Bank On Supporters
Below is a list of organizations that have been instrumental in supporting the efforts of Bank On initiatives across the country and in building the broader Bank On field.
Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) brings together pioneering municipal governments from across the country that have begun to use their power and positions to advance innovative financial empowerment initiatives. CFE members were among the first cities to launch Bank On programs and have been leaders in municipal financial access initiatives.
The Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) is a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for low-income families and communities. CFED conducts research on Bank On and other financial access strategies and needs, and hosts and maintains JoinBankOn.org.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is involved in a number of financial access initiatives, including the Small Dollar Loan Pilot, Model Safe Accounts Pilot, Alliance for Economic Inclusion and the Money Smart financial education curriculum. The FDIC also conducted the most comprehensive survey to date of unbanked and underbanked households, which can be found at www.economicinclusion.gov.
Many of the United States Federal Reserve System regional banks have been key players in the launch of Bank On programs across the country. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco was a key partner in the creation of the original Bank On San Francisco initiative.
The National League of Cities’ (NLC) mission is to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. Since 2008, NLC, through its Institute for Youth, Education and Families, has worked with cities to build and expand Bank On initiatives and has been the lead technical assistance provider to the field. NLC developed the Bank On Cities Toolkit, which is the most comprehensive guide to starting a Bank On program.
The New America Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute that invests in new thinkers and new ideas to address the next generation of challenges facing the United States. The New America Foundation brought the initial idea for Bank On San Francisco to city leaders, and helped lead the planning and start-up period.
The Pew Safe Banking Opportunities Project develops standards for safe, affordable, fair and empowering bank accounts, promotes their voluntary adoption by banks and credit unions, and educates the public about the standards. Pew partnered with many of the early Bank On programs, providing data and other support, and continues to provide research to the field.
The San Francisco Office of Financial Empowerment (SF OFE) is housed within the Office of the Treasurer of San Francisco. The mission of the SF OFE is to use City Hall’s strength and influence to help more of the City’s lower-income residents enter the financial mainstream. The SF OFE created the Bank On initiative in 2006, in partnership with the New America Foundation, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and EARN, and launched JoinBankOn.org to help other cities create Bank On programs.
The United States Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Financial Education and Financial Access, works to promote the financial capability of all Americans in order to strengthen the financial well-being of families, communities and the nation as a whole. The Department of the Treasury works toward this goal through a number of activities in setting policy, coordinating public and private sector efforts, and promoting research, demonstrations and innovation. The Department of the Treasury has supported enhancements to this JoinBankOn.org website as part of an effort to develop the capacity of local initiatives to connect un- and underbanked Americans, particularly low- and moderate-income Americans, with access to fair and affordable financial products and services, effective and relevant financial education, and other resources to help contribute to their financial well-being.