Since 1995 Our History CENTS was formed in 1995 to address the growing concern of bankruptcy practitioners and legal service providers in the Western District of Washington that there were serious gaps in the services available to financially troubled consumers. CENTS was convened by the Honorable Karen A. Overstreet, a federal Bankruptcy Judge, and was composed of attorneys, Chapter 7 Trustees, employees of the Bankruptcy Clerk's office, and the local Chapter 13 Trustee's office, local law school professors, and King County Bar Association (KCBA) staffers. Today, much of its board comprises leaders in the Bankruptcy Bar. Initially, CENTS focused on studying the precise nature of the limitations of existing services for consumers. This focus led quickly to the conclusion that the primary deficiency in the existing system is 1) consumer education and 2) legal assistance for pro se debtors (clients without attorneys) with particular legal problems that arise after a bankruptcy petition has been filed. By early 1999, CENTS made significant progress on the second of these identified needs and gradually become known as the preferred source for pro bono (free) legal bankruptcy services, by implementation of the following volunteer run programs: 1) Debt Clinic: in collaboration with the King County Bar Association, the Debt Clinic provides clients who are considering bankruptcy or face other financial management challenges an opportunity to speak with an attorney for free of charge; 2) Law School Legal Clinics: CENTS sponsors bankruptcy clinical and externship experiences through the Seattle University and University of Washington Law Schools, where students provide pro bono representation for low-income debtors; 3) Ad hoc Referral List: CENTS maintains a referral list of bankruptcy attorneys willing to take cases on a pro bono basis. It was still a top priority to establish a consumer education program and CENTS decided that a paid staff-person was necessary to carry out this objective. To better position itself for fundraising efforts, CENTS incorporated on March 30, 2000 as an IRS 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation. CENTS applied for and received a grant from the Consumer Protection and Education Fund to staff its program. CENTS launched its first consumer education program in early 2001. CENTS provided one-on-one counseling to consumer debtors in conjunction with their visit to the Debt Clinic. Over 500 clients attended the Debt clinic that year and new procedures were instituted to screen clients and direct them to a financial counseling session at the clinic. At these sessions, clients received individualized advice on budgeting, cutting expenses, and the wise use of credit. Under the leadership of CENTS Program Manager (and sole staff person), Tony Leahy, those involved came to realize that individual counseling at the Debt Clinic was not the most effective way to help the greatest number of clients. Mr. Leahy recommended CENTS adopt a new approach of providing financial education in a classroom setting, and the Money Management Classes, the backbone of CENTS, were born. In 2002, Mr. Leahy contracted with Karl Frunz, a financial education consultant, to help with Mr. Leahy's goal of creating a money management curriculum. In 2003, after several pilot classes, the class was given on a monthly basis and over 250 clients attended the class. It was featured in both the Seattle Times and PI, Northwest Cable News, and KIRO radio. In 2004, CENTS formalized its money management curriculum, entitled Money Sense, and created a dynamic PowerPoint presentation for the class and student workbooks. In the last year, over three hundred clients attended the free Money Sense© class. In January of 2004, CENTS embarked on a Washington State Financial Education Outreach tour, in which it provided its class in six cities (Seattle, Olympia, Yakima, Spokane, and Ellensburg) over the course of six days. Over 140 people attended the classes and CENTS achieved positive media coverage. CENTS also fostered relationships with several organizations to further its eventual goal of creating a statewide collaboration network for its projects and materials. Bolstered by the success of its money management class and its enthusiasm to share this valuable resource with various communities, CENTS decided to reach more people with the class. In 2005, CENTS has committed to offering three classes a month and reach twenty five clients per class. CENTS will also explore offering the class in different formats such as making the class available on video, cd, and the web. CENTS has also diversified its educational offerings. A new project, Smart Borrowing is curriculum that teaches consumers on borrowers' rights, resources, and responsibilities, while also warning them of troublesome lending environments. It was produced through a generous grant from the Consumer Protection and Education Fund and is currently being distributed. CENTS has created another new curriculum, entitled INNOVO, in response to changes in the bankruptcy laws. The new bankruptcy laws (Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005) require filers to take a personal financial management instructional course and CENTS offers INNOVO as a local option for bankruptcy filers. A proposal for a similar financial literacy program called "Four Years Forward" directed to college freshman and high school seniors about the dangers of excessive credit card debt is underway, as are various other initiatives for education efforts for school-aged kids. Ultimately, CENTS wishes to position itself as a leader in the provision of education services meant to help consumers prevent money issues, while continuing to offer assistance to consumers who are already suffering from a financial challenge. The CENTS Program is funded by grants and donations from people who believe that honest outreach will result in a stronger, healthier community. The CENTS Program DOES NOT sell, solicit or market to the individuals who attend the classes. Programs / Projects | Utilizing CENTS History | Press | Support CENTS | Contact Us | Home - Seattle, Washington | 206 267-7017 | info@centsprogram.com