We provide financial capability programming and training for organizations seeking to build financial security and well-being for the individuals and families that they serve.
Direct service organizations working with individuals and families to build assets, secure housing, fight addiction, or leave abusive relationships know that financial knowledge and security are vital to ensuring the long-term success of the those that they serve. Often organizations find themselves without the staff training or capacity to help their clients address those needs.
We provide a flexible framework for organizations to incorporate a variety of financial development practices into their existing services, customized to the specific needs of your clients and the capacity of your organization.
OUR SERVICES 1.) Assess client financial capability needs and organizational capacity and workflows to determine most effective opportunities to incorporate financial development programming and services.
2.) Develop organization-specific financial capability plan custom designed to increase financial security of your clients and enhance the core mission outcomes of your organization. See sample financial development plan.
3.) Provide training and technical assistance to staff to implement custom plan. We can also provide direct financial programming services for clients.
WHAT IS FINANCIAL CAPABILITY? Traditional adult financial education efforts that rely on a one-size fits all approach and focus on relaying definitions of financial terms have been shown to have only marginal impacts on financial decision-making and long term financial security. In response to the need for more effective financial capability approaches, many researchers, practitioners, and other experts are working to identify those strategies that create lasting change, not just in helping working individuals families gain financial knowledge, but in changing financial behaviors, actions and outcomes.
Financial capability efforts includes building financial knowledge, providing opportunities to practice financial skills, and increasing access to financial resources.
Embedding financial capability programs and practices into existing non-profit and social service organizations enhances client outcomes and addresses clients’ needs holistically, increasing the likely success of program participants and the ability of organizations to achieve their core missions.
Many organizations across the country have successfully integrated financial capability programming into existing social service organizations (or are in the process of doing so). These include:
Supportive housing services
Banks and credit unions
Community colleges
Domestic violence shelters
Prison re-entry programs
US Armed Services
For more information, contact Sonia Garrison at soniaagarrison@gmail.com.