Partnering with United Way, nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, government agencies, and community members, Working Credit will lead BBC’s ongoing expansion of free credit building counseling and support across Boston.
BOSTON – Working Credit, a national nonprofit with deep partnerships in Boston that helps people overcome obstacles to bad credit and improve their financial wellbeing, has been chosen by its coalition peers to lead Boston Builds Credit (BBC) and expand this critical work. Building on existing work with United Way, nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, government agencies, and community members, Working Credit will lead BBC’s ongoing expansion of free credit building education and counseling across Boston.
A national leader working at the intersection of racial and economic justice to promote credit equity, Working Credit was chosen through a collective process that included United Way of Massachusetts Bay (United Way), a Selection Committee comprised of BBC Partners, and a Community Review Team to ensure alignment with United Way’s approach of listening to and partnering with people and organizations closest to the solutions.
“We are very excited for the future of Boston Builds Credit under the leadership of Working Credit,” says Juan Bonilla, Senior Vice President for Economic Inclusion at United Way Massachusetts Bay. “As recognized experts in the credit building field, we look forward to continuing our partnership with Working Credit and advancing our vision of a region where everyone has access to financial well-being.”
As the first-in-the-nation citywide credit building initiative, Boston Builds Credit approaches credit building as a foundational building block for economic security, mobility, and equity. BBC was launched in 2017 by a cross-sector collaboration of over forty community, business and institutional partners aimed at advancing safe and affordable credit building products, and empowering Boston residents to achieve a prime credit score and build wealth.
Since its launch in 2017, Boston Builds Credit has provided services—including Financial Check-Ups, financial coaching, and credit counseling—to 9,000 individuals. Among these, 2,000 individuals have improved their credit by 30 points and/or achieved a prime credit score of 660 or more. Additionally, almost 800 individuals who were unscored at enrollment have become scored, with an average credit score of 673. Financial Check-Ups, a core component of BBC, has expanded significantly, with a 150% increase from 2022 to 2023, reaching a goal of 2,500 clients in 2024.
“We couldn’t be more honored to be selected to lead BBC into its next phase,” says Sarah Chenven, CEO of Working Credit. “In addition to Working Credit’s alignment with BBC’s vision for scaling credit building as a strategy for economic and racial justice, we are thrilled to collaborate closely with the myriad partners and community members who make up Boston’s robust credit building and economic empowerment ecosystem.”
As part of this new initiative, Working Credit is hiring a Director to coordinate and oversee the development and implementation of BBC‘s mission. If you are interested in this position, please visit workingcredit.org/careers to read the posting and apply.
For more information about Boston Builds Credit, visit bostonbuildscredit.org.
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About Working Credit
Working Credit is a national nonprofit working to promote credit equity in predominantly low- and moderate-income communities and communities of color. Our mission is to partner with individuals and communities to interrupt structural racism by providing credit-building education, one-on-one counseling, and access to financial products people need to thrive. We enact our mission through direct services, community engagement, research and advocacy.
About the United Way of Massachusetts Bay
United Way of Massachusetts Bay exists to build more equitable communities, together. With over 85 years of local impact in eastern Massachusetts, we work with and for our communities to build economic prosperity and enable everyone–across races and ethnicities–to share in the knowledge, wealth and resources available. We believe that the key to unlocking opportunity is uniting people, and we bring together individuals, community leaders, corporate partners, legislators and organizations to build a powerful engine of change. Visit www.unitedwaymassbay.org for more information.
