Foundation for Financial Education

What Foundation for Financial Education does

The Foundation for Financial Education (F3E) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 and headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. The organization delivers free, non-solicitory financial literacy workshops and educational content to individuals through a network of regional teams operating in more than 25 U.S. states. Its primary audience consists of federal employees (with deep specialization in TSP, FERS/CSRS, and federal benefits), corporate employers hosting workplace wellness programming, churches and community organizations, and the general public seeking unbiased financial guidance on topics spanning retirement, Social Security, Medicare, estate planning, tax strategy, debt management, and budgeting.

F3E's core product is its workshop curriculum — covering 40+ financial topics — delivered onsite by volunteer local industry experts (many holding CFP, CPA, and tax designations). The technology stack is light: a WordPress-based marketing site (f3eonline.org), a restricted-access F3E Member Platform, and a Video Training Library that integrates Khan Academy content on foundational topics. The organization also monetizes two professional certifications — the Certified Divorce Advisor (CDA) and Certified Educational Consultant (CEC) — which represent the only direct revenue-bearing products in an otherwise donation-funded model.

The revenue model is overwhelmingly donation-based, with charitable contributions from individuals and organizations as the primary funding mechanism and a passive 0.5% AmazonSmile referral stream as supplementary income. Workshops are provided at zero cost to host companies, government agencies, churches, and municipalities. Notable institutional customers include Johns Hopkins University, Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union, and federal agencies such as NOAA, NIH, FDA, IHS, OPM, SAMHSA, FCC, and the Alzheimer's Association. The organization is led by founder Jonathan Lee and a distributed team of regional directors, outreach coordinators, and a small national headquarters staff.

Name

Foundation for Financial Education

Legal name

Foundation for Financial Education

Website

https://f3eonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Foundation for Financial Education (F3E) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 that delivers free, non-solicitory financial literacy workshops across 25+ U.S. states, primarily serving federal employees, corporate employers, and community organizations through a volunteer network of credentialed financial professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Education Services

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Life-Stage Financial Planning (Marriage, Kids, Caregiving) (EDAAAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Budgeting & Cash-Flow Management (EDAAAJAA), Management Accounting & FP&A (EDABAJAC), Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ)

Keywords

• Financial literacy education
• Nonprofit financial workshops
• Professional certification programs
• Retirement planning education
• Workplace financial wellness

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, F3E is funded primarily through charitable donations from individuals, organizations, and community supporters who believe in financial literacy education.
2. AmazonSmile Program: Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases when customers shop at smile.amazon.com and select Foundation for Financial Education as their preferred charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

F3E delivers free, non-solicitory financial education workshops covering retirement planning, estate planning, tax strategies, Social Security, Medicare, budgeting, debt management, and federal employee benefits. The organization also offers two professional certifications (Certified Divorce Advisor and Certified Educational Consultant) and an Employer Benefits Program that places financial wellness workshops into corporate, government, and community host sites.

Product overview

The Foundation for Financial Education (F3E) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free financial literacy education through multiple interconnected offerings. The core product is its Financial Education Workshops program, which delivers free workshops on retirement planning, estate planning, tax strategies, Social Security, Medicare, and federal employee benefits across companies, churches, and government agencies. This is complemented by a Video Training Library featuring Khan Academy tutorials and an Employer Benefits Program for workplace wellness initiatives. F3E also offers two professional certifications: the Certified Divorce Advisor (CDA) and Certified Educational Consultant (CEC) for industry professionals. The organization maintains a restricted-access F3E Member Platform for registered members, along with specialized Federal Employee Resources. Additional community initiatives include an AmazonSmile charity partnership and scholarship programs. The organization operates through regional teams across over 25 states, delivering non-solicitory financial education workshops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Education Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• Counseled over 10,000 federal employees towards retirement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AmazonSmileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to F3E when customers shop at smile.amazon.com and select Foundation for Financial Education as their preferred charity. This is a passive income stream through Amazon's charitable giving program.
• Khan AcademycoreOthersF3E provides access to Khan Academy financial education videos covering topics including Time Value of Money, Income and Estate Tax, Investing, Debt, Net Worth, Retirement, and Insurance. The content is integrated into F3E's video training platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GreenPath Financial Wellness: Nonprofit providing financial counseling, education, and debt management. Directly comparable in mission (financial literacy/education) and nonprofit delivery model.
• Operation HOPE: Nonprofit providing financial literacy coaching, credit counseling, and economic empowerment programs to underserved communities. Comparable mission and free, community-based delivery model.
• Financial Finesse: Provider of employer-sponsored financial wellness programs. Most direct overlap with F3E's Employer Benefits Program targeting HR/EAP buyers, though Financial Finesse operates on a paid B2B model.
• FoolProof Foundation: 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering free, unbiased financial literacy education to students and adults. Closely mirrors F3E's free, non-commercial educational positioning.
• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): Network of nonprofit credit counseling agencies offering financial education and counseling. Overlaps with F3E on consumer financial education mission and nonprofit structure.
• Money Management International (MMI): Nonprofit credit counseling and financial education agency. Comparable nonprofit structure and free consumer financial education offerings.
• National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE): Long-standing 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on financial literacy research, resources, and public education. Most directly comparable peer as a similarly structured nonprofit delivering financial education to consumers.
• Junior Achievement USA: Large nonprofit delivering financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education. Comparable nonprofit, education-driven mission, though focused primarily on youth.

Emerging players

• Enrich Financial Wellness: Financial wellness platform for employers offering digital education, coaching, and tools. Comparable employer-wellness positioning but technology-driven rather than workshop-driven.

Broad incumbents

• Ramsey Solutions: Large, established player in consumer financial education spanning books, courses, podcasts, and tools. Competitor for consumer attention and employer wellness contracts, though operating on a commercial rather than nonprofit basis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/f3estlouis
• Facebookfacebook.com/foundationforfinancialeducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-foundation-for-financial-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/f3eofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Financial Education