The Coalition’s mission is to assist consumers, particularly vulnerable populations, in understanding and improving their ability to manage their financial affairs. We are also committed to empirical assessment, including our own programs, and to studying key issues affecting consumer finance.

FINANCIAL EDUCATIONS PROGRAMS

The Coalition is a 13-year-old independent non-profit, housed at Fordham Law School. Teaching financial education is the core of the Coalition’s work. The Coalition relies on trained volunteers, many of whom have a financial services background. The Coalition presents classes to teens, working-age adults and seniors at non-profits, schools, churches, and other community groups in the city. We offer classes in English, Spanish and Chinese. Our train-the-trainer workshop for volunteers provides the methods and materials, highlighting how to teach to a wide range of vulnerable populations.
The Coalition’s method is what sets us apart. In addition to presenting the topics’ content to our volunteers, we highlight best practices for adult pedagogy and raise awareness of the psychological and emotional aspects of money. We emphasize how the classes can be taught with insight, empathy and energy.  Our goal is to engage participants in interactive classes about personal financial management to maximize learning and retention of information. 

CURRENT PROJECTS AND COLLABORATIONS

CDE has a history of projects and established relationships with  key organizations which has increased our productivity, efficiency and overall  results.

Office of the Manhattan Borough President, Bank On Manhattan

Bank Hapoalim, Jewish Community Organizations

Brooklyn Public Library, Growing Dollars and $ense 

 Capital One Bank, NYC Summer Youth Employment Program (Summers 2007 - 2011)

Carver Federal Savings Bank, Focus on Families

Executive Office of the US Trustee, Approved Debtor Educator (ongoing)

NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE)

NYC Parks Department POP program

Non-Traditional Employment for Women (NEW)

Signature Bank, Catholic High Schools Project

Victory State Bank, Staten Island Banking Development Districts Project

TEACHING SUMMARY

2009: 83 classes/ 1449 participants
 2010: 86 classes/ 175 hours/ 1800 participants
2011 YTD: 127classes / 3,085 participants
Trained Volunteers: 180

The Coalition has produced empirical research studies on consumer financial topics:

1. Consumer Credit Card Use: The Roles of Creditor Disclosure and Anticipated Emotion

2. Debtor Education, Financial Literacy, and Pending Bankruptcy Legislation

3. Empty Mandate or Opportunity for Innovation? Pre-Petition Credit Counseling and Post-Petition
Financial Management Education

4. Financial Literacy Teacher Training: A Multiple-Measure Evaluation

5. Lessons from the Trenches

6. *425 Mandatory Protections as Veiled Punishments?

7. The Myth of the Rational Borrower

8. The Coalition: A Report on its Pilot Program

9. Psychology and BAPCPA

10. Unwrapping Assunptions: Applying Social Analytic Jurisprudence to Consumer Bankruptcy Education Requirements and Policy

Internship

The Coalition welcomes applicants for general internships that are eager to learn about a philanthropic organization as well as local economic development. Foreign language fluency (especially Spanish) would be helpful but is certainly not required. Any internship would be unpaid.
 There are opportunities for which you can take ownership and gain valuable experience:
• Expand the existing website
• Create a financial education blog
• Develop proposals/grant-writing
• Community outreach – establish relationships with community-based organizations and other non-profits for project partnerships 
• Introduce social networking opportunities
• Help devise educational games to teach personal finance to teens and adults
• Plan events/ conference for CLE credit on issues of consumer protection and financial literacy.
•  Create online and interactive teaching programs; develop formats for podcasts, webinars, web-access for power-point

You  will have the opportunity to make a true impact on the growth of the Coalition by ushering a project from conception to completion. You will also hone writing and editing skills, learn or improve presentation skills while working with an experienced former Wall St. executive/ financial planner.
And you will certainly learn more about how to better manage your own money!

We are helping people and hopefully changing lives. Sign up and learn how YOU can help!

Contact Carol O'Rourke, Executive Director, orourke@law.fordham.edu or 212-636-7752

     -Contact the Coalition to learn more and sign up for a FREE Training Course

NEED A FINANCIAL EDUCATION SPEAKER?

Would you like to sponsor a financial education class at your community center, place of worship or school?

- Contact the Coalition to request a speaker. Topics include:
     - Setting Goals
     - Creating a Spending Plan that Works
     - Saving and Banking
     - Using Credit Wisely
     - Managing Debt, Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft, and other Money Scams

- There is no charge for this service. 
    - Email cde@law.fordham.edu or call 212-636-7752.

- Thinking of becoming a Volunteer?
     - Contact the Coalition to learn more and sign up for a FREE Training Course

The Coalition for Debtor Education (CDE), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, which has involved Fordham and New York Law Schools and their staff, was established in 1998. Since then, the CDE has produced, published, revised and evaluated a financial literacy curriculum that emphasizes not only traditional knowledge, but also adult learning methods and the psychology of money. Throughout this 10-year period, the CDE has studied empirically the efficacy of our financial literacy classes and our train-the-trainer sessions. We have also participated in academic studies of the effects of emotion on disclosure regulation, and currently are involved in a study of the efficacy of various credit counseling initiatives.