Our Mission
SFEPD’s mission is to enhance financial and economic literacy and to promote the professional development of individuals and communities, particularly among underserved communities.
How We Make a Difference
SFEPD implements a unique dual-focused model to foster economic mobility and financial well-being by providing both financial education and professional development.
Financial Education Program
We develop and present customized financial education programs for college students, high school students, faith-based organizations, community groups, and clients seeking workplace financial wellness training. Through the seminars, individuals are taught the strategies and the intricacies of personal finance that they may not get elsewhere or learn too late. Empowered with financial knowledge, people can make informed decisions to enhance their financial well-being and resiliency, and to build wealth.
We provide financial education in-person through our Financial Educators and Student Ambassador Program, and virtually through our Mind Over Money Skills online course and subsequent Financial Literacy Certificate, as well as the online Financial Literacy Camp for high schoolers.
Professional Development Initiatives
Our second focus area is on helping individuals, many of whom are first-generation college students, pursue successful careers and build wealth by offering opportunities such as:
- Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam preparation
- Training and experience for HBCU students in coaching their peers about basic financial matters.
- Student Ambassadors develop public speaking and presentation skills, receive continuing education from professionals, have networking opportunities, and support writing resumes and LinkedIn profiles.
- The Financial Literacy Certificate, which includes a Credly badge, enhances resumes and LinkedIn profiles and signals to employers that applicants have mastered a life skill that impacts work performance.
- Empowering aspiring entrepreneurs with financial literacy, an essential asset for basic financial management.
- Teens the opportunity to develop leadership and presentation skills during the Financial Literacy Camp.
Part of our success derives from our belief in the extraordinary power of community engagement. This community engagement serves as the foundation of our peer-to-peer financial education and peer financial coaching. We also engage professional Financial Educators who reflect the audience served. This approach allows for more trust, rapport, engagement, and learning.
In turn, our evaluations have found a strong ripple effect as students and community learners share their new knowledge with family and friends.
Our Story
As an award-winning nonprofit founded in 1998, SFEPD is one of the first to deliver customized financial literacy programs and professional development opportunities for people nationwide. The founder, Theodore Daniels, realized that many Americans—especially first-generation college students and individuals from communities of color—lacked the knowledge and skills they needed to manage their finances successfully and build careers. To change this, Daniels started SFEPD to provide financial education and professional development to individuals of all ages and backgrounds, especially those from low- and moderate-income (LMI) backgrounds and students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The success of our work has garnered significant thought-leadership roles and awards. Ted Daniels received the 2024 William E. Odom Visionary Leadership Award from the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Finance and the 2022 Financial Education Impact Award from the National Endowment for Financial Education. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission recognized our impact and invite us to present and join panel discussions.
Because of SFEPD’s success, we often receive requests from organizations to provide strategic guidance for financial literacy initiatives. Additionally, SFEPD has won national awards for its trailblazing approach to financial education. The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Financial Education has recognized SFEPD’s seminars for meeting their criteria for effective financial education programs. Contact us at info@sfepd.org to learn more!
Driven By Data. Guided by Purpose.
SFEPD’s focus on financial literacy and professional development as pathways to financial well-being, economic security, and mobility is grounded in research.
A Snapshot of the Data
- Financial education does matter
- Financial education, receiving job or skills training, and earning a college diploma in a high-paying field have a significant impact on economic mobility
- LMI and first-generation college students often lack career readiness and professional development opportunities
- American adults can only answer about 50% of a 28-question financial knowledge quiz
- Financial literacy affects an individual’s personal finances, financial resilience, financial wellbeing and wealth building
- Those with low financial literacy tend to struggle with debt, lack emergency savings, and lack a retirement plan
- Higher financial literacy are more likely to spend less than their income, plan for retirement, and hold non-retirement investments. This is true even of people with similar income and education.
- 30%-40% of retirement wealth inequality can be explained by financial knowledge
Racial Differences
- 21% of White Americans have high financial literacy; 13% have very low literacy
- 47% of Black Americans have high financial literacy; 37% have very low literacy
- 42% of Black Americans cannot cover a $2,000 emergency expense
- 27% of White Americans cannot cover a $2,000 emergency expense
- 63% of older White Americans have a retirement account
- 35% of older Black Americans have a retirement account