Business and Finance
FACE teams up with TD to launch the “Propelling Black Entrepreneurship Program” with 50 grants to support Black entrepreneurs
he program will support Black business owners in the creation of critical business and financial documents to help improve access to financing
MONTREAL /CNW Telbec/ – The Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE), a nonprofit organization offering the first-of-its-kind Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund has collaborated with TD Bank Group (TD) to deliver its new “Propelling Black Entrepreneurship Program” and offer 50 grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to Black entrepreneurs across Canada. This program has been developed to support Black entrepreneurs in the creation of their business and financial documents, including business plans, financial statements, and tax filings to help improve access to financing
Participants in the program will receive training, tools, best practices, and mentorship opportunities related to managing and presenting financial documents and have access to FACE’s regional partners and corporate service providers, spanning leading financial and consulting firms. Business owners will also have the opportunity to partake in quarterly virtual and/or in-person sessions focused on preparing a strong business case for financing from lenders. The program has been designed to help Black business owners through the different stages of their entrepreneurial journey, so they can successfully access capital and scale their businesses.
FACE teams up with TD to provide 50 grants to support Black entrepreneursTweet
“There are many challenges for entrepreneurs as they pursue their business ventures, including navigating financial processes and paperwork. These challenges are accentuated for Black entrepreneurs who often also face bias in the financial system,” says Tiffany Callender, Chief Executive Officer of FACE. This program addresses some of these barriers by providing them with tools and advice so they can best manage and present their documents. Our sponsorship by TD helps support these applicants to be able to submit financially strong applications, thereby significantly increasing their chances of securing funding. Moreover, this program is open to all Black business owners interested in applying for loans, even if they have not worked with FACE before.”
“We are extremely proud to support “Propelling Black Entrepreneurship” through the TD Ready Commitment, the Bank’s corporate citizenship platform,” said Alicia Rose, Associate Vice President, Social Impact – Canada, TD Bank Group. “We know the value that entrepreneurs bring to our communities and to our local economies. Through these 50 grants, our aim is to help remove the barriers and potential bias that limit Black entrepreneurs from accessing financing to help fund their ambitions.”
Since its inauguration in 2021, FACE has raised $160 million in capital, including $130 million from Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), and disbursed $21.7 million, cementing itself as a catalyst for Black generational wealth creation and empowering Black Canadian entrepreneurs.
The Propelling Black Entrepreneurship program will launch in April 2023, the details for participating in this program will be available on FACE’s website at https://facecoalition.com/
About FACE
The Federation of African Canadian Economics is a coalition of Black-led organizations dedicated to stimulating economic growth and creating generational wealth for Canadians of African Descent. In 2021 FACE was launched to address the needs of Black business owners and entrepreneurs who were economically devastated during the pandemic.
SOURCE The Federation of African Canadian Economics
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News
Money Management: The Importance of Financial Literacy
You may have mastered the core subjects like math and grammar in school, but financial literacy – or understanding the basics of money management in order to help you make better financial decisions – often goes overlooked before adulthood. It’s not so much a course of study as it is a plan of action. When you understand how to earn, save, spend and invest wisely, you aren’t just building a stable future for yourself, but your family and community as well.
(Feature Impact) You may have mastered the core subjects like math and grammar in school, but financial literacy – or understanding the basics of money management in order to help you make better financial decisions – often goes overlooked before adulthood. It’s not so much a course of study as it is a plan of action.
Financial literacy in the United States has remained stagnant at generally low levels for several years, according to research from TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center, with even lower levels among Gen Z. Yet greater financial literacy – including key aspects such as goal-setting, budgeting, saving, credit management and investing – is strongly linked to better financial outcomes, including lower rates of debt constraint and financial fragility.
While emboldening yourself to understand financial terms can be a little overwhelming at first, once you have a grasp of basic concepts you can begin to get a handle on your money and make better financial decisions. Simply put: When you understand how to earn, save, spend and invest wisely, you aren’t just building a stable future for yourself, but your family and community as well.
From nonprofit partnerships to volunteer-led programs and fee online resources, Schwab and its employees help millions of people every year build the knowledge and confidence to take charge of their financial futures by serving as board members, mentors, role models and educators.
Because financial health is a lifelong journey, the earlier people learn vital money skills, the better. That’s why the financial advisory services provider develops education programs geared toward kids that continue into adulthood, helping people no matter where they are on their journeys.
Talk Money
It’s never too early to start a conversation about financial literacy. Having teens identify goals that are important to them – such as concert tickets or a first car – can kickstart coversations about money. Working with your child (and a financial advisor, if necessary) on a plan for saving to realize those goals can serve as a jumping off point. After achieving some success, their enthusiasm may grow, which is a powerful motivator to keep saving.
Support School Initiatives and Programs
Outreach programs that empower young people to make smart financial decisions is key to a bright future. Programs like Money Matters – Schwab’s flagship financial education program utilized by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America – gives young people hands-on experience with all aspects of money and investing.
This example, and others, don’t just include program funding – they build partnerships that create impact and opportunity with national collaborations that reach more than 17 million youth annually, empowering young people with the tools and confidence to make smart financial decisions for life.
Spread the Financial Love
Championing financial literacy empowers everyone – individuals, families and communities. By serving as a board member, mentor, role model or educator to help bring financial literacy to others in your community, you can supply the tools and knowledge to lead programs that focus on giving back, empowering future generations in countless ways.
To learn more about financial literacy and find resources to empower your local community, visit SchwabMoneywise.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Travel
Tighter Budgets Haven’t Stopped Travel. They’ve Changed How Americans Plan
Tighter Budgets Haven’t Stopped Travel:Tighter budgets are altering American travel plans, but most still prioritize vacations despite financial concerns.
Last Updated on April 12, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Tighter Budgets Haven’t Stopped Travel. They’ve Changed How Americans Plan
(Tiffany Miller for ALG Vacations) The flight search is open, but many travelers are pausing before they book. Prices feel higher than last year, headlines are heavy and budgets are tighter. Still, the question isn’t whether to take a vacation, but how to make it work.
A November 2025 survey from ALG Vacations of U.S. adults planning to travel in 2026 shows that financial pressure is reshaping how people approach vacations, not whether they take them. While 81% say they have at least some concern about their household finances in the months ahead, 92% say they would still travel even if tighter finances required scaling back.
Financial pressure shapes decisions, not demand
That shift shows up in the small moments of planning. Travelers are taking longer to compare prices, reconsidering timing and adjusting expectations before they book.
Inflation and rising prices top the list of concerns, cited by 61% of respondents, reinforcing why travelers are rethinking destinations, trip length and overall costs.
Concerns about global events and safety follow at 39%, with broader political and economic instability close behind at 38%.
Still, those worries rarely lead travelers to walk away from travel altogether. Instead, many describe pulling back in measured ways, scaling down plans, rethinking details and making trade-offs that keep a trip possible, even if it looks different than originally imagined.
Experience changes how travelers move from planning to booking
Not all travelers navigate those trade-offs the same way. For some, uncertainty slows the process. For others, familiarity helps clear the final hurdle.
Among respondents who have previously booked a packaged vacation through a major vacation brand, 80% say they plan to take an international trip in the next year, compared with 46% of those without that experience.
That confidence carries into spending decisions as well. Sixty-seven percent of packaged-vacation travelers expect to spend more than $2,500 on their next trip, compared with 47% of those who have never booked a packaged vacation.
Taken together, the findings point to a confidence gap, with prior experience linked to greater comfort committing to international travel and higher spending.
Professional guidance plays a larger role when planning gets complex
For many travelers, planning no longer stops at picking dates and destinations. Rising prices, shifting availability and higher expectations have turned vacation planning into a series of decisions that feel harder to navigate alone.
That complexity shows up most clearly among travelers with prior packaged-vacation experience. Ninety-four percent say they plan to use a travel advisor, compared with 81% of those without prior packaged-vacation experience.
The gap suggests that familiarity with structured travel planning often leads travelers to seek expert guidance. As trips become more layered, getting the details right matters as much as the destination itself.
Travel remains a priority, even as decisions slow
The findings suggest that travel is still very much on the table, even as decisions take longer to make. Travelers are weighing trade-offs, seeking guidance and leaning on experience as they plan, rather than walking away altogether.
The flight search may stay open a little longer this year. But for many Americans, the trip is still happening.
Methodology
ALG Vacations commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of U.S. adults planning to travel and travelers with prior packaged-vacation experience in the United States.
The survey included 1,000 adults planning to travel and a subsample of 502 respondents who had previously booked a packaged vacation through a major vacation brand.
The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the full sample and 4 percentage points for the packaged vacation subsample at a 95 percent confidence level.
Fieldwork was conducted in November 2025. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Community
McDonald’s First Job Confessional Turns Career Stories Into Free Meal Opportunity
McDonald’s is launching First Job Confessional, a campaign inviting fans to share first job stories for a chance to receive a $15 gift card in select cities.
First Job Confessional
McDonald’s is putting first jobs in the spotlight with a new campaign that asks fans to share the real-world skills they gained early in their working lives. Launched on National Employee Appreciation Day, the brand’s First Job Confessional invites people to reflect on how those first roles helped shape their careers — and, in some cases, earn a free meal in the process.
The campaign is built around a simple idea: first jobs often teach lasting skills that deserve more recognition. Whether someone learned problem-solving while babysitting, communication during a lunch rush, or teamwork behind a counter, McDonald’s is framing those experiences as valuable career foundations. The company says those are the same kinds of skills employers continue to prioritize as workplace demands evolve.
How the First Job Confessional Works
In select cities, McDonald’s is setting up confessional booths designed to look like ordering kiosks. But instead of placing a meal order, participants can record a story about their first job and the skills they picked up along the way. Those who take part in person will have the opportunity to receive a $15 McDonald’s gift card, while supplies last.
Fans who cannot attend in person can still join online by posting their stories using #FirstJobConfessional. McDonald’s says selected videos may also be featured on its YouTube channel, extending the campaign beyond the live events.
External Related Links
- McDonald’s corporate article: McDonald’s is Asking Fans to Get Real About Their First Job Skills in Exchange for Free Meals
- McDonald’s 1 in 8: First Job Confessional
- McDonald’s 1 in 8 home page
- Marketing Dive coverage of the campaign
- Parade coverage of the First Job Confessional tour
Source Links
- Original PRNewswire press release from McDonald’s USA, LLC
- McDonald’s official corporate story
- McDonald’s 1 in 8 First Job Confessional page
- McDonald’s 1 in 8 official website
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