Individual Wealth Preservation

Women's Institute for Financial Education

http://www.wife.org

This online financial education resource is the oldest nonprofit that tailors its financial tools specifically to women. Funded through donations and membership dues, this all-volunteer organization offers financial literacy information regarding saving, investment, retirement, and taxes; but also boasts advice on how to deal with divorce or widowhood. Read more about Women's Institute for Financial Education...

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly (VITA/TCE)

http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html

The IRS trains and sponsors several free tax preparation sites throughout the country, and commissions the resources used by many independent, nonprofit tax preparation organizations. The VITA program offers free tax assistance to individuals generally making less than $49,000 a year, and TCE is provided by AARP for individuals 60 and older. The IRS emphasizes the need for a correct Social Security number when filing, and advises those who are not eligible for a Social Security number to apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Read more about Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly (VITA/TCE)...

U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission

http://www.mymoney.gov

Mymoney.gov is the U.S. government's public resource to teach all Americans the fundamentals of financial education, and the product of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission which comprises 20 federal agencies. Several financial tools are available on the website, including literature on how to avoid fraudulent lending, navigate taxes, invest in retirement and education, and start a small business. Mymoney.gov also offers a free "My Money" toolkit that contains several financial publications, such as information on Social Security benefits. Read more about U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission...

Smart About Money

http://www.smartaboutmoney.org

Smart About Money is a public awareness campaign of the National Endowment for Financial Education. While Smart About Money does not offer one-on-one counseling, its website links to resources and advice on various financial issues. Economic Survival Tips include information and FAQs on job changes, mortgages, and credit card debt. Smart About Money also features information on how to handle job loss, preparing taxes, and investing for retirement. Read more about Smart About Money...

National Tax Credit Outreach Campaign

http://www.eitcoutreach.org

For over 20 years, this project of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has promoted the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and free tax preparation services for low-income individuals and families. The Campaign is intended as a resource for practitioners in local communities so they know how to best reach their clientele. Millions of eligible workers fail to claims tax credits each year because they do not know whether they qualify or where to go for free, quality tax advice and preparation. Read more about National Tax Credit Outreach Campaign...

National Endowment for Financial Education

http://www.nefe.org

The mission of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is to ensure that all Americans have the knowledge and skills to manage their finances. According to NEFE, informed individuals are better equipped to "take control of their circumstances, improve their quality of life, and ensure a stable future for themselves and their families." Their four action areas are Education Programs targeted primarily to youth, Strategic Programs and Alliances with other nonprofits, Multimedia Access and information sharing, and Innovative Thinking through grants and research. Read more about National Endowment for Financial Education...

HOPE NOW

http://www.hopenow.com

HOPE NOW is an alliance of nonprofit counselors, mortgage companies, investors, and other mortgage market members that coalesced to tackle the foreclosure crisis. Its website features homeowner resources that navigate mortgage counseling, unemployment, and money management. HOPE NOW also sponsors events around the country to bring outreach efforts closer to the communities that need them. The HOPE NOW alliance was encouraged by the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read more about HOPE NOW...

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Economic Inclusion

http://www.economicinclusion.gov

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) leads the U.S. government response to the needs of unbanked and underbanked individuals. The FDIC Economic Inclusion campaign is a multi-faceted approach to increase access to banking and other financial services. Economic Inclusion conducts surveys and research, offers educational resources, leads an alliance of financial institutions committed to helping the underserved, and started a microloan pilot program in 2008. Read more about Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Economic Inclusion...

Coalition for Financial Security

http://www.coalitionforfinancialsecurity.org

In educating policymakers, financial providers, and the public about the financial insecurity of millions of Americans, the Coalition for Financial Security strives to determine and advocate for effective policy solutions. Specifically focusing on why many Americans are unaware of successful financial tools and why others choose not to access them, the Coalition works to promote public and private-sector policies that will help put more financial professionals in contact with these individuals. Read more about Coalition for Financial Security...

