key resources: best practices
The sharing of best practices-techniques or methodologies proven effective through experience and research-can enhance financial education programs if implemented in the proper setting for the right audience. The resources below examine successful components of financial education that can be adapted for specific participants and program types, such as employment, housing or matched savings.
1) Financial Education: A Guide to Promising Practices
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley
The FDIC Alliance for Economic Inclusion is a national initiative that establishes broad-based coalitions of financial institutions, community-based organizations, and other partners to bring non-banking and underserved populations into the financial mainstream. The Alliance’s Boston Financial Education Working Group, in partnership with United Way, authored a guide on promising practices 
used locally in the financial education field.
2) MassSaves
Hosted by Midas Collaborative
This website includes news, resources, and a calendar of trainings to improve and coordinate financial education in Massachusetts. Midas (www.MassAssets.org) is a statewide collaborative of community-based, non-profit organizations that help low-income residents build assets and achieve greater economic stability.
www.MassSaves.org
3) Financial Fitness Education for Potential Homebuyers: A Start-Up Guide for NeighborWorks Organizations
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, and The NeighborWorks® Campaign for Home Ownership 2002
Designed to help NeighborWorks® organizations analyze local need and internal capacity, so they can develop financial fitness education programs that increase consumer skills and enable underserved markets to attain homeownership. The contents of this guide are also applicable to organizations and consumers with financial goals other than homeownership.
www.nw.org
4) Providing and Funding Financial Literacy Programs for Low-Income Adults and Youth
Pamela Friedman, The Finance Project
This brief presents key principles and funding sources for the design and operation of financial education programs that serve low-income adults and youth. Effective approaches to providing financial education are offered as a resource for community leaders, policy makers, and program developers. www.financeproject.org
5) Resources for Effective Financial Education in AFI Projects
Assets for Independence (AFI)
Based on the experience of AFI Projects and other asset-building initiatives, and drawing from available research on the impact of financial education, this summary document includes reviews of implementation tools, curriculum, and measuring the effectiveness of financial education.
Assets for Independence Resources
6) Teaching Dollars & Sense: Implementing Financial Education In a One-Stop Setting
America’s Workforce Network, Welfare to Work
Designed to facilitate the planning and implementation of partnerships to improve One-Stop’s financial education programs, this booklet presents ideas and models from financial education practitioners across the country. The booklet is divided into three main parts—Why Teach Financial Literacy, How to Plan and Implement Financial Education, and A Sampling of Financial Education Resources.
www.naswa.org
7) Elements of Effective Financial Literacy Training
Inger Giuffrida, The Enterprise Foundation
This brief paper outlines key components of effective and engaging financial education training.
www.practitionerresources.org 