Economic Resilience Initiative

YWCA’s Economic Resilience Initiative offers a variety of resources for individuals to build skills and confidence with their personal finances. Includes financial workshops for domestic violence (DV) survivors, as well as training for community service providers.

We currently offer the following:

• Money Mechanics Workshop (Manejando tu propio dinero)
• Hope & Power for your Personal Finances (Esperanza y Poder para tus Finanzas Personales)
• Financial coaching
• Community resources and partners

Money Mechanics workshop

Free workshop for anyone who feels like their finances could use a tune-up, especially people who are low-income, unemployed, currently or recently homeless.

Over four sessions, learn new skills and gain a new understanding of your finances, including:

• Unmasking the mysteries of credit
• Debt management
• Budgeting and banking
• Goal setting
• Saving and investing

Snacks for in-person classes are provided; transportation assistance is available on request. For more information, please email: eri@ywcaworks.org

Hope & Power for Your Personal Finances

Abusers often use finances to maintain power over their partner, and worries about money are one of the main reasons women feel trapped in abusive relationships or return to their abusers.

This eight-week class supports survivors of domestic violence to become financially independent and build confidence in their own skills. Topics covered include:

• Safety planning and goal setting
• Budgeting and savings
• Checking and bank accounts
• Credit reports and scores
• Avoiding predatory lenders
• Taxes and legal issues
• Protecting yourself with insurance
• Housing and workers’ rights
• Education and Employment

Classes are offered at confidential locations throughout King and Snohomish Counties. For more information, please email: eri@ywcaworks.org

Financial coaching

Need help setting financial goals and creating an action plan to reach them? One-on-one financial coaching is available to anyone who has completed Money Mechanics or Hope & Power classes.

These coaches will not “fix” your finances or tell you what to do. They walk through the financial process with you and ask questions to help deepen your learning and spark action around your finances.

• Review your budgets or credit report; get referrals to other community resources.
• Make a single appointment or enroll for multiple coaching sessions.
• Participants must have attended Money Mechanics or Hope & Power classes.

To enroll in financial coaching, please email: eri@ywcaworks.org

Community resources and partners

Thanks to the numerous community-based programs and partners that help YWCA to build economic advancement and resilience in the region. This includes:

• Money Mechanics partners: Alpine Mortgage Planning, American Financial Solutions, Edward Jones, Evergreen Financial Services, First Financial NW Bank,  Key Bank, ReMax, Waldel Reed
• Hope & Power partners: Bank of America, Banner Bank, BECU, Express Credit Union, HomeStreet Bank
• Community partners: Allstate Insurance, American Financial Solutions, Bank on Seattle/King County, Clearpoint Credit Counseling, Crisis Clinic, El Centro de la Raza, Financial Empowerment Network of Seattle/King County, Fair Work Center, Food$ense, Green River Community College, Highline Community College, Jump$tart Coalition, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, Northwest Justice Project, SavOn Insurance, Seattle Education Access, Solid Ground Tenant Services, United Way Free Tax Prep Campaign, Ventures, StartZone, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Washington State WorkSource, and YWCA’s Sexual Violence Legal Services

To learn how you can become a community partner, please email: eri@ywcaworks.org