2011

Denver, Colorado – August 4, 2011 – The Citi Foundation granted $50,000 to the American Indian College Fund to continue the Citi Foundation Scholarship & Career Exploration Program. This program provides scholarships to Native students attending the following tribal colleges and universities in South Dakota: Sisseton Wahpeton College, Oglala Lakota College, or Sinte Gleska University.

As part of the grant, The Citi Foundation will also sponsor a one-day career fair at Sinte Gleska University in the spring of 2012. Citi representatives, tribal program administrators, and city and county department officials from the region will introduce students to career opportunities around South Dakota and beyond.

Ruth A Christopherson, Senior Vice President, Citi Community Development, said, “Education is the universal economic development tool, and life is all about developing strong and successful partnerships. Due to the efforts of the American Indian College Fund and through investments in tribal schools and Native students from the private sector and companies like Citi, we are slowly seeing a change in the number of Native Americans earning post-secondary education degrees. The lives of thousands of people in Indian Country are being transformed through the American Indian College Fund, and Citi is proud to count the Fund as its longtime partner.”

“For nearly two decades, the Citi Foundation has supported American Indians in higher education in South Dakota who are attending tribal colleges and universities,” said Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. “Through the Citi Foundation’s involvement, students have a chance to attend college and create a better life for themselves and their families, making a positive and lasting impact in Indian Country.”

About the Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation is committed to the economic empowerment of individuals and families, particularly those in need, in the communities where we work so that they can improve their standard of living. Globally, the Citi Foundation targets its strategic giving to priority focus areas: Microfinance and Microenterprise, Small and Growing Businesses, College and Careers, and Financial Capability and Asset Building. In the United States, the Citi Foundation also supports Neighborhood Revitalization programs. The Citi Foundation works with its partners in Microfinance and Microenterprise, Small and Growing Businesses, and Neighborhood Revitalization to support environmental programs and innovations. Additional information can be found at www.citifoundation.com.