We put people at the center of all we do.
In 2021, GreenPath celebrated 60 years of our people, passion, and impact.
We continued our work to advance financial resiliency and health in diverse communities nationwide, even amid the ongoing pandemic and economic challenges including rising inflation.
GreenPath and our affiliates continued to deliver on the outcomes so critical to our mission. Our work is to empower financial health and wellness, while honoring our unique capabilities of using human-centered design and empathy. In ever-changing and challenging times, this focus is even more important.
We are committed to creating a culture where our team members thrive, and once again earned Top Workplaces and a new award for Top Work-Life Flexibility. In a year of the “Great Resignation,” where many companies are short of talent, we had the lowest employee turnover in history. Our team members have an average tenure of over eight years. By caring for our team, our team is able to provide the caring service our clients feel every day.
We grew our partnerships, expanded our digital capabilities, earned record-high customer Net Promoter Scores, and established the foundations for important Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access work to expand our reach to more households.
Together with our clients, partners, communities, and caring team members, we put people at the center of all we do.
I invite you to explore this report which highlights our people, passion, and impact. You will hear directly from our team members, our partners, and our clients. These are stories of how we maintain an unwavering focus on providing caring, judgment-free financial, housing, and debt management counseling that transforms lives.
Through financial counseling services and education, GreenPath maintains our 60-year commitment to building a world in which all people have an equal opportunity to lead financially healthy lives.
Sincerely,
KRISTEN HOLT
President & CEO
In 2021, GreenPath Financial Wellness celebrated our successful 60-year track record of empowering people to live financially healthy lives.
Meet the People with the Passion
With decades of experience providing people with a plan for financial health and wellness, meet a few of GreenPath's Financial Wellness Experts.
Stories of People, Passion, Impact
“Joining GreenPath helped me feel relief when I realized I could not keep up with my credit card payments. They helped me stay hopeful during the process. At times when my income was low, they worked with me to lower my monthly total payment that went towards all my cards. I'm now debt free.”
Alexandra of Fremont, CA
“We didn't even realize how much debt we had until talking with a GreenPath counselor. GreenPath gave us options and we started our management plan. GreenPath was there to assist, and we made it through in less time than was originally stated. They have excellent tools to assist people on the road to financial health.”
David of Woodbridge, VA
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access
GreenPath is committed to I.D.E.A. (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access).
IDEA is essential to create and sustain a respectful, inclusive, and empathetic culture. Through this, we are better able to contribute to the diverse communities we serve.
GreenPath utilized grant funding from the United Services Automobile Association (USAA), Capital One, and Wells Fargo to build the foundation for a culture of continuous improvement in overcoming systemic barriers and unconscious bias.
With new funding in 2022, we continue our IDEA commitment, expanding digital pathways to our services, enhancing Spanish-language offerings, increasing awareness of our services to communities of color, and growing our company culture around IDEA.
Capital One sponsored the development of an in-depth white paper which shares best practices with organizations on the same journey.
Detroit Voices
GreenPath's Detroit Voices research initiative took place in 2021 with a goal of soliciting community feedback to build relevant financial education.
Due to his leadership with Detroit Voices, Learning Experience Designer Omari Hall was named the National Foundation of Credit Counseling (NFCC) 2021 Advocate of the Year, recognized for his positive impact on underrepresented communities in Detroit.
Looking forward, Omari Hall is leading community building centered around the Detroit Durfee Innovation Center, the home of the GreenPath Detroit Office.
Learning Experience Designer Omari Hall named National Foundation of Credit Counseling (NFCC) 2021 Advocate of the Year
RECOGNIZED FOR OUR PEOPLE, PASSION, PURPOSE
- 2021 finalist Crain's Detroit Business Best-Managed Nonprofits
- Top Workplaces 2021 award from Detroit Free Press
- Center for Companies That Care Honor Roll recognition
Lavell's Journey to #BeDebtFree
Lavell is a native Detroiter with a story to tell about becoming debt free.
GreenPath's debt management service helped Lavell pay off nearly $50,000 in credit card debt faster than he could on his own. Lavell saved money on fees and interest and progressed toward financial fitness.
