1. Financial Empowerment- Successful Approaches
WoodGreen Community Services
Financial Empowerment- Successful Approaches 
Stephen Vanderherberg, Director Strategic Initiatives
May 25th, 2018

2. Organizational Overview
WoodGreen Community Services
Organizational Overview
WoodGreen Community Services (Toronto, ON)
Multi-Service Agency (i.e housing, employment, newcomer, seniors, mental health, etc.)
75 programs, 700+ staff
Financial Empowerment
Income Tax Clinics (7500 returns in 2017)
Counselling (1000+ clients)
Financial Literacy

3. Financial Empowerment
WoodGreen Community Services
Financial Empowerment
Target
Low income individuals & families with barriers
Address financial barriers; Increase financial skills and capacity
Grow to 15,000 clients/yr by 2022
Journey
33% growth year over year since 2011
Tax Clinics to Counselling  
Experimentation & Innovation
Approach
Co-Design
Partnerships
Client-centric

4. Challenges to Financial Security
WoodGreen Community Services
Challenges to Financial Security
Complexity of Personal Situations
Documentation, debt, back-taxes, relationship breakdowns
Ease of Access
Navigating systems, appropriate financial products, personal confidence 
Low Financial Literacy  
Low literacy levels, cognitive barriers, negative association 
Need for affirming positive social interactions

5. Successful Approach 1: Volunteer Empowerment
WoodGreen Community Services
Successful Approach 1: Volunteer Empowerment
200+ volunteers, Pyramid model
Co-location: Toronto Public Library, Social Housing, etc.
$17 M in Benefits and Returns
Positive Social Interactions

6. Successful Approach 2: Tax + Counselling Triaging complex situations
WoodGreen Community Services
Successful Approach 2: Tax + Counselling
Triaging complex situations
One-on-One Support – Tax advocacy, debt, documentation, benefits access, budgeting
Social Work Approach, Action-oriented 
Supportive environment to navigate systems 

7. WoodGreen Community Services
Stephen Vanderherberg, Director, Strategic Initiatives