National Foundation for Credit Counseling Adds New Member

Washington, DC (PRWEB) November 11, 2011

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) is proud to welcome Novadebt to the NFCC network of nonprofit credit counseling agencies.

We are delighted to welcome Novadebt as the newest member of the NFCC, said Susan C. Keating, president and CEO of the NFCC. Novadebt has for years demonstrated its commitment to quality credit counseling and will be a strong asset to the NFCC. Given the challenging financial circumstances of so many Americans, it will be our shared goal to expand the solutions for clients to achieve greater financial stability.

Novadebt, founded in 1991, assisted more than 130,000 consumers over the last year through counseling, educational workshops and community outreach programs, helping to move them from financial distress into financial wellness. During the same timeframe, more than 340,000 pieces of free financial education materials were distributed.

Novadebt is a non-profit financial management social service organization, providing free financial and housing counseling services through their 160 certified counselors. Counseling is provided in-person or by phone, with the consumer choosing the delivery channel that best meets their needs.

Enjoying an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, the company demonstrates a customer-focused, unrelenting commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. The primary mission of the organization is to assist families and individuals in need by providing free financial education, community outreach and housing and credit counseling services.

Novadebt is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, is certified by the Council on Accreditation, and is an Executive Office of the United States Trustee (EOUST) approved provider of the mandated bankruptcy pre-filing counseling and pre-discharge education.

Through our membership in the NFCC, Novadebt expects to broaden our reach providing empathetic, and highly skilled service to individuals and families who face financial crisis, said Joel Greenberg, President and CEO of Novadebt. In these times of historic need, the NFCC has played an important role in the delivery of these necessary services. Novadebt looks forward to our new partnership with such a well-respected organization.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), founded in 1951, is the nations largest and longest serving national nonprofit credit counseling organization. The NFCCs mission is to promote the national agenda for financially responsible behavior, and build capacity for its members to deliver the highest-quality financial education and counseling services. NFCC Members annually help more than three million consumers through close to 800 community-based offices nationwide. For free and affordable confidential advice through a reputable NFCC Member, call (800) 388-2227, (en Espa

Invest in America Teams with Credit Unions Nationwide to Help Fund Biz Kid$ and its Youth Financial Education Mission

Livonia, MI (Vocus) September 24, 2010

CU Village, through its Invest in America (IIA) program, has pledged $ 700,000 toward the national underwriting of Biz Kid$ , an Emmy Award winning and credit union funded public television series that teaches kids about money management and entrepreneurship. IIA was created to help credit unions grow, support U.S.-based companies like GM and Sprint, and provide members with exclusive discounts.

Created to assist credit unions with doing what they do best putting members first IIAs pledge makes it one of the largest independent sponsors of Biz Kid$ alongside the National Credit Union Foundation. Since the series launch in Jan. 2008, the nationally broadcast program delivers financial education to more than 192 million households each week, and has reached 1.2 million students and teachers via the companion classroom curriculum.

In addition to the $ 700,000 contribution, to help achieve full-funding for the fourth season of Biz Kid$ and jump-start Season 5 funding, IIA is asking each of its credit union and league partners that receive Sprint marketing incentives to join with IIA to raise the remaining $ 1 million needed to complete the 2010 season. This can be achieved by donating 10 percent of their year-end rebate to support the program.

Since its inception Americas credit unions have exclusively funded Biz Kid$ as our industrys gift to financial education, says CU Villages CEO Dave Adams. To date, $ 8,550,000 has been contributed to fund BizKid$ . To continue to thrive as a system program well into the future, Biz Kid$ warrants the collaborative financial support of the credit union community. We anticipate that the nations not-for-profit financial institutions will see this as an opportunity to continue supporting the program without having it affect tightening budgets.

Adams says that, in most cases, the 10 percent donation will have little to no budgetary impact to IIA partners because of the growing success of the Sprint program this past year. He further anticipates that if each of the 2,600 credit union and 46 league IIA partners opts-in to participate, Biz Kid$ will achieve an additional $ 1 million in funding to complete production of the fourth season, as well as establish an unprecedented, sustainable funding source for future seasons.

"This is an incredible gift that CU Village has given the entire credit union system, says John Annaloro, President & CEO of the Washington Credit Union League, whose 501 (c) foundation currently administers Biz Kid$ on behalf of Americas Credit Unions. IIAs underwriting gift and future funding model ensures that the credit union's 'gift' of financial education can remain just thatthe credit union systems exclusive gift. This is a shining example of what our system can do when we work together."

Biz Kid$ is an important credit union initiative that is known to put credit unions in a strong and positive light. As a result, Biz Kid$ has been honored with a Herb Wegner Award, a Daytime Emmy Award, four Emmy nominations, a first place Telly Award, and an Environmental Media Award. By positioning itself as a co-partner of the program, IIA and its participating credit unions and leagues will have the unique opportunity to be associated with this valuable and popular program, as well as gain all of the goodwill and marketing benefits that come with it.

Its expected that this unique initiative will also build further support for IIA, its key partners Sprint and GM, and its success among members, and in turn the collective ability to support Biz Kid$ and other important credit union system initiatives.

In the weeks ahead CU Village will communicate to its IIA partners more about how they can participate in the Biz Kid$ funding initiative. For immediate information, please call 800.262.6285 or email info(at)cu-village(dot)com.

Invest in America is a membership enhancement program that offers credit union members exclusive discounts on products and services provided by U.S. based companies. Utilizing the credit unions ability to leverage their unique relationship, Invest in America is able to successfully market its partnerships and offers incremental sales to partner companies; a stimulus to the economy and; an increased value of credit union membership. Invest in America was created by and is managed by CUcorp and CU Village, subsidiaries of the Michigan Credit Union League.

CU Village is a full-service technology and marketing company with solid expertise across various channels and mediums including print, web, mass media, digital, data, programming and more. We help our clients leverage these tools, using an overall holistic approach and strategic services, to provide them with unparalleled access to all the resources they need to grow their organization from one source CU Village.

Biz Kid$ includes a television component, a website, and a full curriculum that can be used by educators in conjunction with the show. A full curriculum with activities and tests accompanies every episode of the television show, including five core episodes in Spanish. These can be downloaded for free on the shows official website, http://www.bizkids.com, which also hosts a cast blog and newsletter. DVD box sets of the first 26 episodes of Biz Kid$ are also available for purchase for use by credit unions, educators and parents. The show is produced in Seattle, Wash.

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