An Unexpected Piece of Mail
Then teenaged Lavell received an unexpected piece of mail: a credit card he didn't apply for. Flush with generosity, Lavell used the credit card to give gifts to his loved ones. What started as a gesture of kindness snowballed into a mountain of debt. Hear Lavell tell the rest of the story.
Toward Financial Health
Lavell will tell you that the road to financial wellness can be bumpy. GreenPath helped him smooth the way. We put our 60 years of experience to work to guide Lavell to financial health.
Celebrating 60 Years of Empowering Financial Health
From our beginnings in 1961 as a regional credit union service to emerging as one of the largest, most trusted national nonprofit counseling agencies, 2021 was a year to reflect.
People have turned to GreenPath for more than 60 years as their guide to navigate debt, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and credit challenges.
With continued commitment, GreenPath is staying true to our bold goal to build a new financial culture and system that works for everyone.
GreenPath Team Members: Expressions of Gratitude
KRISTEN HOLT
President & CEO
“This is our why – knowing that our work matters.”
RICK BIALOBRZESKI
Chief Business Development Officer
“We're much more than a traditional credit counseling agency.”
DONNA MCNEILL
Chief Operating Officer
“To see our clients encourage each other is absolutely priceless.”
Board of Directors & Officers
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CAREY PACHLA
Chair
FastTek Global
MICHELLE GREENE
Vice Chair
Cardinal Health
ANTHONY ZAMBELLI
Treasurer
Seneca Partners
WILLIAM J. RICHARDS
Secretary
46th District Court – Retired
JOHN FRITH
Urban Science
BRUCE GOTTSCHALL
NHS Chicago – Retired
MICHAEL POULOS
Michigan First Credit Union
JOSHUA SLEDGE
Filene Research Institute
SHAWN STEWART
Rocket Central
JANE SYDLOWSKI
AMI Strategies
OFFICERS
CAREY PACHLA
Chair
FastTek Global
ANTHONY ZAMBELLI
Treasurer
Seneca Partners
WILLIAM J. RICHARDS
Secretary
46th District Court – Retired
MICHELLE GREENE
Cardinal Health
OFFICERS: NON-VOTING
KRISTEN HOLT
President
GreenPath Financial Wellness
RICH HOLLIS
Asst. Treasurer
GreenPath Financial Wellness
REBECCA MORELLI
Asst. Secretary
GreenPath Financial Wellness
2022 GREENPATH BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Front row (left to right): Kristen Holt, Jane Sydlowski, Bill Richards, Michelle Greene
Back row (left to right): Sanjeev Handa, Anthony Zambelli, Carey Pachla, Josh Sledge
Not pictured: Shawn Stewart, John Frith, Michael Poulos, Bruce Gottschall
2021 Impact and Outcomes
OF 86,532 SERVICES:
42,763
Budget / Debt Issue Services
86,532
total services
PROVIDED
OF 86,532 SERVICES:
6,038
were Reverse Mortgage services
138,839
engagements with GreenPath educational experiences
NET PROMOTER SCORE℠:
78.4
with clients who received Debt Issue, Foreclosure Prevention, Forbearance Outreach, Reverse Mortgage, or Pre-Purchase services
$237.1M
DISBURSED
to creditors
50%
of survey respondents said the education they received through the Virtual Financial Coach helped reduce stress around their credit score
9,531
Debt Management Plans Successfully Paid in Full
54,087
Debt Management Plans MANAGED
OF 86,532 SERVICES:
24,077
were mortgage delinquency services
OF 86,532 SERVICES:
5,427
were Pre-Purchase services
Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score℠ and Net Promoter System℠ are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.
2021 Financials
Partners
GreenPath continues to team with mission-aligned partners from across sectors. Our partners include more than 550 credit unions, banks, employers, benefits administrators, and other organizations.
Together, we are transforming the culture of personal finance and enabling millions of Americans to improve their financial security.
2021 MILESTONES:
- In 2021, GreenPath expanded financial counseling services to more than 1,000 additional Prudential referring entities (employers and associations).
