Financial Freedom

Empowering justice-involved people to take the first step

Financial education, affordable banking, and peer mentoring help people create a path to successful reentry and a healthy financial future.

Our Fresh Start Programs

Expert guidance and community support that build confidence and strengthen financial capability.

Financial Education
digital learning and
group workshops to increase knowledge.

Financial Coaching
helps people develop
money management skills
and build credit.

Affordable Banking
replaces costly alternatives like checking cashing services.

Business Education
for aspiring entrepreneurs interested in pursuing business ownership.

Justice-involved individuals experience significant challenges in accessing mainstream financial services. Our vision is to start a new credit union for this community, their families, friends and supporters.

First Step Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to advancing successful reentry and financial inclusion for justice-involved individuals.

Our Fresh Start programs are led by formerly incarcerated community leaders, business mentors, and financial coaches who bring together lived experience and professional expertise. instructors include graduates of top business and law schools such as Wharton, Harvard, Berkeley, and NYU.

We make these programs available through partnerships with community organizations and agencies. There is no cost to participants, ensuring everyone has fair access to the support they need to work toward financial stability.

Learn more

Breaking Barriers, Building Futures Together

We are committed to ending systemic discrimination in mainstream banking. Our Proposed Federal Credit Union will be a first-of-its-kind, full-service financial cooperative uniquely focused on justice-involved individuals, their families, friends, and supporters. The National Credit Union Administration has approved our request to move forward with a new charter application.

Support the Credit Union

As seen in:

Featured Articles

Entrepreneurship After Prison: Fresh Start Business Ideas

Reintegrating into society after a period of incarceration can be a daunting challenge, especially when it comes to securing employment. While fair chance hiring is on the rise, most employers are apprehensive about hiring people with a criminal record. For justice-involved individuals, opportunities to secure meaningful employment with long-term career growth are extremely limited. Systemic barriers to employment have led many justice-involved individuals to pursue busine

Roadblocks to Reentry: Reducing Barriers to Car Ownership

Access to transportation represents a significant yet frequently underestimated obstacle for returning citizens. The general challenges of reentry are made even more difficult by unreliable and limited transportation options. This additional barrier heightens vulnerability and contributes to persistent unemployment and homelessness, increasing the risk of recidivism. The ability to secure meaningful employment is already severely restricted for individuals with a criminal rec

Second Chance Banking: A Guide for Returning Citizens

Learn about second chance banking options for returning citizens, how ChexSystems affects account approval, and why joining a credit union may be the best path to financial independence. Formerly incarcerated individuals face significant challenges when it comes to accessing mainstream banking services — and second chance banking programs exist to help close that gap. Limited access can have a huge impact on economic wellbeing and the ability to achieve sustainable financial