For many survivors of domestic abuse, leaving is only the first step. Financial barriers often determine whether they can stay safe. In 99% of cases, abusers use money as a tool of control—restricting access to income, sabotaging employment, and coercing debt. The result is a cycle in which financial instability traps survivors and abuse leaves lasting economic damage.

FinAbility was created to break that cycle. Founded in 2020 by survivors, the organization is led by a team where 100% of staff and senior leadership, along with approximately 60% of the board, identify as survivors themselves. Before launching, FinAbility spoke with more than 100 survivors, advocates, and nonprofit professionals to understand where existing services fell short. Again and again, they heard the same message: emergency resources could help people leave, but financial barriers often determined whether they could truly move forward.

The organization initially responded by developing a digital financial toolkit, now used by more than 65,000 survivors and community members. As demand for personalized support grew, FinAbility expanded its work and launched its 1:1 Financial Mentorship Program, which pairs survivors with trained CFP® professionals for free, trauma-informed financial guidance.

The program is built around a simple but powerful belief: survivors are the experts in their own lives. Rather than prescribing solutions, mentors help clients identify goals, navigate financial challenges, and build confidence in their decision-making. What began as a volunteer recruitment post on FFP’s ProBonoPlannerMatch.Org platform has since grown into a long-term partnership and grant-supported program.

To prepare volunteers, FinAbility provides extensive training on topics such as trauma-informed care, domestic violence dynamics, and effective mentorship. The goal is to equip CFP® professionals not only with knowledge, but with the humility and empathy needed to support survivors through complex financial decisions.

The impact can be transformative.

One survivor, nearly a decade removed from an abusive relationship, shared that she still felt like she was only surviving before joining FinAbility. With guidance from her mentor, she paid off a payday loan, built savings, and ultimately purchased a condo—achieving a level of financial stability she once thought was out of reach.

Another client recently reached a milestone she had long struggled to imagine: paying rent entirely on her own. Through mentorship, she built the financial foundation necessary to maintain safe, independent housing and take pride in her newfound autonomy.

These stories reflect more than financial progress. They represent a shift from survival to self-determination. By helping survivors build financial confidence, stability, and agency, FinAbility creates lasting change that extends beyond individual clients and into families and communities.

Looking ahead, FinAbility is working to expand its impact across the financial services profession. The organization has convened a banking and financial advisory board and is developing a certification program to help financial professionals better understand domestic violence and provide trauma-informed support.

FinAbility’s work demonstrates that financial empowerment is about far more than dollars and cents. It is about restoring agency, dignity, and choice—ensuring that survivors not only escape harm, but have the opportunity to build stable, independent futures on their own terms.