A Team of 16 Girls Will Learn Basics of Long-Term Investing

While Managing a $50,000 Virtual Portfolio

HOLYOKE, MA (January 26, 2010) – Girls Incorporated of Holyoke is one of two Girls Inc. organizations to join the ING-Girls Inc. Investment Challenge — an innovative nationwide program launched in 2009 that gives girls practical, hands-on investing experience while allowing them to keep their gains in the form of college scholarships.

With the help and guidance of trained Girls Inc. staff and ING employee volunteers, teams of build and manage diversified, real-time portfolios as part of an integrative investment- and economic-literacy curriculum. The program began last year with teams from Girls Inc. of Alameda County, California, Girls Inc. of Denver, Girls Inc. of Greater Los Angeles, and Girls Inc. of New York City. The 2010 expansion of the initiative also includes Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta, Georgia.

“Here at Girls Inc. of Holyoke we encourage math skills, financial literacy and college preparation and readiness,” said Suzanne Parker, Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Holyoke. “The ING-Girls Inc. Investment Challenge aligns perfectly with our goals and we are thrilled to bring it girls to the Greater Holyoke area.”

Today more than ever, money management skills are vital for girls and their families,” said Joyce M. Roché, President and CEO of the national Girls Inc. organization.“This challenge is an exciting, innovative way to give girls real experience learning how to save money, research investment options, and think critically, while giving them access to women and men with interesting careers.”

How the ING- Girls Inc. Investment Challenge Works

Prior to investing, teams of 8 to 16 girls complete eight financial-literacy lessons focusing on the basics of saving, investing, and financial planning and to familiarize them with the investment challenge guidelines. The girls then invest $20,000 virtual portfolios, supplemented monthly over the course of the year until each team receives a total of $50,000.

The challenge is governed by a set of guidelines relating to core investing principles such as asset allocation, diversification, portfolio turnover and valuation, which are intended to encourage sound, long-term investing behaviors. To give the girls gradual exposure to the markets and to help teach and reinforce these fundamental principles, they invest in mutual funds for the first six months of the challenge. After that time, they are allowed to invest in individual securities.

Throughout the challenge, ING employee volunteers serve as teachers, mentors, and role models by assisting trained Girls Inc. professionals in delivering curriculum, guiding the girls in making investment decisions, and ensuring the team abides by the guidelines. While the Girls Inc. staff and ING employees advise the teams, the girls make all investing decisions. Over the course of the year, each girl is responsible for identifying, researching and presenting at least one investing idea to the team. 

The Payout

All portfolios are managed and tracked using a state-of-the-art online-trading platform that allows the ING-Girls Inc. Investment Challenge participants to track their performance, absolutely and relative to the other challenge teams.

After three years, two-thirds of any gains in the portfolio will be paid by the ING Foundation to the girls in the form of Girls Inc. scholarships for post-secondary education; one-third of the gains will be given to the local Girls Inc. affiliate to support local programming. The original $50,000 principal will then be re-assigned to the incoming team.  

Girls Incorporated of Holyoke is a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart and bold by providing them the opportunity to develop and achieve their full potential. To learn more, please visit www.girlsincholyoke.org.

View the Channel 22 News Segment on our ING Investment Challenge here!