Cities for Financial Empowerment

http://www.cfecoalition.org/

Bringing together municipal governments from across the country, Cities for Financial Empowerment seeks to leverage their unique power and position to implement innovative financial empowerment initiatives. These approaches are designed to help families with low incomes stabilize their financial lives, increasing income by decreasing expenses, reducing debt and encouraging savings. To date, the coalition consists of more than 11 municipalities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and the County of Hawaii, along with key partners, such as The Annie E. Read more about Cities for Financial Empowerment...

Center for Family and Economic Success

http://www.aecf.org/Majorinitiatives/centerforfamilyeconomicsuccess.aspx

One of the major initiatives of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Family Economic Success (FES), believes that children are most likely to flourish when their families are on sound financial footing. The FES approach to building economically viable communities includes three main components: asset-building, family economic supports through public services and tax credits, and workforce development. Read more about Center for Family and Economic Success...

Americans for Financial Reform

http://www.ourfinancialsecurity.org/about/our-structure

Americans for Financial Reform is an unprecedented group of national and state organizations that have united to strive and fix the financial center so that it is more equitable for all Americans. The website provides an overview of the wins and losses of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Law - the most recent attempt to fix the system - and offers up-to-date resources on financial policy issues in Washington D.C. Read more about Americans for Financial Reform...

America Saves

http://www.americasaves.org

America Saves is a nationwide campaign sponsored by the Consumer Federation of America, in which a broad coalition of nonprofit, corporate, and government groups helps individuals and families save and build wealth. Through information, advice, and encouragement, the groups assists those who wish to pay down debt, build an emergency fund, save for a home, save for an education, or save for retirement. Read more about America Saves...

Prosperity Campaign

http://www.prosperitycampaign.org

Started in Miami in 2003, the Prosperity Campaign has rapidly expanded statewide, providing tax and benefit counseling to low-income Florida families to help them claim benefits and begin to build household savings and wealth. The money at stake is substantial. The federal Earned Income Tax Credit, for example, is a refundable tax credit of up to $4,300 for low-income working families and individuals; the average family receives nearly $2,000 — but many fail to claim the money they are owed. Read more about Prosperity Campaign...

Your Money's Best Friend, Pennsylvania Office of Financial Education

http://www.moneysbestfriend.com

The Pennsylvania Office of Financial Education was created in 2004 to increase the access to and quality of financial education in Pennsylvania schools and communities. The Office develops finance related lesson plans that teachers can incorporate in their existing curriculum, teaches employers how to provide personal finance tools to their employees, and connects community based organizations with counseling services. Educators have used such training and curriculum to impact over 400,000 Pennsylvania youth. Read more about Your Money's Best Friend, Pennsylvania Office of Financial Education...

Young Americans Center for Financial Education

http://www.yacenter.org

The Young Americans Center for Financial Education is the complement to a bank just for youth, the Young Americans Bank started in 1987. The Center offers resources and educational curriculum to endow children with the necessary skills to lead a life of financial security. Young Ameritown is the Center's educational program for 5th and 6th graders in Colorado. The curriculum first teaches students about basic economic supply and demand, democratic processes, banking, and career readiness, and then has students run a fictitious 17-business town. Read more about Young Americans Center for Financial Education...

NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment

http://www.nyc.gov/html/ofe/html/about/volunteer.shtml

The Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) is the first municipal office of its kind in the nation. Its mission is to educate, empower, and protect low income New Yorkers. Read more about NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment ...

Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas

http://www.flcct.org

The ultimate goal of the Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas (FLCCT) is to enhance community prosperity by providing Central Texans with the knowledge and skills to make well-informed financial decisions. Since 2001, FLCCT has educated over 2,500 Texans on budgeting, excessive spending, savings and investment, mortgaging a home, and paying for college. Their education classes are available for youth and adults, and are instructed by trained volunteers. Read more about Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas...

Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People

http://www.esop-cleveland.org

ESOP was founded in 1993 to address the issues and challenges facing neighborhoods in Cleveland, Ohio. Formerly East Side Organizing Project, ESOP changed in name in 2007 to reflect its broadened focus toward the entire state. Its core goal is to preserve homeownership by preventing foreclosures and curbing predatory lending practices. Through community organizing, ESOP maintains campaigns concerning payday loans, vacant properties, and local development. ESOP also offers housing counseling and can directly negotiate with lenders to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Read more about Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People...