What happens when you shift the focus of financial literacy from "what you shouldn't do" to rewarding the right habits? In this episode of Beyond Giving, host Zac sits down with Stephen, the founder of the Finally Foundation, a San Antonio-based nonprofit taking financial education to an entirely new level.

Stephen shares his unique professional journey, spanning consulting at Accenture, buying toilet paper for H-E-B, and launching successful franchise businesses, and how a profound moment of career transition inspired him to build a "love story to his younger self." Discover how the Finally Foundation acts as a modular, additive partner to existing nonprofits, using a points-and-rewards ecosystem to incentivize real, long-term financial habits in financially insecure communities. They also dive into the importance of data-driven impact, investing in what you know, and the power of collaborative community ecosystems.

Host:

Zac Brown: "The Non-Profit Guy"

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacjordanbrown/
GiveKit: https://givekit.org/

Guests:

Stephen Noteboom, Founder of the Finally Foundation

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-noteboom-b6b66923/
Finally Foundation: https://finallyfoundation.org/
Finally Foundation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/finally-foundation/

Find Us:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBoostChannel

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/50nKlDy81jHuoobIFLwiHy

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-giving/id1803474427

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBoostChannel

Website: https://theboost.fm/beyond-giving/

Key Takeaways

🌟Action Over Literacy: Real financial security isn’t just about head knowledge; it’s about establishing, practicing, and seeing the outcomes of healthy financial habits.

🌟The Modular Approach: Rather than reinventing the wheel, the Finally Foundation partners with existing organizations (like the SA Hope Center) to fill gaps and add an experiential reward system to their current curriculums.

🌟Incentivizing the Right Choices: By focusing on encouragement rather than shame or restriction, the foundation uses a point system to reward foundational actions like budgeting, saving, and estate planning.

🌟Data-Driven Impact: Coming from a heavy business background, Stephen emphasizes the importance of tracking long-term ROI for donors through ongoing community surveys.

🌟Invest in What You Understand: Taking a page from classic financial wisdom, Stephen shares why the best entry point to building wealth is focusing on accounts first (like IRAs and 529s) and investing only in what is familiar.

Resource & Links Mentioned

🔸 Finally Foundation Official Website: finallyfoundation.org

🔸 Featured Partner Organizations:

▪️ SA Hope Center
▪️ David Robinson Fellowship
▪️ Scholars and Athletes Serving Others (SASO)
▪️ Kinetic Kids

🔸 Sponsor: Give Kit

🔸 Network: Boost Network

💡 Connect with the Show

Enjoyed this episode? Be sure to follow Beyond Giving on your favorite podcast platform, leave us a review, and share this episode with someone passionate about making a tangible impact in their community.

Edmund, Executive Director of City Problem Solvers, joins the show to discuss his mission to pull San Antonio out of the "top 10 dirtiest cities" list. Through K-12 education, monthly district cleanups, and local government advocacy, his organization is changing community mindsets and inspiring the next generation to take pride in their environment.


🎙️Host:
Zac Brown: "The Non-Profit Guy"
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacjordanbrown/
🌐GiveKit Website: https://givekit.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/givekit/

🎙️Guest:
Edmund Olszewski: Executive Director of City Problem Solvers
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmund-olszewski-city-problem-solvers/
🌐City Problem Solvers Website: https://cityproblemsolvers.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/city-problem-solvers/

Find Us:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBoostChannel
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/50nKlDy81jHuoobIFLwiHy
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-giving/id1803474427
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBoostChannel
🌐Website: https://theboost.fm/beyond-giving/


Key Highlights
💡The Spark: Edmund started the nonprofit after realizing that trash kept reappearing behind his neighborhood fence and discovering San Antonio's high litter rankings.
💡Youth Engagement: Their K-12 program and Junior City Problem Solvers Badge incentivize kids to spot and pick up safe "micro-trash" (caps, wrappers) early in life.
💡Cleanup Countdown: The team hosts monthly cleanups across different city districts using a 5-gallon bucket system, focusing metrics on human impact rather than just trash weight.
💡Advocacy & Outreach: Beyond cleanups, they advocate for park signage at City Hall, run a homeless leadership initiative, and sponsor a vital downtown mobile restroom unit.
💡Celebrating Success: They host an annual awards ceremony, partnering with organizations like CPS Energy, to honor local community champions.


