The Academy Of Financial Education

What The Academy Of Financial Education does

The Academy of Financial Education (TAOFE) is a California-based nonprofit headquartered in Fresno that delivers financial education, one-on-one coaching, financial therapy, and DIY credit repair resources primarily to low-to-moderate-income families, youth, and small business owners in the Central Valley. Its service portfolio centers on behavioral finance and includes a free DIY Credit Repair guide with downloadable dispute templates, a Financial Therapy offering using values-card exercises and Klontz Money Script/Behavior assessments, a comprehensive classroom curriculum spanning budgeting, credit, investing, retirement, estate planning, insurance, and tax planning, twelve business planning modules for small business owners, and a Train-the-Trainer program for partner organizations. The underlying technology stack is a conventional nonprofit digital platform hosting educational content, downloadable templates, and a referral integration with the Groove financial habit-building app (groovemoney.org); the platform is offered in English and Spanish and supports appointment scheduling for coaching sessions.

The business model is a freemium nonprofit structure with no fees charged to end users: suggested donation tiers are $35 (DIY Credit Repair support), $125 (one-on-one financial mentorship), and $500 (class sponsorship for 30 students), with revenue drawn from PayPal donations, community contributions, and grant funding. Go-to-market is community-led and multi-channel, combining direct-to-consumer services (coaching, classes, DIY downloads), event-driven outreach (fundraisers, community seminars, volunteer events), and earned media (ABC 30 "Watching Your Wallet," CBS 47 "Money Mondays," Univision Sacramento, and multiple podcasts). Distribution is anchored by a deep regional partnership network that includes Mechanics Bank, CalKIDS, Groove, the California Public Banking Alliance, EPIC, the Central Valley Urban Institute, CVIIC, the Education & Leadership Foundation, Fresno City College, Central Unified School District, and the Financial Planning Association Central California, all of which extend reach into schools, workplaces, and community organizations across the region.

The organization operates with a small team — a CEO, one volunteer financial educator, and a Board of Directors that includes a President (licensed financial professional), Vice-President (CEO of Twilight Haven), Treasurer (Partner, Moore Grider & Company LLP), Secretary, and additional directors with backgrounds in policy, CDFIs, and SBDCs. The CEO, Samuel Molina, is an Accredited Financial Counselor and Certified Financial Therapist with a master's in financial planning focused on behavioral finance and financial therapy from the University of Georgia. TAOFE has been recognized with multiple Financial Therapy Association awards (2023-2026), a Next Gen Personal Finance Chispa Award (2019), and a LULAC Community Leader Latinx Health Equity Award (2018), and in 2025 expanded into financial-system advocacy by co-hosting Fresno's first public banking conversation.

Name

The Academy Of Financial Education

Legal name

The Academy of Financial Education

Website

https://taofe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Academy of Financial Education is a Fresno-based nonprofit that delivers free financial education, financial therapy, DIY credit repair, and small business planning resources to low-to-moderate-income families, youth, and organizations across California's Central Valley through workshops, one-on-one coaching, and a network of community and financial-institution partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fresno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization operates as a nonprofit accepting donations through PayPal. Suggested donation amounts include $35 for the DIY Credit Repair Guide support, $125 for one-on-one financial mentorship session, and $500 to cover costs for a class of 30 students.
2. Grants and Funding: Operates on grant funding and community support to deliver financial education programs to low to moderate-income families in the Central Valley of California.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Academy Of Financial Education is a Fresno, California-based nonprofit that provides free financial education, credit counseling, financial therapy, and credit repair services to individuals and families, primarily serving California's Central Valley region. The organization also offers financial literacy curriculum and train-the-trainer programs for schools and community organizations. All services are funded through donations and grants.

