Today, Compass Working Capital (“Compass”), a national non-profit dedicated to supporting families with low incomes to secure their financial futures, announced a formal partnership with Merit America, a nonprofit organization that offers sustainable skills training and best-in-class coaching to adults in low-wage roles, preparing talented workers for well-paying careers in tech. Both Compass and Merit America are aligned in their mission to help to break the cycle of poverty.
“We are excited to partner with Merit America as we work alongside families on their journey to building wealth. This collaboration strengthens our approach to asset building through HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency program, which allows families with low incomes to increase earnings and build savings,” said Markita Morris-Louis, CEO of Compass Working Capital. “With access to Merit America’s tech courses, our clients can build the skills needed to access higher wage roles, build more savings through FSS, and secure a stronger financial future for themselves and their families.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Compass Working Capital, an organization that shares our commitment to transforming lives through opportunity and empowerment,” said Connor Diemand-Yauman and Rebecca Taber Staehelin, co-CEOs of Merit America. “Together, we’re building a pathway to the middle class for historically marginalized populations, including Black and Latina women, helping them transform their economic realities and achieve long-term financial security for their families. This partnership addresses the systemic barriers that keep talented individuals trapped in low-wage work and expands diversity in tech roles, where representation is crucial.”
About Compass Working Capital
Compass Working Capital (“Compass”) works to end asset poverty for families with low incomes and narrow the racial and gender wealth divides. Our mission is to partner with families with low incomes to build assets as a pathway out of poverty. We focus on reaching families led by Black and/or Hispanic/Latina women. To achieve our mission, we operate client-centered savings and financial coaching programs, deliver training and technical assistance to other practitioners, and shape policy solutions that dismantle barriers to asset building. Compass partners with affordable housing providers to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, the nation’s largest asset building program for families with low incomes.
About Merit America
Merit America is a national nonprofit preparing workers stuck in low-wage roles for family-sustaining careers at scale. Hailed by the New York Times as "the hybrid future of training programs for the disadvantaged,” we offer fast and flexible training and job search programs that work for working adults and are aligned to the most in-demand roles in the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy. Founded in 2018, we now serve thousands of working adults across the country, driving an average annual wage gain of $24,000 for alumni three months or more after program completion. We’re on track to drive $1B in wage gains by 2025.