Current Opportunities & Ways to Get Involved
🚨 Immediate Support Needed:
City Problem Solvers has scaled rapidly over its first three years, and Edmund is looking to expand his team to keep programs sustainable.

📋 Board & Committee Positions: Openings for a new Board Secretary and members for the Special Events Committee.
📣 Program Leaders: Dynamic coordinators needed to oversee the Cleanup Program, K-12 Program, and Homeless Outreach.
🎨 Skill-Based Volunteers: Looking for social media managers, influencers, and community ambassadors to help staff high-traffic tables at local resource fairs and vendor markets.
🧹 General Volunteers: Show up to the monthly district cleanups! (Guardians and signed waivers required for minors).


Connect with City Problem Solvers
🌐 Website: cityproblemsolvers.org
💳 How to Donate: Financial contributions can be made via Zelle or through GiveKit.org. Donations directly support programs like the downtown mobile restroom servicing fees.

Next Episode: Tune in next week to Beyond Giving for more insights into the incredible nonprofits making a tangible difference on the Boost Network!

Launch SA is a partnership between the City of San Antonio and Geekdom. It functions as a "coffee shop for entrepreneurs", a low-barrier entry point where founders can find mentorship, navigate city permits, and connect with a network of over 70 partner organizations.

📌Host:
Zac Brown: “The Non-Profit Guy” CEO of GiveKit
▸Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacjordanbrown/
▸GiveKit Website: https://givekit.org/

📌Guest:
Matthew Espinoza, Director at Launch SA
▸Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewespinoza/
▸Launch SA Website: https://launchsa.org/

📌Find Us:
▸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondGivingpod
▸Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/50nKlDy81jHuoobIFLwiHy
▸Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-giving/id1803474427
▸Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBoostChannel
▸Website: https://theboost.fm/beyond-giving/

Key Takeaways
1. The "College Advisor" Model
Launch SA doesn't just hand out pamphlets; it provides Business Advisors who act as academic counselors. They help founders at all stages, from the "food phase" fundamentals to scaling a 10-year-old operation, by asking the hard questions that founders often overlook.

2. 1 Million Cups: The Entrepreneurial Town Hall
A cornerstone program mentioned is 1 Million Cups (a Kauffman Foundation initiative).
🔹What it is: A weekly Wednesday morning event where two founders pitch their businesses.
🔹The Goal: It’s not a shark-tank style critique; it’s a community Q&A focused on how the audience can help the founder.
🔹The Value: It forces entrepreneurs to step outside their blind spots and practice clear communication.

3. Beyond the "Checklist" Mentality
Matthew highlights a common pitfall: many new founders come in asking for a "simple checklist" for success.

"Small business ownership is a roller coaster... you almost have to be an expert at everything or figure out how to find the answer. It’s not about studying for a test; it’s about thinking differently."

4. Strategic Priority & Lifestyle Businesses
A major piece of advice Matthew offers is to define what success looks like early on.
🔹Are you building a lifestyle business (which is perfectly valid and successful)?
🔹Are you aiming for an IPO or high-scale exit?
Your priority dictates your strategy; receiving the "wrong" type of advice for your specific goal can lead to misalignment.

The Role of the City & Community
🔹A Public-Private Partnership: The City of San Antonio contracts this work to Geekdom to ensure the support is flexible and "expert-led" rather than purely bureaucratic.
🔹Accessibility: Launch SA is moving toward an "on the road" model, hosting events in local libraries across the north and south sides of the city to meet busy business owners where they are.

Resource Directory
🔹Physical Hub: Central Library, Downtown (Mon-Fri, 9–5).
🔹Launch SA Link: Online directory of 70+ partner organizations.
🔹Advising: 1-on-1 support for finance, legal, and operations.
🔹Website: LaunchSA.org
Use the "Request Assistance" form to connect.

Top Quote
"We may not have the answer, but someone in our network might... We’re here to ultimately bring the community together." Matthew Espinosa