Mahogany & Friends Foundation

Location: Charlottesville, VA

Mahogany & Friends Foundation’s Financial Culture™ program offers six months of individualized financial coaching for adults, focusing on budgeting, savings, credit management, and debt reduction. Led by certified financial advisors, the program is designed for ALICE households and underserved families, helping participants build financial habits, improve credit literacy, and create personalized roadmaps for long-term stability.

Piedmont Housing Alliance

Location: Charlottesville, VA

Piedmont Housing Alliance’s Financial Opportunity Center equips adults with one-on-one financial coaching, credit-building workshops, and tailored educational materials. The program empowers participants, primarily from low- to moderate-income households—to budget, reduce debt, build credit, and increase savings, with a focus on expanding outreach to underserved adults and residents of affordable housing communities.

The Center for Working Families

Location: Richmond, VA Metro Region

The Center for Working Families’ “Unlocking Opportunities” initiative expands access to free financial coaching for Richmond adults. Trained coaches help participants build credit, reduce debt, and establish household budgets, providing personalized support and tracking progress. The program aims to improve financial literacy, increase savings, and enhance credit scores, positioning families for long-term economic independence.

The Salvation Army, Central Virginia Area Command

Location: Richmond, VA

The Building Wealth and Health Initiative delivers trauma-informed financial literacy training to 30 low-income Richmond families. Participants learn practical strategies for budgeting, saving, and credit management while receiving matched savings incentives and peer support. The program targets households facing systemic barriers to economic mobility, aiming to build long-term financial stability and improved health outcomes through structured cohorts and measurable completion rates.

The Piedmont Housing Alliance, creates affordable housing opportunities while improving the community through educational initiatives, lending resources, and equitable development. Their Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) empowers residents with one-on-one financial coaching, equipping them with the resources to build long-term wealth and financial stability. Additionally, Piedmont Housing Alliance offers free community financial literacy classes and is an approved provider for the Virginia Housing Development Authority’s First-Time Homebuyer Education program, which is essential for accessing homebuying assistance.

Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC), located in Richmond, VA, is committed to nurturing relationships, sharing resources, and cultivating skills to improve lives in Greater Fulton and east Henrico County. Through its Core Programs, NRC Works offers critical services to 100 community members, including complimentary financial, employment, and income support coaching. This initiative equips individuals with essential skills such as resume writing, budget management, and accessing government benefits to bolster financial stability. Edit Collapse Description

Heritage Wealth Advisors and the Foundation for Financial Independence (FFI) are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2023 grant awards, The Fountain Fund and Neighborhood Resource Center. Each organization has been granted $15,000 to bolster their efforts in fostering economic security for individuals and families in the greater Richmond, VA, and Charlottesville, VA, regions.

The Fountain Fund, headquartered in Charlottesville, VA, is dedicated to expanding economic opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, enabling them to enhance their lives and reintegrate into their communities. By providing low-interest loans and personalized financial coaching, The Fountain Fund empowers formerly incarcerated individuals to build credit, achieve self-defined goals, and advocate for policies that enhance economic prospects for this demographic.

Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC), located in Richmond, VA, is committed to nurturing relationships, sharing resources, and cultivating skills to improve lives in Greater Fulton and east Henrico County. Through its Core Programs, NRC Works offers critical services to 100 community members, including complimentary financial, employment, and income support coaching. This initiative equips individuals with essential skills such as resume writing, budget management, and accessing government benefits to bolster financial stability.

Heritage Wealth Advisors and the Foundation for Financial Independence (FFI) awarded grants totaling $20,000 to Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC) and Southside Community Development & Housing Corporation, each received $10,000 to support their work in building economic security for individuals and families in the greater Richmond, VA area. 

Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC) used the $10,000 grant to support NRC Fulton’s support its Financial Opportunity Center,  known as NRC WORKS. “Our community members come to us with a variety of goals, such as finding a better job, addressing the cost of living, or saving for a new home,” said Breanne Armbrust, executive director of the Neighborhood Resource Center. “With our Financial Opportunity Center, we personalize financial coaching to meet each individual where they are. Credit scores for our members improve by 183 points on average and average net assets increase by $1,000 per month!”  

Southside Community Development & Housing Corporation used the $10,000 grant to support its bilingual finacial services, which includes holistic financial and employment coaching, as well as a homeownership counseling program. “We appreciate the respect that Heritage and its Foundation for Financial Independence displayed when learning about our clients and how we work with them to achieve their goals,” said Dianna Bowser, SCDHC President & CEO.