Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) clients receive free, one-on-one professional counseling assistance with money management, budgeting, reducing debt, establishing and improving credit, connecting to safe and affordable banking services, building savings, preparing for legacy planning and protecting their assets, and referrals to other services and organizations. In partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, and additional generous support from Principal Foundation and the Wells Fargo Foundation, the CFE Fund is promoting FEC replication through cohorts of local leaders who are developing, launching, and implementing financial counseling as a free public service, along with strategic research projects to enhance the success of financial counseling. Get in touch to join as a supportive funding partner. 

The CFE Fund supports selected cities and counties interested in launching a Financial Empowerment Center through FEC Academy, a structured planning process designed to help local governments bring the FEC model to their communities. Through technical assistance, planning resources, training, and peer learning opportunities, FEC Academy helps local governments build the partnerships, funding strategies, and operational plans needed to launch and sustain a Financial Empowerment Center, providing professional, one-on-on financial counseling as a local public service.  

The Financial Empowerment Center Model

Professionally trained counselors support their clients in navigating complex financial challenges and choices, helping them identify and meet present challenges and future ambitions. Local governments offer FEC financial counseling as a free stand-alone public service, but also via integration into other social services including housing and foreclosure prevention services, workforce development, prisoner reentry, benefits access, domestic violence prevention, and more. Learn more at www.fecpublic.org.

Financial Empowerment Center Evaluation Findings

In 2013, the CFE Fund awarded its first grants to replicate the model in five cities through a $16.2 million, 3-year investment by Bloomberg Philanthropies. An Evaluation of Financial Empowerment Centers: Building People’s Financial Stability As a Public Service, demonstrates the success of the 5-city implementation, drawing on data from 22,000 clients who participated in 57,000 counseling sessions across the first 5 city replication partners. 

The CFE Fund continues to enhance the FEC model; for example, we recently announced the addition of legacy planning (read the press release here) as a core FEC service area. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Project Locations

Related Impacts

Webinar
September 13, 2024

FEC Public: The Movement to Date

The CFE Fund has spent more than a decade supporting and enhancing financial counseling as a public service, resulting in a sustainable, proven program model that works in a range of local contexts.
Report
August 8, 2023

Connecting Financial Capability and Small Business Supports: Findings from the Small Business Boost Pilot

The Small Business Boost pilot, with generous support from Principal Foundation, explored how FEC financial counseling can support the personal financial needs of small business owners and better position them to achieve their business goals.
Report
October 28, 2022

Intergenerational Wealth Transfer through FEC Counseling: A Multi-City Legacy Planning Pilot

The lack of intergenerational wealth transfer is a driving force preventing residents with low incomes from building wealth. With funding and partnership support from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, the CFE Fund and four local governments partnered on a novel effort to help individuals and families build and transfer wealth across future generations by integrating estate planning, or “legacy planning,” into existing FEC counseling services.
Press Release
November 22, 2021

CFE Fund Announces New $19M Commitment from Bloomberg Philanthropies

In this November 2021 press release, the CFE Fund announced its latest partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies that will greatly expand local government-led financial stability efforts across the country over the next three years.
Press Release
November 14, 2017

CFE Fund to Expand Free Financial Counseling to 50 Cities Through FEC Public Platform

The CFE Fund announces th­­e first cohort of 12 local government partners to replicate the proven Financial Empowerment Center model.
Press Release
August 7, 2017

National Evaluation of Municipal Financial Counseling Model Shows Financial Counseling Works as Public Program

This August 2017 press release highlights findings from a new three-year evaluation of the Financial Empowerment Center model. The evaluation draws on data from 22,000 clients and 57,000 counseling sessions across the first 5 city replication partners and shows that financial counseling worked as a public program in a variety of city contexts.
Report
August 7, 2017

An Evaluation of Financial Empowerment Centers: Building People’s Financial Stability As a Public Service

This report is a three-year evaluation of the Financial Empowerment Center initiative’s replication in 5 cities (Denver, CO; Lansing, MI; Nashville, TN; Philadelphia, PA and San Antonio, TX).
Report
August 7, 2017

Executive Summary – An Evaluation of Financial Empowerment Centers: Building People’s Financial Stability As a Public Service

This Executive Summary highlights key findings from a three-year evaluation of the Financial Empowerment Center initiative’s replication in 5 cities (Denver, CO; Lansing, MI; Nashville, TN; Philadelphia, PA and San Antonio, TX).