Financial Interdependence Project

The Financial Interdependence Project (FIP) serves as a research, training, and systems change initiative dedicated to helping people become financially capable and prosperous, by harnessing principles of mutuality.

About FIP

Many individuals, families, and communities share money and in-kind resources, thereby creating financial safety nets. Often, the practice of sharing is rooted in a culture. Formal savings clubs, remittances, and sharing between family and friends or within congregations in times of crisis or opportunity are all expressions of financial interdependence (FI). In short, when we recognize that people make financial choices based upon both a financial outcome and the implications for their social relationships, it provides a whole new perspective on our research, practice, funding, and education.

Some research has explored sharing money as practiced by specific ethnic, religious, or socioeconomic groups. However, little research exists to understand the practice more generally, or to integrate findings into uncolonized, culturally informed financial capability curricula. Too often, curricula perpetuate a financial independence narrative, dissociating one’s connection to community or culture. To address this, FIP's mission is to engage in research, training, and systems change, exploring and harnessing the dual financial and relational nature of FI to improve financial well-being.

FINANCIAL INTERDEPENDENCE: A SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE

Initial Project Steps

• Submit drafted research for publication (i.e., sharing as a moderator between financial knowledge and financial fragility)
• Connect with scholars, practitioners, institutions, funders, and individuals interested in exploring and furthering FI
• Hold a colloquium mini-conference to start initial discourse, develop a white paper, and identify lines of activity

Resources for Organizations and Practitioners

• Training Webinar: From expert to accompaniment: Aligning with financial interdependence in social service practice
• Colloquia Proceedings (Topics include: Complexity theory, policy, neurodiversity, financial education, and more.)
• Materials to support integration of financial interdependence in financial education 
• Financial education practitioner materials: Financial Interdependence Curriculum Integration Toolkit 

Quarterly Colloquia Event

• Quarterly, 3 hours on a Friday, online (Starting at 11 PT / 12 MT / 1 CT /  2 ET)
• Content: An overview of our latest understandings and presentations on a given theme
• Lots of time for rich discussion and planning
• Meet new potential collaborators

Held online via Zoom, the colloquia employ an inquiry-forward approach to explore financial interdependence and understand how it applies to various domains of interest.

There will be a short presentation and discussion on each topic. Since no one is an "expert," the event provides an opportunity to share experiences and collaboratively explore the issues. Contact us to receive an invitation to the next colloquium.

Join the Project

Support the Financial Interdependence Project

Funds donated will go towards continued support of research, training, and programs that advance understanding of financial interdependence.

This funding supports:

• Future colloquium attendees travel or hotel
• Honorariums for others’ financial interdependence research projects
• Summer support
• Support for developing interdependence-informed financial education materials
• Travel to visit groups engaged in financial interdependence activities
• Publication and article processing costs in order to make research publicly available
• Books and materials for further research

Give

To give, select "Financial Interdependence Project Fund" from under the "Click here to select your fund" tab, Search: Interdependence.

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Fall 2023 Mini-Conference Colloquium Presentations

These presentations were given as part of the Mini-Conference (as featured in UND Today) held on September 22-24, 2023 at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND.

• Opening Presentation
• Laying a Foundation for Exploring Financial Interdependence - Jeffrey Anvari-Clark
• Lived Perspective - Jennifer Russell
• Infrastructures for Resilience - Toni Castro-Cosío
• The Tanda: An Informal Financial Practice - Miguel Quiñones
• Financial Interdependence & Financial Education - Joshua Caraballo & Lauren Lecy
• Financial Education Efforts at UND - Jane Weiss
• Financial Abuse within Families & Financial Interdependence - Axton Betz-Hamilton

FIP Contact