[July 18, 2014]

Citizens Financial Group Announces $1.1 Million in Contributions to 68 Nonprofit Organizations Through the Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money Initiative

As part of an ongoing commitment to give consumers the confidence and tools they need to be fiscally healthy, Citizens Financial Group, Inc. announced today that 68 nonprofit organizations will receive $1.1 million in contributions as part of the Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money financial literacy initiative. Citizens is awarding a total of $1.5 million throughout 2014.

The selected organizations across the bank's 11-state footprint will contribute to the financial education of more than 500,000 consumers and small businesses in 2014. They were chosen in a competitive application process announced in April based on their track record of success providing financial education programs, a need for financial support and a demonstration to incorporate sustainability in their future plans.

This initiative is part of Citizens Helping Citizens broader community giving program, which addresses five key areas: hunger, housing economic development, financial education and volunteerism.

"Citizens Financial Group has continuously supported nonprofit organizations in our communities and financial literacy is one of the most important initiatives," said Barbara Cottam, Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs. "We look forward to working with a our nonprofit partners as part of our Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money initiative to reach consumers in our own backyard and teach them about the financial tools available to them."

In April, in recognition of National Financial Literacy Month, Citizens announced enhancements to its Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money program that included this competitive application process for nonprofits to apply for funding, a social media initiative to celebrate "Money Mentors," and an online financial literacy resource center dedicated to encouraging healthy financial habits. Last year the program delivered financial literacy programs to more than 100,000 people and provided charitable grants to more than 120 nonprofits.

Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money is another example of the bank's commitment to make banking simple, clear and personal for Citizens customers. Through an ongoing series of Bank Better enhancements, the bank is providing customers with clear account information and resources (such as our Checking Guides and online overdraft resource center) to help them manage their accounts, avoided unwanted fees and be fiscally healthy.

About Citizens Helping Citizens

Grounded in the belief that a good bank gives back to its community and to the people who live there, Citizens Helping Citizens is a program embracing the community goals of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. - the commercial bank holding company serving consumer and small business customers as Citizens Bank and Charter One and commercial banking customers as RBS Citizens. The Citizens Helping Citizens program is composed of five key initiatives supported directly by CFG and its nonprofit charitable foundations, the Citizens Charitable Foundation, the Citizens Bank Foundation and the Charter One Foundation: Citizens Helping

Citizens Fight Hunger, Citizens Helping Citizens Provide Shelter, Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities (economic development), Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money (financial education) and Citizens Helping Citizens Give (volunteerism and colleague charitable donations). Across all of these initiatives, Citizens Helping Citizens strives to enhance quality of life and economic vitality in local communities.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. is one of the nation's oldest and largest financial institutions, with $126.9 billion in assets as of March 31, 2014. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Consumer Banking helps its retail customers "bank better" with mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,100 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank and Charter One branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in selective markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance.

Citizens operates via subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found at www.citizensbank.com.

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