Challenge At a Glance:

  • Financial counselors lacked formal certification despite valuable field experience.
  • Finding accessible training aligned with organization mission.

Results At a Glance:

  • 29 professionals enrolled across two AFC® cohorts (2022-2025)
  • 31% achieved full AFC certification
  • 62 professionals completed MME training since 2024

The Challenge

A network of financial counselors was delivering valuable community services but lacked formal certification. United Way of Massachusetts Bay sought an accessible certification pathway that would validate the network’s experience while aligning with the organization’s mission of economic inclusion and wealth building.

The Solution

The United Way of Massachusetts Bay partnered with AFCPE® to launch their first Accredited Financial Counselor® certification cohort by way of AFC Scholarships. The AFC strongly aligned with United Way’s mission and values. They launched a 16-week pilot study program for 16 professionals, most of whom had the required AFC experience hours. Also, they expanded their capacity-building efforts to include AFCPE’s Money Management Essentials (MME) — an 8-week cohort training for nonprofit professionals who sought education, not certification. The United Way of Massachusetts Bay partnered with The Midas Collaborative to expand this critical training statewide and connect financial counseling with matched savings, a proven asset building program.

The Results

Focused African American female financial counselor talks with young couple at meeting, concentrated biracial woman consultant speak discuss ideas with clients spouses at office briefing

Building Capacity and Confidence:

  • 29 professionals enrolled in AFC certification program, 9 achieved certification (31%)
  • 79% of AFCs retained in the field
  • 3 additional scholarship recipients in progress
  • 62 professionals have completed MME
  • Increased counselor and community confidence
  • Partnership strengthened economic inclusion across Massachusetts
"Our partnership with AFCPE has been transformative. The AFC certification and AFCPE’s Money Management Essentials gives professionals across our nonprofit network the confidence and credibility to have deeper, more impactful financial conversations with the families they support. This directly impacts better experiences and outcomes for our community members."
Christine Niccoli
Director, Economic Inclusion & Wealth Building at United Way of Massachusetts Bay
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