2025 Bank On WA Forum FAQ

Join us for the 2025 Bank On Washington Annual Forum being held September 18^th and 19^thin Tacoma at William W. Phillips Hall at UW Tacoma! The theme this year is Pathways to Financial Belonging!

Over the past two years, we explored financial belonging and discussed the barriers and challenges faced by marginalized communities that have been historically excluded from mainstream financial services. This year, we are bringing together our network of partners to generate new ideas and connections to improve the financial stability of our un- and underbanked neighbors and those furthest from opportunity.

Review the Agenda

Registration Pricing Options

Registration for the forum is $300.

Discounts are available!

Government: $200 (with discount code GOV25)
Nonprofit & Community-Based Organizations: $100 (with discount code NONPROFIT25)

A discount is available for organizations that send 5+ participants with the discount code BIGTEAM25.

We want the forum to be accessible to all our partners. If cost is a barrier to attendance, please review our scholarship eligibility and criteria and send request to: ryan@fenwa.org

Please register by Wednesday, September 10th!

What to Expect at the Forum

Our objective is to foster understanding and partnerships across sectors, that may have vastly different systems and strategies, but share a common goal of increasing financial empowerment for everyone.

I was "volunteered" for the BOWA Forum Planning Committee in 2022 and left with a network, a vision, and, eventually, a dream job. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Mandy Lee, Verity Credit Union

We will do this together through highlighting innovative, community-centered models of increasing financial well-being of our neighbors and discuss how we might hold a collective vision of progress on the different pathways to financial belonging. We’re excited to offer an opportunity for learning, networking, expanding partnerships, and working toward a future where everyone can achieve financial wellbeing.

Attending past Bank On Washington (BOWA) events has provided me with an invaluable platform to advocate for the needs of the community I represent—Black, BIPOC, and justice-impacted individuals. Through these events, I’ve been able to elevate our community’s priorities, offer insights on effective service delivery, and access vital resources to share with my under-resourced network. Additionally, BOWA has allowed me to forge meaningful partnerships and connections with like-minded individuals committed to equity and empowerment.
Jerrel Jones, Credit Revolution Education Directors

FEN’s Annual Forum is where ideas turn into action. Attending and later helping plan this event has given me valuable insights that directly inform our work at WaFd Bank, especially as we develop products to better serve un- and underbanked communities. The Forum’s cross-sector collaboration is unmatched, and its impact continues to grow each year.
Cristina Serra, WaFd Bank

Who will be at the Forum?

A priority of Bank On WA and the Forum is to foster relationships among stakeholders across sectors who are working towards improved access to financial services and increased financial well-being. We believe that financial wellness* intersects with everyone and everyone is welcome!

The Bank On WA Forum is most useful for:

Financial institutions, government & financial regulators, community-based organizations, educators (k-12 and higher ed), and policy-makers who provide financial products, services, or programs to low-income and marginalized Washingtonians, and are interested in increasing financial inclusion and financial wellness
Decision-makers and influencers in financial product and program design
People working in financial wellness*, especially those working directly with communities to connect people to safe, affordable, accessible financial products and services
People wishing to get more engaged in financial wellness* work going forward

_{*financial wellness includes people who offer financial coaching, counseling, education, or other financial services, or who have key financial conversations with clients, customers, or community members}

Thank you to our Sponsors and Exhibitors!

We appreciate our sponsors! Your support allows us to continue to convene and support professionals from across sectors, including offering scholarships opportunities to nonprofit staff who might otherwise not be able to participate.

Leading the Way Sponsors

BECU
Umpqua Bank

Financial Belonging Sponsors

Banner Bank
HomeStreet Bank
US Bank
WaFd Bank

Financial Inclusion Sponsors

1st Security Bank
Beneficial State Bank
WSECU

Check out our sponsor tables during the forum! In addition, we're pleased to share the following exhibitors who will also have tables at the event:

Black Homeownership Initiative
First Fed Bank
Northwest Access Fund
Sound Credit Union
SoundGen Financial
Sound Outreach
STEAMVE$TMENTS
United Ways of the Pacific Northwest
WA529
WA State Department of Financial Institutions
WA State DOR/Working Families Tax Credit

Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the Bank On WA Forum?

Why attend the Forum?

The Bank On WA Forum is a place and time of collaborative learning with people from across sectors. People leave with stronger relationships to allies in their field, more resources to explore or replicate, and the energy that comes from a supportive network of Financial Health Advocates!

