The Manitoba Financial Empowerment Network (MFEN) is a cross-sectoral collaborative that seeks to reduce poverty and improve financial well-being by enhancing the collective impact of financial empowerment initiatives in Manitoba. The network serves as a support structure for the development, implementation and expansion of a continuum of financial empowerment initiatives that provide pathways for financially vulnerable community members to move from financial crisis to meeting their basic needs to achieving sustainable livelihoods. These financial empowerment initiatives focus on the following pillars:
Financial information education, coaching and counselling
Access to income boosting benefits and tax credits
Access to safe and affordable financial products and services
Opportunities to reduce debt, grow savings and build assets
Consumer awareness and protection
The Manitoba Financial Empowerment Network works to increase the scale and the impact of financial empowerment initiatives through:
Increasing the capacity of community-based organizations and large scale service delivery systems to provide financial empowerment initiatives
Promoting institutional and policy change to reduce barriers and improve financial well-being
Building public awareness and understanding of financial empowerment approaches
The MFEN Steering Committee guides the vision and strategy of the network, aligns activities, advances best practices, raises resources and supports the implementation of financial empowerment initiatives.
Empower Manitoba is a program delivery collaborative that works in tandem with MFEN and is engaged in collective efforts to strengthen the delivery of financial empowerment programs.
MFEN Working Groups address systematic issues:
Manitoba Access to Identification Network
Manitoba Financial Empowerment Policy Committee
Access to Banking Roundtable
The Manitoba Financial Empowerment Network and Empower Manitoba developed a joint five-year Strategic Plan in 2022. The strategic plan includes 5-Year Goals for increasing the scope and scale of financial empowerment initiatives in Manitoba.
Access to Income Boosting Benefits & Tax Credits
70,000 tax returns filed
$175 million in income benefits
5,000 pieces of ID
500 service providers trained to file taxes or support benefit applications
Access to Safe & Affordable Financial Products & Services
3,000 bank or credit union accounts opened by unbanked / underbanked
850 people access safe & affordable loan products
$3.75 million in safe & affordable loan products disbursed
Addressing Systemic Issues, Consumer Awareness & Protection
2 research initiatives
3 policy and systems change initiatives
Financial Information, Coaching & Counselling
11,000 people access financial literacy
7,000 people receive financial coaching or counselling
1,000 service providers trained to provide financial information / education
Opportunities to Reduce Debt, Grow Savings & Build Assets
$560,000 saved by matched savings participants
$1 million of assets purchased by matched savings participants
700 RESPs opened
150 people access debt reduction programs
Founding and Executive Member
Assiniboine Credit Union
Community Financial Counselling Services
Province of Manitoba – Department of Families
SEED Winnipeg Inc
United Way Winnipeg
Members
7th Street Health Access Centre, Brandon
Menno Simons College, Canadian Mennonite University
Canada Revenue Agency
City of Winnipeg – Community Services
Community Futures
Community Unemployed Help Centre
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM)
Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre
Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO)
Me-Dian Credit Union
Prairie Mountain Health
Public Interest Law Centre
Service Canada
Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
Southeast Resource Development Council
Southern Health (include full name)
The Winnipeg Foundation
MFEN coordinates learning exchanges with members of the broader community of practice. These events strengthen collective efforts by building understanding of financial empowerment approaches, identifying barriers, building capacity, and sharing solutions. Past events include:
Embedding Financial Empowerment into Healthcare – November 2025
Improving Access to Federal Benefits – December 2024
Improving Access to Manitoba Benefits – December 2023
Tax Learning Exchange – May 2019
Consumer Protection Forum – June 2019
Sustainable Livelihoods Forum – May 2017
Tax Forum – September 2017