Washington, D.C., Jan. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to pro bono financial planning for people in crisis or need, has announced grants to 18 nonprofit organizations around the country. Each organization works to deliver pro bono financial planning to populations who could not otherwise afford or access services. Benefiting pro bono clients will include families affected by cancer, military veterans, active service members and their spouses, domestic violence survivors, and more. Together, these organizations will benefit from more than $470,000 in grants that FFP will issue in 2022, in addition to another $100,000 in potential grant funding for special initiatives.
This year, grant funds from FFP will support the following organizations:
- After Innocence in Oakland, CA
- Angel Foundation in Mendota Heights, MN
- Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation in Brooklyn, NY
- Britepaths in Fairfax, VA
- Caroline Friess Center, Inc. in Baltimore, MD
- CASH Campaign of Maryland in Baltimore, MD
- Chinese Community Center in Houston, TX
- Family Reach in Boston, MA
- Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) in Denver, CO and selected FPA® Chapters
- Franklin University in Columbus, OH (in partnership with Columbus State Community College & The Ohio State University)
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in New York, NY
- NCEF-NAPFA Consumer Education Foundation in Chicago, IL
- Prepare + Prosper in St. Paul, MN
- San Diego Financial Literacy Center in San Diego, CA
- Savvy Ladies in New York, NY
- Wesley Community Center in Houston, TX
- Wings for Widows in Wayzata, MN
- Working in Support of Education (W!SE) in New York, NY
Among this group of notable organizations is first-time grantee, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that supports development initiatives in 37 cities and through a rural program that reaches more than 2,200 counties in 45 states. LISC works with a vast network of community partners, including over 100 Financial Opportunity Centers® (FOCs). FOCs provide income supports and career and financial coaching services that help low- to- moderate income families improve their finances. FFP will fund LISC, as well as the Chinese Community Center and Wesley Community Center, two FOCs in Houston, TX, to pilot the integration of pro bono financial planning into existing programming.
“This funding from FFP will go a long way in enhancing our programs,” said Laura Jaramillo, Interim Executive Director of LISC Houston. “Connecting clients with CFP® volunteers will complement the comprehensive set of social services that we already offer to Houstonians, helping them gain the skills and knowledge they need to become financially stable.”
In 2022, FFP will also award its third annual Alexandra Armstrong Innovation Grant to another first-time grantee, After Innocence. This special grant – named for longtime FFP supporter and trustee Alexandra Armstrong, CFP® – is presented annually to a nonprofit organization demonstrating remarkable creativity and potential impact in its programming. Armstrong received FFP’s first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
“After Innocence provides post-release assistance to America’s exonerees – individuals released from prison after serving time for crimes they did not commit – the majority of whom never receive meaningful compensation for the time they lost, nor reliable help rebuilding their lives,” explained Jon Eldan, Director of After Innocence. “Many of our exoneree-clients have asked for help with managing their personal finances. This grant will enable us to answer that call by matching them with pro bono financial planners.”
FFP will also continue funding for several current grantees, including three organizations named as Communities of Color grantees in 2021: Caroline Friess Center, Britepaths, and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. The Communities of Color initiative, funded in partnership with BNY Mellon’s Pershing, supports organizations focused on supporting low-income families in need, particularly families of color. “COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on people of color, resulting in high rates of job and other income losses, significant medical and childcare expenses, and more financial emergencies,” said Jon Dauphiné, CEO of FFP. “Consistent funding from Pershing will allow these three organizations to strengthen their programs connecting CFP® volunteers with individuals in need during this time of economic uncertainty.”
FFP will also maintain its longtime support of Family Reach and the Angel Foundation as part of its signature Pro Bono for Cancer effort, which supports pro bono financial planning services for cancer patients and their families. Since its inception, the Pro Bono for Cancer programs have served over 1,450 families via the volunteer efforts of 350 financial planners. FFP expects to help an additional 1,000 families this year, as Family Reach launches its Hospital Community, which allows hospital healthcare providers to apply for financial support services on behalf of their patients.
Today, FFP opened applications for 2023 grants, with funding available in January 2023. Eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are invited to apply by visiting FFPprobono.org/grants. The application process will close on April 30, 2022.
About the Foundation for Financial Planning
Foundation for Financial Planning is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization, solely devoted to supporting the delivery of pro bono financial planning to at-risk populations, including active military members and wounded veterans, people with cancer and other serious medical diagnoses, seniors and family caregivers, low-income individuals and their families, domestic violence survivors and many more. Dedicated to powering pro bono financial planning, FFP has provided more than $8.3 million in grants to national and community-based pro bono programs; worked with partners to activate more than 24,000 financial planners to volunteer their time and talents; and acted as a leader and catalyst to embed a rich tradition of pro bono service across the financial planning profession. Visit FFPprobono.org to learn more.