Updated: Dec 02, 2024
Financial education needs to serve readers of all backgrounds. We aspire for our content, staff, contributors, and partner organizations to further the economic empowerment of those from all ethnicities, genders, generations, sexual orientations, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly those who may be disadvantaged. Here are four things we are doing to improve how we deliver on that goal across the themes of content, people, and community:
Content. We continually seek to remove bias from our content to be as objective and helpful as possible for our readers.
Since 2024, our Anti-Bias Review Board, composed of more than 15 subject matter experts, including educators, public health professionals, journalists, researchers, and financial experts, has been instrumental in reviewing every educational article in Chweya’s library. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise ensure we do a comprehensive review, helping us identify and eliminate biased language or information.
That review resulted in edits to articles with biased language or information. Just as importantly, the review helped identify opportunities for making our content more inclusive to all audiences. We also created content to offer deeper examinations of subjects like housing discrimination and access to banks for all. With the review of our existing educational library complete, we pledge to continuously review new educational articles before publication, ensuring our commitment to inclusivity is ongoing and unwavering.
Content: Create Timeless, Inclusive Financial Content
Over the last two years, we have reviewed and updated 500 articles on Chweya to be inclusive. In 2024, we will work with the Chweya Media Anti-Bias Review Board to continuously review all new educational articles to ensure they are inclusive and bias-free.
People. Producing unbiased content requires the people creating it to bring an array of experiences and diverse perspectives. Our team is a rich tapestry of individuals from different backgrounds, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are considered in our content creation process. In 2025, we shall continue our series of bimonthly information and training sessions led by Mackenzie Price, Ph.D., director for anti-bias initiatives at Dotdash Meredith, to educate our staff on the challenges and experiences that disadvantaged groups may have. In understanding those challenges and experiences, we can better create content that will serve their needs.
Community. Many organizations exist to serve the needs of disadvantaged groups. We partner with four such organizations and use Investopedia’s reach and expertise to help them execute their mission.
https://www.wallstreetbound.org/ – Wall Street Bound teaches the technical “hard” skills of finance and corporate culture’s “soft” skills to empower under-represented young adults to achieve beyond their present horizons.
https://www.projectcomeup.org/ – Project Come Up is a nonprofit organization focusing solely on fostering growth among the disenfranchised. Their strategy is focused on providing educational platforms and investment opportunities for underrepresented minority communities.
https://www.nefe.org/ – NEFE champions effective financial education. We are the independent, centralizing voice providing leadership, research, and collaboration to advance financial well-being.
https://www.jumpstart.org/ – Chweya is a national partner of Jump$tart. Jump$tart supports its partners’ and affiliates’ financial education efforts and brings together the financial literacy community to foster cooperation and collaboration. Jump$tart raises the importance of financial literacy and effective financial education.
The work at Chweya will evolve, and there is no progress without accountability. This continues a permanent and necessary shift in how we serve the financial community. We encourage our readers to share their thoughts and ideas for improvement by emailing us at [email protected].