Financial Foundations Fund

25% of Americans don’t save money monthly. Nearly 80% of Kentucky adults are living paycheck to paycheck? With these figures, it’s not surprising that financial literacy is the No. 1 class adults wish they took in high school. 

Financial literacy impacts the 100% of the student population 100% of their lives and helps break a cycle of debt many Kentuckians are stuck in. For these reasons, Mark and Sheree Nelson established the Financial Foundations Fund through an Endow Kentucky gift.

The fund seeks to change those statistics by giving every high school student in Hardin County the tools to make smart decisions with their money. By supporting students and teachers, the fund equips them with knowledge and resources, improving their chances for success and the economic well-being of our community. It will support financial literacy education for high school students and feeds into a legislative requirement that students complete one course.  

“We’ve been blessed in this community and this was a way for us to give back,” Mark Nelson said.  “At the end of the day, if you graduate from a high school in Hardin County, we want you to have a step up in financial education.  We want our students to be successful.”


“We’ve been blessed in this community and this was a way for us to give back. At the end of the day, if you graduate from a high school in Hardin County, we want you to have a step up in financial education.  We want our students to be successful.”

– Mark Nelson






Anyone can contribute to the Financial Foundation fund. The fund was established to serve high schools in Hardin County but serves as a model for other areas CKCF serves, including Breckinridge, Grayson, Hart, LaRue, Meade, Marion, Nelson and Washington counties.

To learn how you can start a fund to benefit students in your area, please contact Davette Swiney at 270-737-8393 or by email at dswiney@ckcf4people.org