The SunTrust Foundation announced it provided $16.6 million in 2016 to more than 1,500 educational institutions and nonprofits to help advance financial stability in its markets.

"We are fortunate to have the ability to give back to our communities in ways that directly align to SunTrust's purpose of Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being," said David Fuller, president of the SunTrust Foundation. "Our grants are strategically allocated to help people get access to the building blocks that lead to financial confidence, including financial education and counseling, entrepreneurship and career readiness skills."

In 2016, grants were up by $2.5 million from the year prior, with an increased emphasis on efforts that promoted financial well-being. The grants provided helped more than 173,000 people take steps that lead to financial confidence. Since its inception in 2008, the SunTrust Foundation has provided grants totaling more than $100 million to not-for-profit organizations focused on education, health and human services, and civic and cultural activities.

Major 2016 recipients included:

• Georgia State University for a Financial Management Center to help students address financial issues to increase graduation rates and the creation of a GSU/SunTrust National  Playbook to share with other universities

• Junior Achievement in Tampa to create a  Finance Park that brings financial education to students 

• United Way Worldwide to create a best-in-class online portal for financial

  well-being resources 

• Operation HOPE to digitize and expand the reach of its learning curriculum

• Florida International University for a Financial Wellness Clinic to promote financial literacy and stability to the FIU community, high school students and their parents 

• Virginia Union University to create a financial education program for students, parents and the local community 

• Autism Speaks to create a Financial Planning Toolkit for families to plan for the long-term financial needs of children with special needs 

• American Red Cross to assist in disaster relief efforts

Additionally, SunTrust teammates donated $6.5 million to United Way during the company's annual giving campaign, the most in SunTrust's history. SunTrust also is among the United Way Global Corporate Leaders and has the highest level of Tocqueville giving in Atlanta.