Organization to Focus on New Endeavors to Support Financial Education
DENVER—The National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) has ended management of its financial education platforms, effective July 31, 2021. This change is the latest move in a strategic shift the organization is taking to pursue an enhanced position of advancing high-impact, scholarly research and facilitating greater collaboration within the financial education field.
“This marks the end of a significant and successful era in NEFE’s legacy, and one that we will look back on with pride and accomplishment for years to come,” says Billy Hensley, Ph.D., president and CEO of NEFE. “While we were synonymous with financial education curriculum for decades, we are excited for our future of continued research and support to elevate and champion the effective efforts of our field.”
In 2020, NEFE began the process of retiring its three financial education programs.
- Smart About Money (SAM) offered 13 online self-directed courses and numerous articles, calculators and tips to help working adults learn the basics offinancial management. Learn more about SAM’s legacy from this infographic.
- The NEFE High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP) launched in 1984 as one of the first noncommercial, high-quality, free financial education curricula offered anywhere. Learn more about the HSFPP’s legacy from this infographic.
- CashCourse® equipped young adults and college students with unbiased, ad-free learning resources and information to help make informed financial decisions while in college and beyond. Earlier in 2021, NEFE donated CashCourse to the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance as part of a philanthropic effort. Learn more about CashCourse’s legacy from this infographic.
“NEFE owes much of its success to the educators and advocates who used our programs and trusted us to fulfill their financial education curriculum needs. Our offerings met demand during a time of limited program availability to impact the lives of millions of learners,” says Hensley. “Our intent always has been to provide what is needed most by our field at a given time. We now can reallocate our resources toward a focused research agenda that improves practice and access for all.”
Retiring these programs was the latest step in NEFE’s continued evolution toward an institute model that will better assist practitioners, advocates and policymakers. Other recent milestones include hosting a series of high-impact policy-focused convenings with industry stakeholders and hiring Beth Bean, Ph.D., as senior vice president of research and impact to spearhead NEFE’s organizational transition.
“As NEFE looks forward to celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2022, we are energized by the momentum and strategy we are putting in place to continue to advance financial well-being for the next 30 years,” adds Hensley.
Read more on NEFE’s evolving strategy.