A new hub focused on financial empowerment has opened in Charlotte, offering residents in underserved communities, tools and support to help break the cycle of poverty.

The Charlotte Area Fund in southeast Charlotte has been selected as the city’s first site for a Financial Opportunity Center, an initiative led by LISC Charlotte Charlotte | LISC Charlotte. with funding from Vanguard. The project is part of a national effort to help individuals from underserved communities achieve financial stability through career development, financial coaching and access to essential resources.

Vanguard, one of the world’s largest investment management companies, employ over 2,400 people in the region and will be relocating to University Research Park later this Spring.

Aldustus (A.J.) Jordan, Vanguard’s head of community stewardship and president of the Vanguard Group Foundation, underscored the value of working with local organizations during his speech at the center’s opening event.

“We recognize that financial wellbeing is about more than just money — it’s about ensuring resources are accessible,” he said. “The power of partnership and creating pathways for economic mobility for children and families can only be achieved from collaboration through a belief in the resiliency and the right to self-determination of our communities, and that’s what today is all about.”