From Literacy to Legacy: A Roadmap to Financial Security in San Diego County

April is Financial Literacy Month, a time dedicated to highlighting the importance of financial education and the tools needed to achieve financial stability. At United Way of San Diego County (UWSD), we believe that financial literacy isn’t just about budgeting and saving; it’s about a holistic ecosystem of support that starts in early childhood and continues through a person’s lifetime. 

True economic mobility requires a solid foundation of education, opportunity, and access. That’s why UWSD goes beyond treating the symptoms of financial instability to tackle its root causes head-on. We envision a San Diego County where every resident is equipped to build wealth, secure a living-wage career, and achieve lasting financial freedom. Read on to discover how our programs are intentionally designed to build this security at every stage of life.

Why This Work is Critical: The Real Cost Measure 

To understand why our work is so critical, we must examine the data from the 2025 Real Cost Measure report from United Ways of California. Unlike the outdated Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which is based on a calculation established in the 1960s that simply takes the cost of a minimum food diet and multiplies it by three, the Real Cost Measure accounts for the actual cost of living in San Diego County, including housing, food, healthcare, childcare, and transportation.

Data from the Real Cost Measure reinforces what most San Diegans have been feeling the strain of for years:

A Holistic Approach: From Literacy to Lifelong Success

As we mentioned, UWSD is committed to solving the root causes of financial instability, rather than just managing its symptoms. We believe in setting San Diegans up for success starting early in life. To address some of our community’s most pressing needs, we are actively investing in education and career preparation pathways, expanding access to free tax preparation, providing personalized financial coaching support, and connecting families to secure banking. By pairing immediate relief with long-term systemic change, we are building a foundation of lasting impact for generations of San Diegans.

Third-grade literacy is often the strongest predictor of long-term financial stability. That’s because financial success begins with the ability to learn. Before third grade, you are learning to read; after third grade, you are reading to learn. When a child misses that milestone, they aren’t just struggling in English class; they’re at risk of being locked out of future opportunity. In fact, studies show that kids who can’t read by fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school (source).

When you can “read to learn,” you unlock the ability to master the technical manuals of our life sciences sector, fluency in the coding languages of our tech hubs, and the complex financial literacy that helps families build security and generational wealth.

Learning to read is incredibly complex. Our brains are not wired to read from birth. Connections in our brain must be built (source), which requires cognitive focus, physical and emotional safety, consistent support, and a community committed to showing up for children early and often. 

The complexities of poverty and systemic-level inequities make learning to read (which is already hard) so much harder. When a guardian needs to work multiple jobs just to keep the lights on, or when a family’s primary focus is figuring out how to put food on the table, the daily routine of early literacy often becomes a casualty of survival. It is not a lack of love or desire, but a harsh reality of resource and time deficit. A consistent bedtime story routine is a luxury when parents are working evening shifts, and building a home library is nearly impossible when every dollar must go toward basic necessities. This struggle is often compounded outside the home, as these families frequently live in “book deserts” without access to community libraries, and send their children to underfunded schools that simply don’t have the resources to bridge the gap.

But this is something we can all work to change. Through our United for Literacy program, we strive to ensure our youngest neighbors have access to the books and literacy resources they need. United for Literacy is designed to improve reading outcomes for children ages 3-8 by expanding access to literacy-rich environments at school, at home, and throughout the community that nurture early reading and writing development. Through exposure to language-rich activities, diverse books and print materials, writing tools, and multilingual supports, we aim to strengthen academic performance while fostering a lifelong love of reading.

Addressing socioeconomic and racial disparities is central to this work. Too many children, particularly those in under-resourced communities, lack equitable access to the foundational tools and experiences that support early literacy, leading to long-term differences in educational achievement and economic opportunity. By intentionally investing in historically underserved communities, United for Literacy helps ensure every child has a fair start, closing opportunity gaps and building a more equitable future where all children can thrive. 

By fostering early literacy, we are paving the way for higher graduation rates and, ultimately, higher earning potential. By investing in childhood literacy, we’re expanding economic mobility, closing gaps, strengthening our future workforce, and building a more resilient San Diego County for generations to come.

As students transition into their teen years, UWSD helps them bridge the gap between their passions and high-wage, in-demand careers. Through our STEAM-to-Careers after-school program and Dream with STEAM summer program, teens are introduced to various careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) through field trips, interactive workshops, and mentorship from industry experts. Across all tracks (such as healthcare, engineering, textile design, creative writing, etc), teens also learn essential career skills, including resume writing, interview preparation, salary research, building professional LinkedIn profiles, college and trade school options, and even how to save money and budget.

Research shows that a lack of awareness of STEAM industries and roles, as well as the steps to enter those fields, are the primary reasons students don’t pursue STEAM careers. In a recent survey, 42% of adults said they would have considered a STEM career if they had better understood the opportunities available to them. By providing hands-on experience and direct networking with local companies, we empower students from historically disinvested communities to expand their career horizons and gain the confidence and skills to pursue and secure their dream careers and living-wage jobs. 

Students from low-income backgrounds often face financial barriers that limit access to extracurricular programs or unpaid internships. Many need paid after-school or summer jobs to help their families cover basic expenses, leaving little room for unpaid career-building opportunities (source). Through our STEAM programs, students receive an educational award that helps remove these barriers, ensuring talented students from all economic backgrounds can access meaningful work experiences, professional networks, and pathways to career advancement. Since launching these STEAM programs, United Way of San Diego County has provided over $171,500 in educational awards to remove financial barriers. Teens who participate in our STEAM programs report feeling more confident, accomplished, and ready for life after graduation. 

