To our 3rd Decade Community;

What a year it has been for us at 3rd Decade! 2022 was a year of immense transition, growth, and, most importantly….MOMENTUM…for both our organization and our mission. So what did this year look like? Well, I’m glad you asked!

Transition – This year, we welcomed in so many new faces to the 3rd Decade family. In March, we said goodbye to Scott Bennett, our former Executive Director who led our growth over the past three years, as I stepped in to lead us into the future as we work to continue the amazing upward trajectory of the organization. We welcomed two new members to our team; Megan Stiles, our Mentor Development and Training Coordinator, and Dalia Rodriguez, our Bilingual Financial Mentor. They both hit the ground running and were a big part of our success this year. Lastly, we welcomed Ashley Ilardo from Dimensional Fund Advisors as the newest member of our Board of Directors, while Missy Eddy, one of our founding board members, transitioned off the board after having contributed so much to our mission.

Growth – 3rd Decade’s programs and operations have grown leaps and bounds during the course of this year. We made it a priority to ensure we have adequate resources and systems in place as we strive for efficiency while managing our dynamic growth. We implemented new technology systems and platforms that are fundamentally changing how we manage our financial education classes, our mentoring processes, and our resource development functions. This included a new training platform for our mentors that has provided needed clarity on how we onboard, engage, and support our volunteer mentors. That system, coupled with the furthering of our partnership with Dimensional Fund Advisors, allowed us to grow our relationships with financial services firms across the country and more than doubled the number of mentors we have serving our participants.

Progress – This year, we continued to make significant progress toward building the key relationships and strategies that are moving us closer to achieving our mission of changing financial futures forever, today! We completed our new strategic plan in Q4. That plan will guide our work as we look to serve over 1,000 participants annually by 2025. We also formed key relationships with supporters and partners that share our vision for financial education and are helping us to become financially sustainable for years to come.

All of these changes have put us in position to end 2022 on a high note as we begin to prepare for the challenges and eventual successes that await us in 2023. I invite you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram so that you don’t miss a moment of the journey that awaits us as we look to improve the lives of thousands of young adults in the years to come.

Happy Holidays to you all!