Pro-Bono Volunteer Opportunities
The NAPFA Consumer Education Foundation offers NAPFA members the following pro-bono opportunities as listed below.
Where Have NAPFA Members Volunteered Pro-bono?
We asked NAPFA members during our One Hour Challenge, “where and to whom did you advise pro-bono,” and the variety of places and individuals was heart-warming. Get some ideas of where you can advise pro-bono here.
Building Homes for Heroes
Through this partnership, NAPFA members provide one-on-one pro-bono financial planning to disabled veterans who recently were gifted a home from Building Homes for Heroes. Many recipients are first-time homeowners and need a financial plan to ensure they can afford to maintain the property and pay the property taxes. The Pro bono advisor meets with the veteran monthly or bi-monthly for up to two years either in-person, phone or virtually depending on proximity.
The impact of a veteran and NAPFA advisor pairing is inspiring for both, as we see with Army Sergeant Jorge Sepulveda and NAPFA member, Holly Donaldson, CFP®.
Video: NAPFA member, Holly Donaldson, CFP® advises Army Sergeant Jorge Sepulveda and his wife.
“We veterans need help. It’s so important to get the financial guidance that a financial advisor can provide us. Holly challenged us to improve ourselves, to save money, and to make smart and savvy financial decisions. Building Homes for Heroes and the NAPFA Foundation are life changers.“ – Army Sergeant Jorge Sepulveda, Building Homes for Heroes recipient
“My basic ability to coach Mr. Sepulveda through saving, spending and now investing is all they really needed to give them confidence. The fact that I played a little part in that is very satisfying.” – Holly Donaldson, CFP® NAPFA Member
2019 Impact with Building Homes for Heroes
• 59 veterans received pro-bono financial advice
• 54 NAPFA CFP® financial planners volunteered
• 163 total meetings occurred between veteran and advisor
• 150 total hours of pro bono financial advice was received by the veterans
• $33,750 in equivalent service was given estimated at a rate of $225/hour
Watch this brief video of a Chicago-area Veteran receiving a mortgage-free home through Building Homes for Heroes.
Pro-Bono Advising Resources
Those less fortunate mostly need assistance with: Debt management, Credit, Credit Score, Savings, Budgeting, building trust and overcoming emotional roadblocks.
The Pro-bono consumer and military resource pages below provide links to webinars, worksheets, intake forms, etc. to aid in your pro-bono advising:
Money Smart Week
NCEF appreciates your support of Money Smart Week and its mission to bring financial capability to communities in need.
- Empower your community with financial literacy during the month of April
- Share your financial expertise one-on-one or to small to large groups. Help children, young adults or adults in your community make better-informed personal finance decisions.
- Since 2018 the NAPFA Consumer Education Foundation has been a National Partner with Money Smart Week.
- All events during the month of April qualify.
NCEF One Hour Challenge
After you’ve provided your pro-bono services, please let us know what you did and with whom. Please follow this link to let us know where you volunteered. Your experiences help us develop new NCEF pro-bono programmatic opportunities.
Other Pro-Bono Volunteer Opportunities
If you’d like to volunteer your time specifically towards developing NCEF and its resources, learn how you can serve as a NCEF Board Member or Committee Member.
Savvy Ladies
“Our goal is to improve the financial wellbeing of all women”, Stacy Francis, Founder, Savvy Ladies; 2018 NAPFA Consumer Education Foundation Pro-bono Award winner.
Savvy Ladies’ mission is to empower women to take control of their finances by providing a professional network of support & guidance, offering free financial advisors & educational programming to help women make informed & confident financial decisions.
Make a Difference. Offer Your Services Pro Bono and Sign-Up to Volunteer.
Pro bono financial services can change lives, giving women in serious need a chance to achieve financial stability. Savvy Ladies looks to increase the number of Certified Financial Planner Professional pro bono volunteers assisting women on the Savvy Ladies Free Financial Helpline who are seeking guidance regarding their personal finances.
The Savvy Ladies Free Financial Helpline supports women by arranging 1:1 phone consultations with a pro bono expert financial adviser who assists them with their self-identified needs. The majority of volunteers are CFPs™, but Savvy Ladies also accepts as Helpline volunteers professionals who are CPAs, ChFCs, CLUs, EAs, CSLP®s, CDFA®’s, MSFSs or MBAs (with Financial Planning concentration).
Apply to Volunteer | Download the Flyer
Financial Planning for Cancer Program
Every day, people who are battling cancer make dangerous decisions like skipping a chemotherapy appointment so they can afford to feed their families. They often suffer financial distress that adversely impacts their ability to complete treatment and decreases their chance of survival.
- 37% cut back on groceries
- 35% deplete their savings
- 24% borrow against their retirement savings
- Cancer patients are 2.65 times more likely to go bankrupt
The Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity solely devoted to supporting the delivery of pro bono financial planning to people in crisis or in need, is focusing on addressing the complex and often overwhelming challenges that come with a serious cancer diagnosis. The Financial Planning for Cancer Program, developed in partnership with the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and non-profit Family Reach provides cancer patients and their caregivers with financial planning and education to help mitigate the financial risks associated with treatment.
We are currently working with NAPFA to recruit volunteers for this program. If you are a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®), then you have the opportunity to lend your skills and knowledge to help patients manage their finances so they can focus on getting well.
Please visit Volunteers.ProBono4Cancer.org to learn more and sign up today. For questions, please contact Rachel Roth at RRoth@FoundationForFinancialPlanning.org.