Financial Literacy Program

Requirements & Curriculum
We Are Problematic Nonprofit

Program Requirements

We keep this simple—but we also keep it real.

Who Can Join

• Low-income individuals or families

• Ages 16+ (younger participants with parent/guardian allowed)

• Those currently facing financial challenges (debt, unstable income, no savings, etc.)

What We Expect

This program is free—but it’s not passive.

Participants must:

• Show up consistently (weekly sessions)

• Be honest about their financial situation

• Be open to learning and applying changes

• Complete basic exercises (budget, tracking, etc.)

• Respect the space and others in the program

What You Don’t Need

• Perfect credit

• A certain income level

• Prior financial knowledge

Just a willingness to start.

Program Commitment

• Duration: 6–8 weeks

• Sessions: 1–2 times per week (in-person or virtual)

• Optional: One-on-one support sessions

PROGRAM CURRICULUM

Week 1: The Truth About Money

Topic: Understanding Your Financial Reality

• Where your money is actually going

• Income vs. expenses breakdown

• Identifying survival patterns vs. growth habits

• Facing financial situations without shame

Activity:
Track your spending for 7 days (real numbers, no guessing)

Week 2: Budgeting That Works in Real Life

Topic: Building a Budget You Can Actually Stick To

• Why most budgets fail

• Creating a flexible, realistic budget

• Needs vs. wants (without guilt)

• Planning for inconsistent income

Activity:
Create your personal working budget

Week 3: Saving When It Feels Impossible

Topic: Building Savings from the Ground Up

• Breaking the “I can’t save” mindset

• Micro-saving strategies

• Emergency funds (even small ones)

• Habit-building over large amounts

Activity:
Set a personal savings goal + plan

Week 4: Credit Explained (No Confusion)

Topic: How Credit Actually Works

• What credit is and why it matters

• Credit scores broken down simply

• Good vs. bad credit behavior

• Common mistakes to avoid

Activity:
Review or simulate a credit profile

Week 5: Fixing & Building Credit

Topic: Step-by-Step Credit Improvement

• How to start building credit from scratch

• Fixing damaged credit

• Secured cards, payments, utilization

• Timeline expectations (realistic, not overnight)

Activity:
Create a personal credit-building plan

Week 6: Debt Without Drowning

Topic: Managing and Reducing Debt

• Understanding different types of debt

• Debt traps and how to avoid them

• Payoff strategies (snowball vs. avalanche simplified)

• Negotiating and managing payments

Activity:
List debts + create a payoff strategy

Week 7: Breaking the Cycle

Topic: Changing Financial Habits for Good

• Identifying generational patterns

• Mindset shifts around money

• Discipline vs. motivation

• Building consistency

Activity:
Write your “financial reset plan”

Week 8 (Optional): Building Forward

Topic: Stability → Growth

• Setting long-term goals

• Basic investing awareness (intro level)

• Creating opportunities for your family

• Passing knowledge to the next generation

Activity:
Create a 6-month financial action plan

Ongoing Support (Optional but Powerful)

• Monthly check-ins

• Accountability groups

• One-on-one coaching

• Access to tools & resources

Program Outcome

By the end, participants will:

• Understand their money clearly

• Have a working budget

• Start saving (even small amounts)

• Know how to build or fix credit

• Have a plan to manage debt

• Feel more in control—not stuck

Our Approach

We don’t teach perfection—we teach progress.

We know financial situations can feel overwhelming, inconsistent, and sometimes problematic. That’s exactly why this program exists.

Real people. Real situations. Real change.