National initiative partners with SCOPE to expand access to transformative summer camp experiences for youth from under-resourced communities

NEW YORK – Nov. 5, 2026 – SMBC today announced the launch of the Building Resilient Futures Camp Scholarship Fund, an SMBC Americas Foundation initiative designed to help young people across the U.S. access life-changing summer camp experiences.

With an initial commitment of $300,000, the initiative will operate in partnership with SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education), a leading national nonprofit dedicated to providing children from low-income families with access to overnight summer camp opportunities that foster confidence, resilience, leadership, and lifelong learning. An estimated over 200 children will have the opportunity to experience overnight camp in summer 2027 through this grant.

The scholarship program is part of the broader SMBC Building Resilient Futures initiative, which partners with nonprofits to support high-quality outdoor experiences that promote youth wellbeing by helping young people develop the skills, confidence, and relationships they need to thrive.

"At SMBC, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to discover what they are capable of," said Eric Eckholdt, President of the SMBC Americas Foundation. "Summer camp is a practical yet powerful opportunity for young people to try new things, build independence, and forge connections that can help them live happy, productive lives. Through our partnership with SCOPE, we are expanding opportunities for young people who may not otherwise have access."

SCOPE's network of American Camp Association-accredited nonprofit camps serves children and teens from communities across the country, ensuring that scholarship recipients have access to safe, high-quality, technology-free outdoor programs that emphasize personal growth, relationship building, and social-emotional development.

“We are incredibly grateful to partner with SMBC to open the door to overnight summer camp for more than 200 children next summer,” said Molly Hott Gallagher, CEO of SCOPE. “For the children SCOPE serves, camp is so much more than a summer experience. It is a place to discover confidence, build meaningful relationships, feel a true sense of belonging, and begin to see new possibilities for their future. SMBC’s investment will make that opportunity possible for even more children and families across the country.”

The program will reach youth across the U.S., including key SMBC markets. Interested nonprofit camp organizations should visit scopeusa.org/contact to learn more and apply.

About SMBC Group
SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 150 offices and 120,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and ADRs on the New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges.

In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. The Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Canada, Ltd., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., SMBC Aviation Services, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. (collectively, SMBC Group Americas Division).

For more information, visit www.smbcgroup.com.

About SCOPE
SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education) is a national nonprofit organization that provides need-based camp scholarships to children from under-resourced communities, enabling them to attend ACA-accredited nonprofit overnight camps at no cost to their families. Since its founding, SCOPE has helped tens of thousands of young people access transformative summer experiences that support growth, confidence, and future success.

For more information, visit www.scopeusa.org.