Principal® Foundation, a global nonprofit organization committed to helping people and communities build financially secure futures, is now accepting submissions for its third annual Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative, a national short story contest designed to help destigmatize money conversations and encourage financial confidence through storytelling. Charlotte residents can visit Principal Foundation's Short Story Dispenser at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to print last year’s winning stories for free—a great way to get inspired before submitting their own.

Visit the story dispenser at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library today to print a story, get inspired, and share your own lived experience with money so Charlotte voices can help lead the way in a national initiative to break down barriers around money conversations.

Submissions are open until October 12, 2025, at 11:59 pm PDT. One winner will receive $1,000, and up to 20 finalists will each receive $150. Selected stories (fiction or creative nonfiction) will appear nationwide through Principal Foundation’s Short Story Dispensers, including in Charlotte, beginning January 2026.