(PROVIDENCE, RI.) July 15, 2025 | 3 min read —
Webster Bank, together with Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, has opened the new Webster Bank Finance Lab, a program created to provide local teens and children the skills needed for financial empowerment and future financial well-being. Funded by a $100,000 grant from Webster, the program is the first collaboration in Rhode Island. To date, Webster has invested nearly $2.5 million in nine Finance Labs throughout its footprint.
The Webster Finance Lab program is a signature initiative designed to help nonprofit partners improve financial literacy and expand financial empowerment for youth in their communities. Through financial education tools, learning experiences, and interactive workshops, the program helps youth and families avoid common financial pitfalls and strengthen their financial confidence, an essential part of improving socioeconomic mobility.
Marissa Weidner, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Webster Bank (fifth from left) and Nicole Dufresne, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence (seventh from left) are joined by members of the Boys & Girls Club team and Webster Bank staff to celebrate the launch of the Webster/Providence Finance Lab at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence Fox Point Clubhouse on Tuesday, July 15.
“We are proud to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence to open the first Finance Lab in Rhode Island,” said Marissa Weidner, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Webster Bank. “Webster continues to invest in programs that broaden financial empowerment opportunities and strengthen our commitment to creating economic vitality in the neighborhoods where we live and work.”
Program participants will engage in hands-on learning opportunities at eight Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence locations, including financial literacy workshops and career panels with volunteers from Webster Bank.
“Financial literacy is one of the most powerful tools we can give young people to help them build a stable, successful future,” said Nicole Dufresne, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence. “Through our partnership with Webster Bank, we’re equipping our members with the knowledge and confidence to make smart financial decisions that will impact their lives for years to come. This collaboration is a meaningful investment in our children—and in the long-term strength of our community.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence participants, leaders and Ranika Reyes, the Financial Education & Constituent Affairs Director for Rhode Island Treasurer James A. Diossa, joined Webster leaders to officially open the program at the Fox Point Club on Ives Street, which is also home to the Fox Point Senior Center and the Fox Point Community Library.
In April 2025, Webster celebrated the opening of a Finance Lab in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Other Finance Lab partners are in Hartford, Bridgeport and Waterbury, Connecticut; Taunton and Dorchester, Massachusetts; Metro New York, Long Island and Yonkers, New York.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence works to enable and inspire children and youth, especially those from diverse or difficult circumstances, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and healthy members of their community. At more than 150 years old, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence is the oldest continuously operating Boys & Girls Club in the country. They operate 8 sites across Providence. For more, visit www.bgcprov.org.