We are equipping the next generation to navigate San Diego County’s high cost of living with confidence and achieve financial stability that could last for generations.

For adults and families working to stabilize their finances today, our economic mobility initiatives provide immediate and long-term relief, from free tax prep that can maximize eligible tax credits to financial coaching to equitable, accessible banking solutions.

San Diego County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition: 

As part of our efforts to enhance economic mobility and increase financial stability, UWSD leads the San Diego County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition, comprised of over 48 community partner organizations and hundreds of IRS-certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistants (VITAs) dedicated to assisting low- and moderate-income individuals and families file their taxes for free. 

In addition to free tax filing assistance, the EITC Coalition helps hard-working families claim state and federal Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) that can put up to thousands of dollars back into their pockets.

In the 2025 tax season alone, the San Diego County EITC Coalition helped with: 

These savings and credits help individuals and families pay for essentials like groceries, rent or mortgage, utilities, transportation, childcare, and more, helping them on their journey to financial stability. That money also stays in our local economy, supporting small businesses and stabilizing our neighborhoods.

SparkPoint Financial Coaching: 

SparkPoint partners with low-income individuals and families to strengthen every aspect of their financial well-being and build a path toward lasting prosperity. Originally founded by United Way Bay Area, this proven, holistic model was proudly adopted by UWSD in 2024.

Rather than offering one-time support, SparkPoint provides ongoing, personalized guidance through one-on-one financial coaching, workshops, and access to other financial services to help low-income individuals and families set and achieve meaningful goals, such as earning a stable income that meets their family’s needs, improving credit scores to access fair interest rates, building savings, reducing debt, and accessing safe banking products. 

In fact, 76% of SparkPoint clients who completed multiple financial assessments made a 30% positive change in income, savings, credit score, or debt through financial coaching.

Establishing generational financial security is essential to breaking deep-rooted cycles of inequity, as it ensures children inherit a foundation of stability and opportunity rather than systemic barriers. 

At its core, SparkPoint is a collaborative effort that brings together multiple nonprofits and financial institutions under one roof to deliver seamless, integrated services. This coordinated approach ensures families have the resources they need to make informed financial decisions and create a more secure future. Currently, we operate these collaborative programs in North County and Southeast San Diego, with a vision to expand to additional high-need areas across the county. By increasing our footprint, we can ensure that everyone who needs support has a clear path up the economic ladder toward lasting prosperity.

Bank On San Diego:

Did you know it costs someone about $40K to be “unbanked” over their lifetime? Today, more than 154,000 San Diegans (12.7% of households) are unbanked or underbanked, which means they lack access to traditional banking services due to financial constraints, location, or a deep distrust of the financial system.

The exclusion from basic financial services perpetuates a cycle of poverty and hinders economic mobility, particularly in low-income communities and marginalized populations. Without access to banking, underbanked individuals often resort to costly alternative financial services, such as payday lenders and check-cashing services, which further exacerbate their financial struggles through high fees and interest rates.

We believe everyone deserves access to safe, reliable financial services. That is why United Way of San Diego County leads Bank On San Diego, a coalition of banks, credit unions, government agencies, and community partners that are rallying together to expand access to trusted financial products, remove barriers, and help families keep more of what they earn– creating real pathways to financial stability across our community. Together, we are implementing financial education programs, promoting low-cost banking products, and conducting outreach in underserved neighborhoods. It’s just another way UWSD is helping families keep more of what they earn and fostering greater economic equity for all.

The Power of Collective Impact

We hear the terms “Collective Impact” and “Collaborative Impact” a lot, but what do they actually mean in practice? Essentially, it’s the recognition that no single organization can solve complex issues like literacy or affordability in San Diego County. As we’ve said, these aren't just “problems,” they are deeply rooted disparities. At United Way of San Diego County, we believe that if the problems are interconnected, our solutions have to be, too.

Collaboration is UWSD’s superpower. We align local schools, businesses, nonprofits, and government partners around shared goals. Through the coalition model, we bring together valued perspectives to identify the real issues affecting our communities and leverage the collective power to address them. We aren't just working side-by-side; we are harnessing collective strength. When we move as one, we can more effectively address inequities in education and economic mobility and drive the kind of long-term change that San Diego County families deserve.

Our work matters because we help individuals, children, and families build stability and opportunity, not just get by. When one child succeeds academically or one family gains financial security, it creates a ripple effect that strengthens our entire community, one life at a time. 

Moving Beyond Surviving to Thriving

When we talk about financial literacy this month, we aren’t just talking about understanding finances. We are talking about equity. We are talking about ensuring that a working parent doesn't have to choose between a car repair and a grocery bill.

By uniting education and economic mobility, United Way of San Diego County is working to ensure that every San Diegan has the opportunity to thrive, from a child learning to read their first book to a high schooler discovering robotics, to a parent building their first savings account. 

This Financial Literacy Month and every month, join us in building a San Diego County where families have the tools to turn their hard work into long-term financial security.

How You Can Help

Help us create a more equitable and resilient San Diego County, one where every individual and family has the tools and opportunities they need to reach financial security and thrive.

Take action by supporting local nonprofits that help families meet their basic needs, volunteering your time or expertise, and making your voice heard by contacting local policymakers about issues affecting affordability and access to opportunity.

You can support United Way of San Diego County directly by:

• Following us on social media to see us in action throughout the community.
• Signing up for our newsletter below to stay updated on our latest initiatives.
• Making a gift today to support our work and programs.