About Us – Bank On Iowa

Bank On stakeholders across the country literally have worked together to shift the consumer transaction account market. With more banks and credit unions of all sizes offering certified accounts, local Bank On coalitions have powerful tools to support their work connecting those outside of the financial mainstream to critically stabilizing products and services. We applaud Bank On Iowa and the dozens of coalitions across the country for their work in helping to move the market and build resident financial stability.

– Jonathan Mintz, President and CEO, Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund

Our Mission

Bank On Iowa is a program with a mission to empower individuals and families to improve their financial capability, health, and independence. The program connects residents to safe and affordable accounts at our partner banks and credit unions in the Iowa area.

Through its coalition partners, Bank On offers educational resources and supportive financial services that can help pave the way to financial stability and open doors to having a stronger credit report, creating emergency savings, home ownership, and starting your own business. We also connect aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners with safe, low-cost accounts at our partner banks and credit unions.

Our History

Started in 2024, Bank On Iowa helps connect consumers to safe and affordable banking products certified as meeting the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund’s Bank On National Account Standards. With assistance from the CFE Fund, DMACC, Evelyn K Davis Center, United Way of Central Iowa and Polk County, partners from the private, public and nonprofit sectors formed a Bank On working group to identify strategies to increase collaborative efforts that could connect consumers to mainstream financial services and products.

Members represent community-based organizations, financial institutions and local government agencies that provide services and resources such as financial education, credit counseling, savings programs, banking series, credit repair, employment assistance, youth engagement and other financial empowerment programming.

Coalition members meet regularly to identify points of collaboration, community engagement opportunities, share best practices and develop innovative ideas.

The Bank On movement

Bank On Iowa is proud to be part of the national Bank On movement, made up of dozens of similar local coalitions across the country.

The nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) is the national partner for local Bank On coalitions, supporting local efforts through resources like the Bank On National Account Standards and accompanying certification, grant support to build local coalition capacity, and a robust learning community. The CFE Fund also works to give voice to local coalition experiences by informing both federal regulatory policy and financial institution practices.