The National Credit Union Foundation made financial education the overwhelming focus of its grant making for next year, allocating more than $294,000 to 15 credit union financial education projects.

"At the Foundation strategic planning meeting a few months ago, we decided to make financial education a priority in 2011," said Bucky Sebastian, NCUF executive director. "Financial education has long been a part of the Foundation's and REAL Solutions' mission. It's also vital to the success of credit unions and consumers nationwide."

The projects included a financial education program that focused on participants in the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program run by the Mid-America Credit Union Association to a project run by the Filene Research Institute that will help low income workers support their savings efforts through an approach based on the popular "Weight Watchers" program.