The Opportunity Initiative Featured at Prestigious Congressional Resource Fair

As one of only 30 initiatives participating in the prestigious "Banking on the Future Through Financial Education" Congressional resource fair, The Opportunity Initiative took center stage in showcasing its groundbreaking approach to economic mobility. The event, held in the iconic Cannon Caucus Room on April 18th, was hosted by the Financial Literacy & Wealth Creation Caucus co-chaired by U.S. Representatives Joyce Beatty and Young Kim.

This resource fair provided Representatives Beatty and Kim with a rare opportunity to learn about the nation's most impactful organizations and projects dedicated to empowering Americans to build generational wealth. The Opportunity Initiative stood out as the largest coordinated economic mobility campaign in U.S. history.

The U.S. Representatives and their staff, along with representatives from corporations and foundations dedicated to financial empowerment discovered The Opportunity Initiative's multi-faceted strategy combines the outreach and financial education of the award-winning TV series, Opportunity Knock$ on PBS, access to vital resources and a network of nonprofits through The Opportunity Finder, and ongoing financial health assessments to measure financial health outcomes through The Opportunity Coach powered by LifeCents. The high-profile TV series airs on PBS, PBS Passport, and PBS.org and streams at Opportunity Knock$ to maximize public outreach. The cutting-edge Opportunity Finder software connects viewers to a network of 20,000 non-profits across the country, while The Opportunity Coach uses the technology that the prestigious JumpStart Coalition uses to train and measure financial health outcomes for teachers.

During the resource fair, Blake Allison (CEO of LifeCents which powers The Opportunity Coach), Michael Cyr (Executive Director of The Opportunity Initiative), and Jamie Strayer (Creator of The Opportunity Initiative and Opportunity Knock$ on PBS) met with Joyce Beatty and national leaders from Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth , Visa , TIAA , Charles Schwab , America's Credit Unions , and 富国银行 , 花旗 FINRA Investor Education Foundation and USAA . They shared the remarkable impacts of The Opportunity Initiative, having educated and empowered over 1,000,000 low to moderate-income households, connected 70,000 people to non-profits and CDFIs for essential financial wellness services including utility assistance and career counseling, and setting an ambitious goal to provide 20,000 financial health assessments as Season 2 premieres on PBS in May.

The conversations reinforced the pivotal role financial solutions and nonprofits play in catalyzing economic empowerment from diverse communities – people experiencing income inadequacy, single mothers making ends meet, families pursuing homeownership dreams, and seniors living on fixed incomes. The Opportunity Initiative is both humbled and energized by sharing these inspirational journeys and moving people across the nation toward financial security.

The Opportunity Initiative is sponsored by esteemed organizations including The National Council for Financial Opportunities, Wells Fargo Foundation, Balance, and Callahan & Associates, Inc. The Opportunity Coach and its ability to measure financial health outcomes was made possible by a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation. The Opportunity Initiative extends its gratitude to Representatives Beatty and Kim for the resource fair. We are emboldened to continue our work with relationships deepened by the network building through the resource fair hosted by the Financial Literacy & Wealth Creation Caucus.

To join The Opportunity Initiative as a partner in the largest coordinated economic mobility campaign in U.S. history, contact Michael Cyr to learn more or visit www.opportunityinitiatives.org.