Cities For Financial Empowerment Fund
Local leaders find their voice to secure long-term success.
The Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) is a national nonprofit that partners with local governments to embed financial empowerment strategies into public services. The CFE Fund helps cities deliver tangible financial supports—like professional financial counseling, asset building, and safe banking access—to families who are too often excluded from traditional financial systems. The CFE Fund’s success depends not only on the performance of their local leaders, but also on their ability to communicate long-term value, build political capital, and win sustained buy-in from a variety of supporters.
The situation
The CFE Fund’s municipal grantees are often incredibly knowledgeable and experienced professionals, but may not bring extensive training in communications, public advocacy, or media relations to the roles. As program leaders scale their work and weather political transitions, they frequently find themselves in need of deft narrative strategy to defend or advance their offices. Without strong storytelling and coalition-building capabilities, these offices risked becoming invisible—or worse, expendable.
The solution
Over several years and multiple engagements, Coeo Strategies has helped strengthen the narrative and political capacity of numerous CFE Fund grantees - from Los Angeles to Tulsa, Pittsburgh to Shreveport, and many places in between - through a mix of diagnostic assessments, hands-on trainings, and tailored coaching. From one-on-one strategy sessions to national convenings, Coeo has equipped city leaders to tell their stories more effectively, navigate tricky political environments, and build internal and external relationships that can sustain and grow their initiatives.
The impact
Coeo’s customized trainings and workshops have helped CFE Fund grantees become more confident, capable, and compelling advocates for their programs. The measurable and observed results include:
Improved storytelling and advocacy communications that explains the value of their work and the need for support in ways that resonate with a variety of audiences, from community allies to grantmakers.
Increased political savvy. Stronger alignment with mayors, city managers, city councils, and other key decision-makers, helping safeguard budgets and position FECs as citywide assets.
More strategic positioning through power-mapping tools and narrative frameworks that proactively build coalitions, rather than waiting for crises or funding shortfalls.
Coeo helped financial empowerment professionals find their voices so that they can broaden their bases of support and drive more positive change in their own communities.
