SparkPoint Solano
About SparkPoint Solano
SparkPoint is dedicated to helping low-income families improve their financial situation by addressing basic needs, increasing income, building credit, and reducing debt. Our financial coaches work one-on-one with clients to identify behavioral outcomes, set goals, develop strategies, and create actionable plans. We focus on leveraging individual strengths, building motivation, and ensuring accountability throughout the process. SparkPoint Solano offers these comprehensive services at no cost, integrating a diverse range of resources to empower college students, parents, and individuals in building stronger financial futures and fostering community growth and prosperity.
Services
SparkPoint Solano offers a variety of customized services to support individuals and families facing financial challenges, guiding them through crises, facilitating recovery, and promoting long-term financial stability. Services may vary by location.
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Career Development
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Employment Services
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Financial Education
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One-on-One Financial Coaching
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Savings and Asset Building
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Debt and Credit Counseling
Solano County Centers
Established by United Way of the Bay Area (UWBA), SparkPoint Centers serve as pivotal financial education hubs with three locations. They provide essential support to individuals and families facing financial challenges, guiding them through crises, facilitating recovery, and promoting long-term financial stability.
Anna Kyle Elementary
1600 Kidder Avenue
Fairfield, CA 94533
(707) 344-6854
Solano Community College, Room 421
4000 Suisun Valley Road
Fairfield, CA 94534
(707) 344-6854
Fighting Back Partnership
505 Santa Clara Street
Vallejo, CA 94590
(707) 853-8068
Program Facts & Impact
SparkPoint Centers were established in 2009 to provide long-term, comprehensive support for low-income individuals and families. Our mission is to foster financial prosperity by addressing every facet of financial health. Each SparkPoint Center operates uniquely, but all share a collaborative model that unites multiple nonprofit and government entities in a single location. This integrated approach ensures seamless access to services that help families enhance their income, build credit, and grow their assets.
Our family-centered coaching model is at the core of SparkPoint’s approach. Coaches engage with clients to understand and address the goals and needs of their entire families while fostering strong community networks. This trauma-informed, equity-centered model recognizes and addresses the enduring impacts of systemic racism and poverty.
SparkPoint is also a data-driven initiative, meticulously tracking client progress towards key financial goals. Through intensive one-on-one coaching, SparkPoint has made a significant impact on low-income families throughout Solano County, guiding them toward greater financial stability and success.
Meet Elisabeth Whitson
“I joined SparkPoint Solano just before the pandemic; it was the best decision ever,” said Elisabeth Whitson. When her family faced financial struggles, she reached out to SparkPoint, an initiative of the Children’s Network of Solano County. With the support of her financial coach, Carolee, Elisabeth received rental assistance and learned to budget effectively, helping her husband secure a job and bringing stability back to their family.
“The most significant aspect of SparkPoint Solano is the feeling they give you that you are not alone and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am still working on getting that A-1 credit score, but now I have learned lifelong skills that will get me there.”
Research & Publications
The Magic Bundle: Financial and Career Coaching
This analysis evaluates the effectiveness of the "magic bundle" of services in helping SparkPoint clients achieve their goals, noting differences across sites. Section 1 summarizes site-specific patterns to assess modeling assumptions, while Section 2 fits regression models to study the bundle's impact. Results show improved chances of achieving self-sufficient income with the bundle, though no consistent effect on other outcomes.
Read the full report here
UWBA’s SparkPoint Improves Student Persistence at Community Colleges
This article by Cheng, Shannon, and Yasuhara Li evaluates the SparkPoint model’s effect on student persistence at community colleges. SparkPoint, a United Way Bay Area initiative, provides integrated financial and career support services. The study finds that SparkPoint clients have higher persistence rates compared to their peers at nine Bay Area colleges, thanks to the model’s comprehensive, client-centered approach. The findings highlight SparkPoint’s potential to improve student retention and address financial barriers in community colleges.
SparkPoint Solano is a collaborative effort of:
