Old National Bank Foundation 20 for 20 Grantee Profiles: CLIMB USA and Specialized Investment Education
As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, and two decades of helping build stronger, more vibrant and prosperous communities, the Old National Bank Foundation in 2026 is donating a total of $20,000 to 20 nonprofit organizations throughout its nine-state footprint, including CLIMB USA, located in Madison, Wisc.
CLIMB USA offers an innovative model that expands what financial empowerment can look like. Through investment education and community-based investment opportunities, participants gain real-world experience in building wealth and understanding financial markets, seeing themselves as investors and decision-makers in their own financial future.
Success through specialized investment education
“We did not want to reinvent the wheel,” said CLIMB USA Founder, President and CEO Bob Wynn. “CLIMB simply brings efficacious educational and wealth-building programs and resources to communities that historically have not had credible information or guidance. We help communities properly engage with the capital markets as part of their wealth-building strategy. Our distinct niche is specialized investment education, whereas most traditional financial education programs primarily emphasize credit, saving and budgeting.”
CLIMB USA success stories include:
- An adult member of the Milwaukee-based CLIMB USA Case Study Investment Club learned about a technology company when another club member presented it as a stock to consider buying, seeing a $5,000 investment increase to $100,000 five years later.
- A 10th grader joined the CLIMB Youth Leaders program at a time when he was unclear about his postsecondary future. Exposure to a cohort of seriously minded, college-bound peers, and CLIMB’s nationally renowned economics instructor, inspired him to set his sights on a four-year higher education. He graduated with a degree in Economics and is now pursuing a Ph.D.
- A cohort of students from Madison, Milwaukee, and Atlanta got to know one another through their multi-year participation in the CLIMB Youth Leaders program while they were in high school. The group of six remained in contact and ended up establishing their own investment club, investing $25 per month per member to build a portfolio of growth stocks. They have opened their own brokerage account and are poised for lifelong learning and investing through the proven investment club model, which was originally pioneered by CLIMB’s partner, Detroit-based BetterInvesting.
Super-charging economic empowerment
CLIMB USA is helping shift expectations and open doors, making financial independence feel more accessible and achievable for individuals and families across the communities it serves.
“The Old National Bank Foundation’s support is instrumental to our mission of advancing economic empowerment in underserved communities,” Wynn said. “The Old National Bank Foundations’ grants support our Stock Market Experience, which is the first phase of our three-phase Launchpad framework. The bank also helps to fund our CLIMB Youth Leaders program, allowing us to hire CLIMB Youth Leaders as interns to help coordinate and manage key aspects of the Stock Market Experience. Beyond financial support, we appreciate the in-kind support of ONB employees who give presentations, such as to Stock Market Experience participants this summer.”
Bringing real-world economic education to all
Together, these partnerships through the Old National Bank Foundation help adults and students to see the full spectrum of financial empowerment and the opportunities ahead through real-world experience and applying real world wealth-building skills.
“Our ‘20 for 20’ campaign recognizes 20 organizations that have helped strengthen communities and expand opportunity through their partnership with the Old National Bank Foundation,” said Old National Bank Foundation President Joe Kiser. “Their leadership, innovation, and commitment to serving others reflect the very best of what can happen when communities come together around a shared purpose. As we celebrate the Foundation’s 20th anniversary, these organizations represent the many communities, causes, and partnerships that have shaped the Foundation’s work over the past two decades.”
To learn more about CLIMB USA, click here.
Each year, the Old National Bank Foundation endeavors to fund as many initiatives that meet our funding priorities as possible across our footprint. For more information on grants or the Old National Bank Foundation click here.
