Every Child Has the Right to Financial Literacy.
Financial Literacy
Financial literacy is a fundamental life skill, yet millions of children and teenagers worldwide grow up without ever learning how money works. At the Dadoo Foundation, we are committed to giving young people the financial knowledge and confidence they need to build stable, independent, and empowered futures.
The Reality:
- Two out of three adults worldwide are financially illiterate, and nearly 1 in 5 teenagers in developed countries lack even baseline financial skills.
- In 2026, U.S. adults answered fewer than half of basic personal finance questions correctly, the lowest level in a decade, and Gen Z scored lowest of all, at just 38%.
- Even after recent progress, about 1 in 4 U.S. high school students are still not guaranteed a personal finance course.
- Students in under-resourced communities are half as likely to have access to a personal finance course.
Our Approach:
- Deliver hands-on financial literacy workshops in under-resourced schools and community centers.
- Teach core skills such as budgeting, saving, investing, credit, and taxes in accessible, age-appropriate formats.
- Partner with local organizations to bring financial mentorship programs directly into the communities that need them most.
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Advocate for financial literacy to be recognized as a mandatory subject in every school curriculum.
Through education and empowerment, we encourage young people to become advocates for financial literacy in their own communities. We actively support youth-led initiatives, student investment clubs, and peer-to-peer learning programs that give teenagers a voice in shaping their own financial futures.
Together, we can break the cycle of financial illiteracy and make sure every child, regardless of background, has the knowledge and tools to thrive.
Youth Financial Literacy Program:
Founded and led by Christopher Dadoo, the Youth Financial Literacy Program brings money skills to students at an early age. Christopher developed the curriculum and taught the classes himself, introducing lower school students to the building blocks of financial life: earning, spending wisely, budgeting, saving goals, and understanding how money grows over time.
Each lesson is interactive and age-appropriate. Students learn through games, real-world scenarios, and group activities, such as planning a budget for a class event or deciding how to divide money among spending, saving, and giving. These experiences help young students build confidence and healthy habits long before they face real financial decisions.
By inviting older students to help teach and mentor, Christopher has created a peer-to-peer model where financial knowledge is passed forward from one generation of students to the next.
Building Future Advocates:
Through education and empowerment, we encourage young people to become advocates for financial literacy in their own communities. We actively support youth-led initiatives, student investment clubs, and peer-to-peer learning programs that give teenagers a voice in shaping their own financial futures.
Together, we can break the cycle of financial illiteracy and make sure every child, regardless of background, has the knowledge and tools to thrive.