GoVA Partners with First Foundation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First Foundation Bank Partners with GoVA Foundation to Provide Financial Education for California Veterans and Military Families
Partnership Brings AI-Powered Financial Literacy Platform to Veterans in Northern California Communities
IRVINE, CA – January 8, 2026 – GoVA Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free financial education to military members and veterans, today announced a partnership with First Foundation Bank to sponsor veterans and military families across Northern California. Through this collaboration, participants will receive 12 months of unlimited access to The Edge, GoVA’s comprehensive digital financial literacy platform.
Through a Community Development Grant, the program targets underserved veteran communities in Sacramento, Alameda, Placer, and Imperial counties, providing essential financial education tools to help military families build financial confidence and stability.
“We’re honored to support California’s veteran community through this partnership with GoVA Foundation,” said Sylvia M. Figueroa, SVP – Director of Community Development and CRA Officer at First Foundation Bank. “By providing access to The Edge platform, we’re investing in the financial stability and long-term success of military families in underserved communities across Northern California. This initiative exemplifies our dedication to meaningful community development.”
George Earhart, Executive Director of GoVA Foundation and retired Air Force Special Operations veteran, said, “We’re honored to partner with First Foundation Bank to serve California’s military community. This partnership demonstrates First Foundation’s commitment to supporting those who have served our country, providing them with the financial education tools they need to build long-term security for themselves and their families.”
The Edge platform features over 1,000 professionally written resources covering topics from basic budgeting to investment strategies, entrepreneurship, and credit management. The platform uses AI-powered personalization to tailor content to each user’s financial situation and goals, with features including:
- Financial wellness assessments and stress tracking
- Money personality evaluations to tailor personalized recommendations
- Interactive budgeting and financial planning tools
- Short-form video content (1-3 minutes) designed for mobile learning
- Courses on military-specific financial challenges
In addition to platform access, the partnership will include virtual webinars featuring First Foundation Bank employees sharing their professional expertise on topics such as career transitions, mock interviews, and workforce development for veterans entering civilian careers.
GoVA Foundation provides impact reports to First Foundation Bank, documenting member engagement, LMI verification, and measurable outcomes such as financial stress score improvements. This data-driven approach helps banks demonstrate meaningful community impact during CRA examinations.
About GoVA Foundation
GoVA Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering military families through innovative financial education and resources. GoVA addresses the unique financial challenges many military families face. Through its digital education platform The Edge, GoVA provides comprehensive financial literacy tools, interactive courses, and personalized resources tailored to the needs of service members, veterans, and their spouses. The platform features a mobile-optimized design to ensure accessibility for military families regardless of location. GoVA Foundation has served over 8,000 military families across all 50 states. The organization’s mission includes advocacy for military financial wellness and suicide prevention, recognizing the critical link between financial stress and military mental health outcomes.
About First Foundation
First Foundation Inc. (NYSE: FFWM) and its subsidiaries offer personal banking, business banking, and private wealth management services, including investment, trust, insurance, and philanthropy services. This comprehensive platform of financial services is designed to help clients at any stage in their financial journey. The broad range of financial products and services offered by First Foundation are more consistent with those offered by larger financial institutions, while its high level of personalized service, accessibility, and responsiveness to clients is more aligned with community banks and boutique wealth management firms. This combination of an integrated platform of comprehensive financial products and personalized service differentiates First Foundation from many of its competitors and has contributed to the growth of its client base and business. Learn more at firstfoundationinc.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Contact: Lizann Lightfoot, VP of Marketing , GoVA Foundation