5 Groups Working To Help People With Financial Troubles

Those who either grow up poor or find themselves in difficult economic situations, some of which stem from systemic inequality, may find it hard to build financial stability. Luckily, many groups exist to assist the working class and those in debt through job support, advocacy efforts, and more. This list, presented in no particular order, shares several of them.

Kicking off the list at #1 is the Student Borrower Protection Center, a nonprofit organization focused on alleviating the burden of college debt for millions of Americans. The SBPC engages in advocacy, policymaking, and litigation strategies to rein in industry abuses, protect borrowers’ rights, and advance economic opportunity for the next generation of students.

Led by a team of former federal regulators that directed oversight of the student loan market at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the organization manages a fellowship program. Participants conduct original research and analysis to expose risks to those with student loan debt and advance efforts to protect borrowers.

The #2 entry is the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, a community-supported institution that invests in the power of women and girls of color in the Washington, DC region. It makes grants to organizations that are actively pursuing gender, racial, and economic justice and awards women and girls of color directly.

Through its advocacy efforts, it works to center the voices and lived experiences of women and girls of color to influence policymakers and the local philanthropic sector to advance systems and institutional change with a gender, racial, and economic justice lens.

Coming in at #3, we have the Statewide Poverty Action Network. This anti-poverty organization engages community members in advocating around the financial issues that impact their lives and supports grassroots leadership in working-class communities in Washington state.

In addition, the organization aims to develop and advocate for public policy solutions that address the root causes of poverty, promote economic opportunity, and address systemic barriers faced by communities of color. The Statewide Poverty Action Network is headquartered in Seattle.

At #4, we present the Women's Bean Project. This Denver-based nonprofit's mission is to change women's lives by providing stepping stones to self-sufficiency through social enterprise. It hires chronically-unemployed women and teaches them to work and make items such as baking mixes, soups, and popcorn.

Founded in 1989 by Jossy Eyre, Women's Bean Project goods are sold in hundreds of stores nationwide, including King Soopers, Whole Foods, Safeway, and Meijer. The hired women can participate in life skills and career services classes, covering topics such as financial literacy and GED coursework.

Last but not least, at #5, we have the Living Wage Coalition, a worker advocacy organization fighting for economic justice. Based in San Francisco, California, it campaigns to reverse income inequality. It supports a higher minimum wage and the right to unionize without retaliation.

The Living Wage Coalition was initiated in 1998 by labor unions, community groups, and religious congregations to develop a movement led and democratically run by low-wage workers. The organization conducts original research and reports to help working-class people understand their rights.