Most Recent Scale: (PDF Version) (Word Version) (Encuesta Financiera)
The Center for Financial Security (CFS) and Annie E. Casey Foundation have developed a short set of standardized client outcome measures to create the Financial Capability Scale (FCS). In 2011, CFS worked with four organizations to collect data on client outcome measures, with the goal of refining a small set of measures that can be used across programs. The project aimed to increase coordination across organizations so the financial coaching field can improve its capacity to demonstrate client impacts. The findings from the project extend beyond the coaching field and can be applied to other financial capability services.
Resources about the project:
- CFS has created the FCS Portal as a platform for organizations to track FCS scores over time and benchmark across the field. The portal is currently in the pilot stage, but will soon be open to all organizations interested in registering and contributing organizational data to the Portal’s aggregate scores. View the portal here: https://fcsportal.org/
- Project Report: Finding A Yardstick: Field Testing Outcome Measures for Community-based Financial Coaching and Capability Programs
- Report Appendix Tables
- Project Brief summarizing the revised list of self-reported survey measures
- PowerPoint Presentation
- FCS-Y – The Center for Financial Security has developed a modified version of the FCS for 18-22 year olds or other populations with emerging financial independence who work only part-time or have no income from work due to schooling.
- Copies of the FCS-Y are available as PDF and Word files
- A scoring guide to the FCS-Y is also available
- The scale is free for public use: see details on the Creative Commons License
CFS and the Asset Funders Network (AFN) with support and collaboration from the Annie E. Casey Foundation produced a webinar on the FCS. To view this webinar, slides from the presentations, and other resources related to the FCS, please visit AFN’s webpage here. CFS received many questions about the FCS following the webinar, please see the Q&A: FCS Webinar Question & Answer Sheet
A special thanks to all those who helped with this project. We also acknowledge the generous support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation for hosting this event and supporting the Center’s research and outreach around financial coaching. We thank Bon Secours of Baltimore, MD; the Financial Clinic of New York City; LISC Chicago; and the University of Wisconsin Extension for their efforts in gathering and sharing data.
Citing the FCS in journals (BibTex format):
@techreport{collins_2013_57102, author = {J. Michael Collins and Collin {O'Rourke}}, title = {Financial Capability Scale (FCS)}, month = August, year = 2013, institution = {{University of Wisconsin Madison, Center for Financial Security}}, doi = {10.5281/zenodo.57102}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.57102} }
Collins, J.M. & O’Rourke, C. (2013) Financial Capability Scale (FCS), University of Wisconsin Madison, Center for Financial Security. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.57102