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Financial Empowerment Learning Insititute

Register For Fall

About

Since 2015, United Way of Massachusetts Bay has offered introduction level financial coaching training to complement the professional development sought by non-profit professionals. 650 nonprofit staff representing 205 unique organizations have received training through FELI. FELI aims to professionalize community-based financial coaching, reduce coach attrition, and improve outcomes for those they coach in disinvested communities. Annual trainings include AFCPE's Money Management Essentials (MME) fundamentals course for spring and fall cohorts and a post MME special coaching series workshop provided by EMPath.​​ In 2024, United Way & Midas formally partnered to pilot a suite of financial coaching training offerings. The pilot utilized the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE)®. AFCPE is a national leader in financial counseling, coaching, and education that provides training and pathways to certification for a variety of professionals. To support career pathways, FELI offers an AFCPE AFC® Study Support Program to prepare experienced financial coaches for certification through an instructor-led study support cohort. Participants must meet AFCPE prerequisites for testing to qualify for this prep course. Certification prep will only be offered on an every other year basis.​

Workshops

Money Management Essentials (MME)​

Introductory training experience for newer-to-the-field financial counselors/coaches and other nonprofit staff.The training includes the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE)® Money Management Essentials (MME) online course with complementary cohort learning sessions.​

This training includes both self-paced online learning and reading, and weekly 90-minute virtual sessions with a cohort to apply the online curriculum and build relationships with peers. Current virtual sessions include instructor led classroom experience with a professional educator from Dragonfly Financial Solutions.​

AFC Study Support Program​

This cohort-style virtual study group prepares 15–20 financial coaches for the AFCPE AFC® exam through 15 weekly 90-minute live sessions that support and integrate the AFCPE AFC Online Study Guide and additional training materials. The program covers 15 focused sessions on financial content using a flipped-classroom approach in which participants complete pre-work (readings and activities) before each live meeting. Live sessions use hands-on activities adapted for online learning and small-group breakout rooms to deepen understanding and build community while explicitly integrating the core competencies of the AFCPE AFC®.

    • The Counseling Environment​

    • Client Information​

    • Strategic Counseling Plan​

    • Client Goals​

    • Strategies to Attain Goals​

    • Cash Flow Statement​

    • Net Worth Statement​

    • Personal Financial Ratios​

    • Spending Plans​

    • Financial Services​

    • Basic Tax Management​

    • Employment Considerations​

    • Uses of Credit​

    • Credit Reports and Scores​

    • Credit Products

    • Debt Management​

    • Acquiring Property​

    • Renting a Home​

    • Purchasing a Home​

    • Selling a Home​

    • Consumer Rights and Responsibilities​

    • Identity Theft​

    • Investor Protection​

    • Financial Risk​

    • Insurance Products​

    • Investment Fundamentals​

    • Investment Choices​

    • Retirement Planning​

    • Estate Planning​

    • Next Steps​

Coaching Focused Series   

In 2024, each MME cohort was offered a special coaching series as a supplement to the foundational training. As part of this pilot, FELI partnered with Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) to facilitate the workshop series: "Not Just Getting By, Thrive! Coaching for Economic Mobility". ​

This interactive 3-part (90 min each) workshop series provided an overview of executive function skills and how those skills can be compromised by chronic stress and trauma. It also introduced a research-based holistic coaching approach designed to help people mitigate stress and draw on strengthened executive functioning skills. ​

The series is designed to wrap up with application of this knowledge to the process of goal-setting.​

Applications for the fall cohort are open now!

Applications for the fall cohort are open now!

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