Economic Empowerment
Building Individual and Collective Wealth in Deep East Oakland
Why This Matters
Decades of redlining, predatory lending, and disinvestment stripped wealth out of Deep East Oakland. Families here work just as hard as anywhere else in the Bay Area, but far too many are locked out of credit, savings, and ownership.
Our economic empowerment work rebuilds that foundation from the inside out — through financial education, community-controlled capital, and cooperative economics that keep dollars circulating in the neighborhood.
Our Programs
Financial Literacy & Money Management
Budgeting, credit repair, savings strategy, and money coaching led by trusted community educators.
Lending Circles & Cooperative Economics
SuSu-style lending circles that build credit history and community-controlled capital.
Who This Program Is For
Individuals Seeking Stability
Neighbors working to build savings, repair credit, and get out from under debt.
SuSu Academy Participants
Residents ready to commit to the 12-month East Oakland SuSu Financial Literacy Academy.
East Oakland SuSu Financial Literacy Academy
The East Oakland SuSu Financial Literacy Academy is a 12-month structured financial education program for East Oakland residents ready to change their relationship with money, whether rebuilding credit, saving for the first time, or preparing to buy a home or start a business.
Participants join in-person and virtual sessions, receive free materials, access SuSu lending circles and credit-building tools, and graduate into an alumni support network.
The Academy is not currently enrolling new cohorts.
Financial Foundations
- Building a household budget that survives a hard month
- Understanding credit reports, scores, and disputes
- Banking without predatory fees
- Setting and protecting an emergency fund
Building Wealth
- Paying down debt strategically
- Homeownership readiness and down payment planning
- Introduction to investing and retirement accounts
- Protecting assets: insurance, wills, and beneficiaries
Cooperative Economics
- How SuSu lending circles work and how to run one
- Cooperative ownership and community investment models
- Supporting and starting neighborhood businesses
- Keeping dollars circulating in East Oakland
50+
Graduates
80%
Improved Credit Scores
12
Month Program
$25K+
Savings Generated
Success Stories
"The lending circle gave me the cushion I needed to stop living paycheck to paycheck."
"I raised my credit score by over 100 points in a year with the coaching I got here."
"For the first time I have savings, a budget, and a plan for my family's future."