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.

We bring lived experience and professional expertise together to support people and meet them where they are on their journey. Fresh Start instructors are formerly incarcerated community leaders, business mentors, and financial coaches — many of them graduates of top business and law schools, including Wharton, Harvard, Berkeley, and NYU.

The Fresh Start programs are available through partnerships with community organizations and government agencies. There is no cost to participants, ensuring everyone has fair access to the support they need.

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.

Help us turn this vision into a reality!

Join Us

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

A Comprehensive Guide to Banking for Returning Citizens

What you need to know about mainstream banking services and fintechs, and why you should ultimately consider joining a Credit Union. Formerly incarcerated individuals face significant challenges when it comes to accessing mainstream banking services. Limited access can have a huge impact on economic wellbeing and the ability to achieve sustainable financial independence. More than 600,000 people, the majority of whom are people of color and women, are released from our prison