About Us – Bank On North Carolina

Our Mission

Our members offer services and educational resources that help empower people and families to improve their financial capability, health and independence. We also unite financial institutions, nonprofits, and local government agencies across the state around financial inclusion.

It is important that residents have access to resources that help lay a solid foundation for banking and financial empowerment. Our coalition is particularly focused on assisting youth, first-time job seekers and families with disabilities to access financial services.

Our History

Started in 2022, Bank On North Carolina helps connect consumers to safe and affordable banking products certified as meeting the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund’s Bank On National Account Standards. With assistance from the CFE Fund, The Collaborative, NC Bankers Association partners from the private, public and nonprofit sectors formed a Bank On working group to identify strategies to increase collaborative efforts that could connect consumers to mainstream financial services and products.

Members represent community-based organizations, financial institutions and local government agencies that provide services and resources such as financial education, credit counseling, savings programs, banking series, credit repair, employment assistance, youth engagement and other financial empowerment programming.

“Access to safe and affordable bank accounts is a necessity, not an option, for people building wealth… Many low-income families that need every dime of their money lean on check cashers or money centers for personal finance transactions, where they pay fees to engage in basic banking activities such as check cashing. Bank On certified accounts are a safe and low-cost alternative to this.”

Marquita Robertson, Executive Director of The Collaborative

The National Bank On Movement

Bank On North Carolina is proud to be part of the national Bank On movement, made up of dozens of similar local coalitions across the country.

The nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) is the national partner for local Bank On coalitions, supporting local efforts through resources like the Bank On National Account Standards and accompanying certification, grant support to build local coalition capacity, and a robust learning community. The CFE Fund also works to give voice to local coalition experiences by informing both federal regulatory policy and financial institution practices.