2023 Financial Empowerment Community Awards
The Financial Empowerment Community Council, a board and commission of the City of Saint Paul, hosted the first ever Financial Empowerment Community Awards on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
The Financial Empowerment Community Awards aim to recognize community impact and innovation within financial empowerment across the City of Saint Paul that attend to the racial wealth gap. The Community Awards were selected by a committee of the Financial Empowerment Community Council and awarded in five categories.
Community Impact Award
Minnesota Asset Building Coalition for advocating for Driver’s License Suspension Reform at the state legislature, impacting ~23,000 Saint Paul residents annually .
Honorable mention: Model Cities for advancing homeownership strategies in Saint Paul.
Impact Award - Youth
Hiway Credit Union for demonstrating broad impact through youth-focused financial empowerment programming in Saint Paul .
Honorable mention: Haley Nelson, Project for Pride and Living, for youth financial empowerment and wraparound supports for families.
Innovation Award - COVID-19 Response
CLUES for supporting Saint Paul residents in navigating COVID-19 and the pandemic economy.
Honorable mention: Springboard for the Arts for launching emergency cash and guaranteed income programs for artists during the pandemic.
Innovation Award – Financial Inclusion
Exodus Lending for offering an innovative financial product to mitigate the negative financial impacts of predatory lending on Saint Paul residents.
Honorable mention: Hiway Credit Union for advancing financial inclusion strategies in Saint Paul
City Department Award
Right Track – Saint Paul Parks & Recreation for integrating banking access and wealth building into the City’s youth employment program