My first time teaching financial education was an experience that I will never forget. The class was an 8th grade middle school class and the topic was Budgeting. While I had been a student almost all my life, I had never presented in front of a class for more than 15 minutes – and that was my senior thesis. While I had my worries, I was able to reduce my anxiety by prepping a detailed lesson plan.

When I walked into the classroom the students were really happy to see me. First, I explained the purpose of our financial literacy program, why I was there, and the topics we would be covering. I waited for the class to fill, the teacher introduced me and I started following my lesson plan.
In the spirit of my favorite college professor, the first part of my lesson was to tell a joke. I wanted to show the students that I was fun. As it was supposed to be told the joke should have been as follows:

“A man walking along a road in the countryside comes across a shepherd and a huge flock of sheep. He tells the shepherd, ‘I will bet you $100 against one of your sheep that I can tell you the exact number in this flock.’ The shepherd thinks it over; it’s a big flock so he takes the bet. ‘973,’ says the man. The shepherd is astonished, because that is exactly right. Says ‘OK, I’m a man of my word, take an animal.’ The man picks one up and begins to walk away.

“Well,” says the shepherd, “put down my dog and I will tell you.’”

I completely butchered it by half giving away the punch the line and the only person who laughed was the teacher. The students somewhat laughed after the teacher let out a sarcastic laugh. Read next week to find out more…

PORTLAND, Ore., February 28, 2011—Financial Beginnings, a Portland-based nonprofit that provides financial education at no cost to children and young adults throughout the Pacific Northwest, recently announced that it reached over 9,000 students in 2010—teaching them the basics of banking, budgeting, the power of credit, and sound investing. This is a 1000% increase in students from when the nonprofit began in 2005. Financial Beginnings also delivered education programs to over 80 schools in Oregon and Washington in 2010.

Over the past year, Financial Beginnings, along with its curriculum committee, continually worked to refine and supplement its core curriculum in order to ensure that programs included the latest credit and consumer legislation, as well as evolving best-practices. As a result, the committee added a fifth subject to its curriculum for 2011, entrepreneurship, which will teach students about business ownership and management.

Throughout 2010, Financial Beginnings also worked to formalize many of the partnerships that allow them to expand reach and maximize resources. Through collaboration with Operation HOPE, Financial Beginnings will now provide high school and young adult education while Operation HOPE serves elementary and middle schools students.

Additionally, Financial Beginnings worked to develop a comprehensive financial literacy program for Mayor Sam Adams’ Youth Connect summer program for at-risk youth, and partnered with the State Treasurer’s office and the Oregon College Savings Plan to offer the Reading is an Investment program.

In the spring of 2011, Financial Beginnings will officially launch its Teacher Training program. The first of its kind in the Northwest, the program is in direct response to the growing demand from schools for Financial Beginnings’ programs. The curriculum will provide teachers with the information and resources to teach financial literacy in the classroom as either a formal program or as short lesson that could be integrated into existing math, economics or social studies curriculum.

About Financial Beginnings
Formed in 2005 and based in Portland, OR, Financial Beginnings is a nonprofit organization that provides multi-session courses, free of charge, to students and young adults throughout the Pacific Northwest through visits to their individual schools or community groups. The courses incorporate all aspects of personal finance to provide individuals the foundation needed to make informed financial decisions. More information is available at www.financialbeginnings.org.

This week we are mourning the loss of a dear family member of Financial Beginnings. On Friday January 21, 2011 James “Bill” Young passed away. Bill was a founding Board Member and even after his departing the Board he continued to be an avid supporter of Financial Beginnings.

Bill came to be a Founding Board Member as a favor to me. When we were creating Financial Beginnings we did everything, including scratch utilizing the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook. Though the book was great it still wasn’t enough for two 20 somethings to start a nonprofit. One of the requirements of running a nonprofit in Oregon is that you much have a minimum of three board members. We decided that it would be best to get some legal expertise on the board to help us through the logistics of getting the organization off the ground. I asked Bill if he would be willing to take a seat on the board and he gladly accepting.

We immediately found the need for his expertise as the draft of the articles and bylaws were not quite jiving and we did not know one thing about holding a board meeting. I recall Bill saying “be sure that the meeting minutes reflect…”. He served on the Board from 2005- 2008 which was just long enough for Financial Beginnings to get its foundation laid. You should have seen the Board at the first meeting without him trying to determine what should or shouldn’t be voted on. We immediately began to seek someone with legal expertise to join our team.

In the first years of Financial Beginnings I would always call Bill to share our successes. Bill was always one of the first I would call after getting a grant or setting up an important meeting. It’s almost fitting that Financial Beginnings was announced a large grant on the day of his death. I was definitely thinking of him as I was speaking to the foundation.

Even after Bill’s board term ended he continued to be one of our biggest supporters. He would always sponsor a table at our annual funding raising dinner: A Tale of Good Cents and each time we had a donor campaign he would always be one of the first to contribute. Every time I would see him he would ask about Financial Beginnings and tell me how impressed he was by what we are doing.

Bill grew to be such a huge support to not only Financial Beginnings but to me. He gave me support as I ventured into this unknown nonprofit business world with no expertise, but just passion. He taught me how to play racquet ball (and always beat me), allowed me to step on his toes on the dance floor and even in the last few months helped me as I struggled as a tenant in foreclosure. He became a family member to me. I feel so fortunate to have had him in my life.

“Having had the opportunity to work with Melody and reviewing the work of her volunteers I became more than ever convinced that Financial Beginnings has been, and will be, a strong force in the education of students in the greater Northwest Oregon. Having the tools to understand basic banking, the use, and misuse , of credit and the value of the dollar is sadly not readily available to all and in too many cases involve topics not discussed in many students’ homes. All of that and more is offered by Financial Beginnings which is why I shall continue to lend some financial support to the enterprise.” – Bill Young 2010.