CNHA’s finance project is not just for Native Hawaiians

The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, a nonprofit dedicated to enhance the cultural, economic and community development of Native Hawaiians, has developed a family finance project to serve all low-income Hawaii residents. The goal is to assist low- to moderate-income families statewide with financial education, one-on-one counseling, help opening deposit accounts, accessing federal earned income tax credits and saving for down payments on homes.

“The Native Hawaiian community has acute challenges in the area of asset building, and as a result, many in our network of members have had to become experts in delivering these types of services,” said Robin Puanani Danner, CNHA’s CEO. “The Hawaii Family Finance Project creates a pathway for that expertise to serve all of Hawaii.”

The project will fund community-based nonprofits in every county, including credit unions, to deliver services to eligible families that support family financial success. It will provide specific education and training on family budgeting, understanding credit scores, how to use and manage bank accounts and assessments to inform families on where they are, and where they need to go.

The project is funded by a three-year grant by the U.S. Department of Treasury under its Financial Education and Counseling Program to support Hawaii families to strengthen family finances and achieve homeownership.

CNHA is a national network of Native Hawaiian Organizations, providing assistance in accessing capital and technical resources, and is a policy voice on issues important to Native Hawaiian communities. For more information, contact CNHA, (808) 596-8155, (800) 709-2642 or info@hawaiiancouncil.org, or visit http://ww.hawaiiancouncil.org.