ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
National economic trends, such as unstable employment, the threat to Social Security as we know it, and the widening gap between wealth and poverty are the basis for the development of Financial Fortitude, the current Economic Development program initiative of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Financial Fortitude is a process that will help program participants to set and define goals, develop a plan to achieve them, and to put the plan into action. The process serves as a blueprint to address all aspects of personal finances.
The Financial Fortitude initiative is comprised of ten components and provides a collaboration of information from major economic corporations and other well-known financial institutions. The ten components include: Goal Setting, Financial Planning, Budgeting, Debt Management, Savings & Investments, Retirement Planning, Homeownership, Insurance, Estate Planning, and Entrepreneurship.
The initiative helps members of the Sorority spread financial education throughout their local communities.
Potomac Valley Alumnae Chapter’s Economic Development Committee marks over 10 consecutive years of planning and executing a successful, sustainable, impactful, community-centered economic development financial education program that encompasses all ten components of Delta Sigma Theta’s Financial Fortitude Initiative: Goal Setting, Financial Planning, Budgeting, Debt Management, Savings and Investments, Retirement Planning, Homeownership, Insurance Estate Planning, and Entrepreneurship.
The Committee implements Financial Fortitude by conducting and sponsoring workshops, conferences and Financial Fortitude Friday events; creating Financial Fortitude videos; promoting useful online financial management tools; and distributing financial literature – all to help individuals make better financial decisions, to set and define goals, to develop plans to achieve their goals, and to put their plans into action.
Highlights of PVAC’s Economic Development Financial Fortitude activities include:
- Annual Financial Fortitude Month Workshops targeting youth
- Annual Financial Fortitude Friday Workshops targeting Delta Dears and community senior citizens
- Annual Montgomery County Affordable Housing Conference targeting first-time homebuyers
- Supporting community events and Minerva Entrepreneurship Awards that target and spotlight African-American business owners, potential business owners and young entrepreneurs under 30
- Supporting Small Business Networking Breakfasts
- Distributing financial resource materials to promote debt management