Institute for Financial Literacy

What Institute for Financial Literacy does

The Institute for Financial Literacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, whose mission is to promote effective financial education and counseling. It positions itself as the national authority on adult financial education and operates through four core programs: the National Standards for Adult Financial Literacy Education (a trademarked framework covering Money Management, Credit, Debt Management, Risk Management, and Investing & Retirement Planning), Fincert.org (a professional certification body for financial educators and counselors established in 2006), the Annual Conference on Financial Education (a national professional event running since 2005), and the Excellence In Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards (an annual industry recognition program since 2007). Supporting these are free public resources including a glossary of personal finance terms and downloadable PDF/Excel worksheets for budgeting, debt tracking, and financial goal-setting.

The Institute is not a technology company and has no software products, APIs, or AI/ML components. It serves three primary customer segments: organizations and institutions that incorporate financial education into their services (nonprofits, corporations, government agencies, educational institutions), adult learners seeking to improve personal finance knowledge, and financial educators/counselors pursuing professional credentials and continuing education. Revenue is generated through professional services — primarily Fincert certification fees, ACFE conference registrations, and EIFLE Awards nominations — delivered via invoice-based pay-as-you-go pricing through online portals (Fincert.org, ACFE), phone/email contact, and conference-based delivery.

The organization operates with 1-10 employees from a single mailing address, has no parent company, is not venture-backed, and has not undergone any documented funding rounds, acquisitions, or leadership changes. Marketing is conducted through the Institute website, social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and the annual conference. Geographic operations are formally limited to the United States, though digital portals (Fincert.org, ACFE) are described as globally accessible.

Name

Institute for Financial Literacy

Legal name

Institute for Financial Literacy

Website

https://financiallit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute for Financial Literacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 that promotes adult financial education through the National Standards framework, Fincert.org professional certifications, the Annual Conference on Financial Education, and the EIFLE Awards, serving organizations, adult learners, and financial educators across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial & Consumer Literacy (Banking, Credit, Contracts) (EDAAAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Credit & Debt Management (Credit Scores, Loans, Repayment) (EDAAAJAC), Investing Fundamentals (Stocks, Bonds, Funds, Risk) (EDAAAJAH), Family & Life-Stage Financial Planning (Marriage, Kids, Caregiving) (EDAAAJAM)

Keywords

• Financial education services
• Financial literacy standards
• Professional certification
• Adult financial literacy
• Financial counseling programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Financial Certifications (Fincert): Professional certification of individuals providing financial education and counseling services through Fincert.org, the certifying body established in 2006.
2. Annual Conference on Financial Education: Revenue from hosting the annual national conference for professionals providing financial education services.
3. Invoice-based Services: Products and services through Fincert.org and Annual Conference on Financial Education are invoiced, including CPFC enrollments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Institute for Financial Literacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as the U.S. national authority on adult financial education. It sells professional certifications for financial educators through Fincert.org, hosts the Annual Conference on Financial Education, recognizes excellence through the EIFLE Awards, and publishes the trademarked National Standards for Adult Financial Literacy Education and Best Practices Guidelines, supported by a Glossary of Personal Finance Terms and downloadable budgeting worksheets.

Product overview

The Institute for Financial Literacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 that promotes effective financial education and counseling. The organization operates as a single unified nonprofit entity with multiple divisions and programs: its core divisions include Fincert.org (professional certification for financial educators, established 2006), the Annual Conference on Financial Education (annual national event since 2005), and the EIFLE Awards program (excellence awards since 2007). Supporting these programs are educational standards products (National Standards for Adult Financial Literacy Education with five domain benchmarks, and Best Practices Guidelines for materials development) and downloadable resources (Glossary of Personal Finance Terms and Forms & Worksheets including budget, spending, debt, goal-setting, and net worth tools in PDF and Excel formats). The organization serves as the national authority on adult financial education rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fincert.org Professional certification body for financial educators and counselors, certifying individuals who provide financial education and counseling services to consumers and community volunteers.
• Annual Conference on Financial Education Annual national conference for professionals providing financial education services, featuring success stories, proven strategies, and networking for program sustainability.
• Excellence In Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards Annual awards program recognizing individuals and organizations that demonstrate exceptional innovation, dedication, and commitment to the field of financial literacy education.
• National Standards for Adult Financial Literacy Education Standards framework identifying the personal finance knowledge and skills an adult should possess, covering five domains: Money Management, Credit, Debt Management, Risk Management, and Investing & Retirement Planning.
• Best Practices Guidelines for Adult Financial Literacy Education Materials Guidelines for developing and selecting financial literacy education materials for adults, covering standards alignment, objectivity, and content quality standards for educators, authors, and publishers.
• Downloadable Forms and Worksheets Collection of downloadable financial planning tools including Budget Worksheet, Interactive Budget Worksheet, Daily Spending Log, Debt to Income Ratio Worksheet, Financial Goal Action Plan, Net Worth Worksheet, and Interactive Net Worth Analysis, available in PDF and Excel formats.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Council for Economic Education (CEE): A nonprofit that develops economic and personal finance curricula, standards, and educator training programs. Comparable as a standards-and-educator-focused nonprofit serving the financial literacy field through both content and professional development.
• Take Charge America: A nonprofit credit counseling and financial education agency offering budgeting, debt, and housing education. Comparable as a nonprofit providing adult financial literacy programming and counseling services.
• Money Management International (MMI): A nonprofit credit counseling agency offering financial education, debt management, and housing counseling. Comparable to the Institute in delivering adult-focused financial education and counseling services at national scale.
• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): A national nonprofit network of accredited credit counseling agencies providing financial education and counseling. Comparable as a nonprofit delivering financial literacy programming and credentialing consumer-facing professionals.
• InCharge Education Foundation: A nonprofit providing financial education, credit counseling, and debt management programs. Comparable in mission and structure as a 501(c)(3) delivering financial literacy to adults across the US.
• GreenPath Financial Wellness: A nonprofit financial counseling and education provider offering credit counseling, debt management, and financial wellness programs. Comparable as a nonprofit combining adult financial literacy content with practitioner services.
• National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE): The largest US nonprofit dedicated to financial literacy education, providing research, resources, and professional programming. Directly comparable to the Institute as a 501(c)(3) setting national-level frameworks and serving financial educators and counselors.
• FoolProof: A provider of financial literacy curricula and resources used by schools, colleges, and consumer brands. Comparable to the Institute in distributing standards-aligned financial education content to learners and educators.
• Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy: A nonprofit coalition advocating for youth and adult financial literacy through national standards, educator resources, and awareness initiatives. Closely comparable in standards-setting mission and nonprofit advocacy orientation.

Emerging players

• EVERFI (Blackbaud): A digital learning platform offering financial literacy courses to K-12, higher education, and corporate audiences. Comparable in mission but differentiated by technology-first delivery and broader corporate channel focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FinancialLit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-financial-literacy
• Instagraminstagram.com/instituteforfinancialliteracy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 Institute for Financial Literacy