Financial advisor Stacy Francis believes financial instability should never determine a person’s fate, especially a woman’s. Growing up, Stacy saw firsthand how her grandmother remained in an abusive marriage, “she didn’t leave because she feared she couldn’t support herself, that she wouldn’t be able to live on her own because she didn’t understand how to deal with money,” she explained. Determined to prevent this situation from happening to other women, Stacy founded Savvy Ladies in 2003.
Savvy Ladies is a non-profit that provides personal finance education and resources to women at all economic levels. The organization hosts free webinars, seminars, and networking events, and provides a financial planning helpline.
“Knowledge acquisition regarding personal finance is the key area of need for women,” said Stacy. “Women need a trusted source of information and guidance to deal with an increasingly complex financial world.”
As a finalist for the Catalyst Award in the 2015 Invest in Others Community Leadership Awards, Stacy’s passion for her cause was front and center. “It was a very proud moment for me to be named as a finalist, to be acknowledged in such a considerable way within the Financial Industry is quite meaningful. The Catalyst Award provided publicity for the mission of Savvy Ladies and recognition of the important work of the charity,” she said.
Since last September’s Community Leadership Awards, Savvy Ladies hosted its annual Gala at the Nasdaq MarketSite, which was a smashing success. In addition, Savvy Ladies continues to see a steady increase in participation of the online and in-person educational programs it offers for women.
However, Stacy is looking forward to Savvy Ladies making an even greater impact in the future. “One of the programs that Savvy Ladies has been working to expand since last year is the Savvy Ladies HELPLINE,” she shared. “We are excited about developing a web based platform that will make it easier for both the women who come to us for guidance and the financial advisors that donate their time to connect.”
“Our intention at Savvy Ladies is to continue to grow our programs and build capacity so that we can reach a greater number of women and help them become savvy regarding their personal finances,” Stacy explained.
The 10th annual Community Leadership Awards Gala will be held September 29th, where Invest in Others will be recognizing another group of advisors, like Stacy, that make a difference in their communities.