Product overview

The Academy of Financial Education is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of financial education products and services centered on behavioral finance principles. The core offerings include DIY Credit Repair (a free self-service credit improvement guide with downloadable templates), Financial Therapy (one-on-one counseling with assessment tools), Financial Curriculum (classroom-based behavioral finance education), and Business Planning modules. The organization also offers a Train-the-Trainer Program to expand reach and partners with the Groove app for digital habit-building. Additional resources include budget templates, building wealth guides, and student loan assistance materials. The portfolio is designed to serve individuals, families, businesses, and organizations throughout California's Central Valley.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Groove: A unique financial habit-building platform that transforms your relationship with money, offering a personalized experience to achieve lasting financial success.

Products and services

• DIY Credit Repair
• Financial Therapy
• Financial Curriculum
• Business Planning
• Train-the-Trainer

Quantifiable outcome

• Client credit score increased by 110 points after coaching sessions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mechanics BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial institution partnership providing banking expertise and resources for financial education programs in the Central Valley community.
• California Public Banking AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide coalition advocating for public banking. TAOFE co-hosted Fresno's first public banking conversation with this organization on September 25, 2025, working together on economic justice initiatives.
• CalKIDSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia's college savings program providing free college money information to families through TAOFE's educational outreach.
• Corazón LatinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization serving Latino communities, collaborating on financial education initiatives.
• EPIC (End Poverty in California)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Fresno's first public banking conversation on September 25, 2025 at Fresno City College, working together on economic justice and financial equity.
• Central Valley Urban InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Fresno public banking initiative, advancing economic justice in the Central Valley.
• Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on September 2025 public banking conversation to advocate for financial equity and immigrant integration.
• Education & Leadership Foundation (ELF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Fresno public banking initiative supporting educational and leadership development in the community.
• Fresno City CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Fresno's first public banking conversation on September 25, 2025, hosting community discussion on financial equity.
• Fresno BeeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal newspaper providing media coverage and opinion pieces supporting public banking initiatives and TAOFE's advocacy work.
• Financial Planning Association Central CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association directory connecting Central Valley residents with financial professionals for additional support.
• Central Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district where TAOFE's CEO spoke about financial literacy's importance for mental health and student success. District passed a resolution supporting financial literacy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): Umbrella organization for nonprofit credit counseling agencies; sets standards and provides shared branding for member agencies delivering credit and debt counseling services comparable to TAOFE's core DIY credit repair work.
• Operation HOPE: National nonprofit delivering financial literacy, credit counseling, and homeownership coaching to underserved communities; directly comparable mission to TAOFE but at national scale with corporate and government partnerships.
• National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE): National nonprofit foundation funding and promoting financial education research, programs, and policy; comparable overarching mission in advancing financial literacy but as a grantmaking/research body rather than direct service provider.
• Junior Achievement: Large nonprofit delivering K-12 financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education through school district partnerships; overlaps with TAOFE's youth segment and school district delivery model.

Direct peers

• Take Charge America: Nonprofit credit counseling and financial education organization providing free credit counseling, debt management, and financial literacy resources; closely aligned with TAOFE's free counseling and education model.
• InCharge Debt Solutions: Nonprofit credit counseling and debt management agency offering credit counseling, housing counseling, and financial education; comparable to TAOFE's credit and debt counseling core service.
• Money Management International (MMI): Nonprofit credit counseling agency offering credit counseling, debt management plans, housing counseling, and financial education programs; comparable direct services to TAOFE's credit repair and counseling offerings.
• Next Gen Personal Finance: Nonprofit providing free personal finance curriculum, teacher training, and advocacy for K-12 financial education; directly comparable to TAOFE's curriculum and train-the-trainer offerings and even gave TAOFE a 2019 Chispa Award.
• FoolProof Foundation: Nonprofit providing free, self-directed financial literacy curriculum for K-12 and consumers; closely comparable to TAOFE's free downloadable curriculum and credit education resources.
• GreenPath Financial Wellness: National HUD-approved nonprofit credit counseling and financial education agency offering credit counseling, debt management, housing counseling, and financial coaching — closely overlapping TAOFE's DIY credit repair and counseling offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheAcademyofFinancialEd
• Instagraminstagram.com/theacademyoffinancialed
• TikToktiktok.com/@theacademyoffinancialed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-academy-of-financial-education

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Academy Of Financial Education