3rd Decade Inc

3rd Decade believes that financial education and guidance should be available to all individuals, regardless of background or socioeconomic status, and should not be reserved exclusively for the financially privileged. Financial stability and security lead to greater national and community economic health. We believe those who are willing to put in the work toward achieving their financial goals, deserve unbiased, actionable financial guidance. Beyond education, we have found that two years of mentorship with a trustworthy professional to support their financial journey is an integral element for those who are motivated to establish the patterns and behavior that will lead to long-term success. Our goal is to increase trust in the financial industry and empower individuals to reach their financial goals through universally accessible education and conflict-free mentorship.

We strive to educate and support our participants so they leave the program feeling confident about their financial futures and will share their confidence with others. We envision a generation of financially empowered individuals, making sound, confident decisions.

Our program has three core components: education, mentoring, and capital.

Education: 3rd Decade provides four (4) educational classes over the course of 3 months to all participants. Each class is 2.5 hours each for a total of 10 hours of training focusing on personal finance, budgeting, savings, debt management and investing. Classes are a mixture of lecture, video, hands on activities and resource presentation. All classes are held in the evenings. Our curriculum was developed using best practices from the wealth management industry and is taught by professional financial educators.  

Mentoring: 3rd Decade program provides a free two-year relationship with a professional financial mentor to establish and manage your personal financial plan (a spending, saving and investing plan). This unbiased support helps extend the program beyond the classroom to ensure participants can implement their knowledge. The financial mentorship comes in the form of three 1:1 meetings for a total of 5 hours of financial mentoring over a two year period. The meetings are structured as an initial discovery meeting to uncover personal financial goals and budget followed by a 1-year and 2-year check-in to hold participants accountable to their goals.

Financial Contribution: 3rd Decade provides a $250 match to participants' Roth IRA accounts upon graduation. Graduation requires 100% participation in classes and financial mentor meetings.

By 2025, 3rd Decade will expand its reach to serve an ever-increasing number of young adults as we become a recognized leader in financial education, mentoring, and engaging with our communities, with substantial reach throughout the southwest region while growing our presence nationally as a destination for volunteer mentors and young adults seeking financial knowledge through the following:

3rd Decade will continue to acquire a diverse set of supporters, partners, and funders from both the Southwest and nationally, while strategically developing new revenue structures to provide for our growth and sustainability.

3rd Decade will continue to ensure all organizational policies and procedures are created and implemented through an equity lens and are driven by quality data that benefits our participants and the organization.

3rd Decade will continue to grow and support a diverse Board of Directors that represents multiple industries and regions, is focused on equity, and actively participates in the strategic growth of our programming and organization with a goal of adding 8 new members by 2025.

3rd Decade will increase our organizational capacity and programmatic offerings to deliver our model of financial education to over 1,000 participants annually by 2025.

3rd Decade will continue to grow and maintain a diverse staff and ensure the proper resources are in place to support our strategic growth, operational efficiency, and participant success.

710 Alumni
890 Active participants in 25 states
Average Change in Networth: $65,484.67
Median change in Net Worth: $52,962.50
Average Change in Households with starting Net Worth < $100,000: $53,847.87 ( 74.6% of individuals)

Demographics for participants:
Average Age: 29

61% Female
33% Male
1.5% Non-Binary
<1% Transgender
3.8% Prefer Not To Say