- In 2021, GreenPath aligned with 29 new Credit Union Partners representing 1.1 million members.
- During the past year, GreenPath received contributions from 18 Bank Partners to support financial wellness in their communities.
Pioneer Credit Union in Boise, Idaho, shares how their members achieve financial wellness with GreenPath.
“GreenPath is a trusted and valued partner.”
“Debt counseling, credit report reviews, debt management services from GreenPath are supportive, letting our members get back on track.”
“I feel passionate about the work that GreenPath does, the way that you do it, and the impact that GreenPath has on our members' lives.”
2021 PARTNER FEEDBACK
- The annual retention rate of GreenPath partners is more than 99%.
- 88% of surveyed partners anticipate GreenPath's resources are aligned with their 2022 plan and top goals.*
- 100% of surveyed partners are likely to recommend GreenPath Financial Wellness.*
*Results from an independent TechValidate survey.
Virtual Financial Coach
Today, people expect relevant financial tools anytime, anywhere - on the device of their choosing.
In 2021, GreenPath partnered with technology developer eGain to pilot with 25 credit union and bank partners to bring Coach Lea, our Virtual Financial Coach, to over 5,800 users.
Users can access their credit scores and get targeted advice around building credit in early 2022. The product roadmap also includes advice paths around budgeting and savings.
82% of survey respondents said they either maintained or increased their confidence to improve their credit score as a result of the education received through the Virtual Financial Coach.
The Virtual Financial Coach uses eGain's advanced AI technology to deliver GreenPath Financial Wellness guidance 24/7 on any smartphone or computer.
Teaming with USAA
Generous funding from United Services Automobile Association (USAA) was used in 2021 to advance racial equity by improving financial readiness for low- to moderate-income Black and Hispanic adults in Bexar County, Texas.
Outcomes from this work include:
- Bexar County Black and Hispanic clients who enrolled in a Debt Management Plan during the grant period were projected to pay off an average of 34.5% of their debt on the program during the first 12 months on the program.
- 52.8% of Bexar County Black and Hispanic individuals who were counseled and agreed to credit review saw an increase in their VantageScore within the year after receiving GreenPath's financial best practices and strategies for paying down debt.
- Bexar County Black and Hispanic clients* reported on average a 9.5% reduction in stress caused by personal finances and an average of 41.2% increased confidence in achieving financial goals post counseling.
*Clients who completed debt or mortgage counseling with survey results collected from end of counseling through 6 months after counseling.
Looking Forward
USAA awarded GreenPath an additional $1 million in funding to expand this initiative throughout 2022, focusing on nine regions across the country.
LearningLab – Education
2021 Financial Education Initiatives
The post-pandemic digital habits people have adopted are projected to become a permanent change.
- Financial online education enables GreenPath and our more than 550 partners to meet customer needs for "self-service" anywhere/anytime learning experiences.
- In response to market expectations, in 2021, GreenPath launched the online Learning Lab - a free digital platform.
Watch an introduction to GreenPath's Learning Lab – free access to online educational experiences across 12 different self-guided e-courses.
Affiliates
Affiliates – Homeownership Preservation Foundation and 995HOPE
GreenPath's affiliate, the 995HOPE Hotline, is a trusted resource for those experiencing housing stress. Serving people since 2008, the HOPE Hotline continued to provide access to empathetic HUD-certified housing counselors.
- GreenPath's Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF) supported first-time homebuyers' ability to navigate the ongoing pandemic and a challenging housing market.
- HPF's successful post-modification financial coaching programs extended its service to support borrowers facing difficulty connecting with their servicer to discuss forbearance exit solutions.
- HPF combined innovative outreach with empathic and focused counseling to enable more borrowers to successfully exit forbearance.
People, Passion, Impact — 2021
- 995HOPE Hotline handled nearly 65,000 calls from homeowners facing financial hardships and financial stress.
- Counselors conducted over 29,000 sessions for clients seeking options to stabilize their housing.
- Counselors supported over 3,500 first-time homebuyers pursuing their dream of homeownership.
Spotlight:
Meet Greg Nelson, a caring, HUD-certified housing counselor.