Bank On forums inspire me to think about topics in new and different ways, expanding my ability to innovate ideas that make my work more effective for my clients.
Barbara Maxwell, Blue Mountain Action Council

What to expect this year

Connect with people in community-based organizations, government/regulatory agencies, and financial institutions. Build your network with people dedicated to financial inclusion and wellbeing across sectors.

The Bank On Forum is an inspiring space to connect with peers and share innovative ideas that support financial inclusion. It’s a rare opportunity to collaborate with others doing similar work and spark new approaches to serving our communities. The energy, insight, and sense of shared purpose make it a must-attend event each year.
Elizabeth Escobar, Express Credit Union

Hear directly from people who work with un- and under-banked Washingtonians. Discuss the evolving financial challenges as well as exciting and promising practices to improve the financial health of our communities.

My participation with the annual Bank On Forum the past 3 years has led to direct benefits to our financial empowerment programming and ability to serve our community. I have made connections through Bank On that have led to funding for our programs, partnerships for delivering our services, and connections to subject matter experts to help guide our work. Also, the Bank On Forum itself is an event I look forward to every year to reinvigorate my ability to plan and deliver services that are equity focused and impactful to my community. This is the most important event I attend every year!
Abby McCutcheon, Workforce Snohomish

Gain insights from financial institutions about both the challenges they face and how they can be flexible when working with community members with high barriers to banking.

I attended the Bank On WA Forum for the first time last year and left inspired by the knowledge and connections I gained as someone newly focused on community development and financial empowerment. FEN brings relevant and timely voices to the table and creates an engaging, interactive environment that fuels real impact. I'm excited to build on that momentum this year.
Ginny Heller, Kitsap Credit Union

Event Details

Location

UW Tacoma - William W. Phillip Hall

1918 Pacific Avenue.

Tacoma, WA 98402

There is parking available around the UW Campus, at a cost of approximately $10 per day. Map of parking is available here. Free nearby parking is available at the Tacoma Dome, and the Link has a line to the venue. If you need accessible parking, please see this map and reach out to Ryan@fenwa.org for more information.

Schedule & Meals

September 18^th & 19^th 2025 – find the full agenda here

Day One: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm (Check in and networking starts at 9:00 am)

Day Two: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm (Breakfast starts at 8:00 am)

On Thursday we will be providing lunch and an afternoon snack. Dinner will be on your own. On Friday we will be providing breakfast, a morning snack, and a boxed lunch. We will do our best to accommodate all dietary requirements as provided at the time of registration - let us know if you have any questions!

Hotel Accommodation Information

The Bank On WA block of rooms has closed the window of registration.

Hilton Garden Inn Tacoma Downtown

2102 S C St

Tacoma, WA 98402

Accessibility

If you have accessibility needs or questions, please reach out to ryan@fenwa.org by August 28th

Did you catch our 2024 & 2025 Bank On WA virtual events?

In case you missed one, the recordings are available!

Check them out - these sessions will inform our conversations at the forum.

Stay Connected and Help us Spread the Word!

Stay up to date ahead of the forum. Follow the Financial Empowerment Network on LinkedIn for sneak peaks and updates leading up to the forum in September!

And please take a look at our media kit for more resources to share the forum with your network!

#BankOnWA #FinancialBelonging #BOWAForum25

What is the Bank On WA Forum?

Our annual Bank On WA Forum is more than just an annual gathering; it’s an incubator of new ideas and opportunities to help improve the financial stability of our un- and underbanked neighbors. Our goal for the forum is that people across sectors will learn together and from one another, engaging in:

Creative problem-solving
Imagining solutions
Elevating positive and successful work happening around the state and country

And will leave the forum with specific, actionable steps they can take in their role to increase the equitable financial inclusion and financial wellness of their community and for all Washingtonians.

Who Should Attend?

Financial institutions, government & financial regulators, community-based organizations, educators (k-12 and higher ed), and policy-makers who provide financial products, services, or programs to low-income and marginalized Washingtonians, and are interested in increasing financial inclusion and financial wellness
Decision-makers and influencers in financial product and program design
Those working in financial wellness*, especially those working directly with communities to connect people to safe, affordable, accessible financial products and services
Those wishing to get more engaged in financial wellness* work going forward

*financial wellness includes those who offer financial coaching, counseling, education, or other financial services, or who have key financial conversations with clients, customers, or community members

Registration

Registration fee: $300

Government: $200 (with discount code GOV25)
Nonprofit & Community-Based: $100 (with discount code NONPROFIT25)