Our core services of mortgage delinquency/foreclosure prevention, post-modification, and pre-purchase housing counseling benefited under-served communities and those disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of COVID.
Affiliate – Clarifi
In 2021, GreenPath's affiliate, Philadelphia-based Clarfi, continued direct-service excellence by utilizing a holistic, relationship-based approach to financial empowerment and housing counseling.
In 2021, Clarifi centered its progress on the core belief that everyone—regardless of income or ZIP code— deserves access to sound financial guidance tailored to their needs.
Clarifi has met this promise by expanding eviction and foreclosure prevention programs, continuing our partnership with other high-impact organizations like Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Authority. Clarifi also explored nnovative interventions like direct cash-assistance for vulnerable populations.
Scenes from 2021 showcasing the Clarfi team and Clarifi client family.
People, Passion, Impact — 2021
- 9,380 counseling sessions.
- 5,274 individual households counseled.
- 70 Financial Literacy Workshops for 1,494 participants.
- 629 clients reduced debt by 10% or more.
- 1,957 clients established emergency savings.
- 94 households purchased a home.
- Clarifi's counseling services teach financial best practices and offer strategies for paying down debt – habits that in many cases will result in improved credit scores. 1,036 individuals saw an increase in their credit score by 35+ points since their initial counseling session.
Marquetta's Story: Everyone Deserves a Safe Place to Call Home
In 2021, Philadelphia became one of the first major U.S. cities to implement mandatory landlord/tenant mediation prior to all eviction proceedings. Clarifi is proud to be part of this initiative. As a leading housing organization in Philadelphia, Clarifi rose to the occasion to provide our expertise to families at risk of losing their homes.
While Marquetta was able to weather the early days of the pandemic, she eventually lost her job and started to fall behind on her rent.
After several sessions with her Clarifi counselor Tyler, Marquetta and her landlord were able to reach an agreement to waive back rent and avoid eviction.
Affiliate – Rural Dynamics (RDI)
GreenPath affiliate Rural Dynamics (RDI) provides services and programs across Montana and northern Idaho to help individuals and families become financially secure.
In 2021, RDI continued to deliver critical financial services to vulnerable populations.
RDI leads the nation in per capita tax filings by improving and perfecting remote preparations and expanding drop-off locations.
RDI has risen to meet the housing needs of Montana by reviving our housing counseling programs to deliver Emergency Rental Assistance, Foreclosure Prevention, and Financial Capability counseling.
Scenes from 2021 showcasing the RDI team and RDI client family.
People, Passion, Impact – 2021
- Of 6,378 total clients served, 95% of whom make less than VITA income qualifications; 33% Indigenous; 21% living with a disability.
- 405 clients completed a session with a financial counselor.
- 203 financial coaching clients completed 958 financial wellness courses.
- 818 people served through 26 financial capability workshops facilitated by RDI in 2021.
RDI's direct service programs provide pathways to financial wellness. RDI utilizes indirect strategies such as coalition building, capacity building for poverty reduction, and advocacy/policy work.
Empowering a Family's Financial Future
“It was freeing to have a plan, especially with such supportive counselors.”
The family saved about $70,000 of interest charges with the GreenPath Debt Management Plan.
Tammy and her family were overwhelmed with $49,000 of outstanding credit card debt.
FINANCIAL CHALLENGES
- The family did not have a clear picture of their total debt burden. It was stressful to watch debt levels increase each month.
- The family could not keep up with monthly household expenses, as well as credit card balances.
SUCCESS OUTCOMES
- With the Debt Management Plan, Tammy and her family paid off $49,000 of credit card debt in 51 months.
- The family saved about $70,000 of interest charges1 through the GreenPath Debt Management Plan2 vs. paying only the minimum payments by themselves.
TOWARD FINANCIAL HEALTH
- The realistic and sustainable plan helped reduce stress and worry and served as a turning point for the family.
- With guidance from GreenPath, Tammy built the family's first-ever working budget.
1. As calculated using bankrate.com credit card calculator. 2. Individual results may vary. Fees apply and vary by state. 3. GreenPath 2020 post counseling survey.