Donor Profiles

Shaula Massena

“I believe people need opportunities to get ahead in life. My goal, as someone with wealth, has been to learn the most effective way to use my resources for the empowerment of others on their paths to self-determination. After many years of grant-making I saw first-hand that grants can’t provide empowerment - people must earn it for themselves. And so I began supporting organizations focused on helping people help themselves.

One example is Express Opportunities, a partnership between Express Credit Union and Express Advantage. Express Credit Union provides affordable financial services to low and moderate income families, helping them build assets and achieve financial security with products specifically designed for them. Express Advantage, their non-partner nonprofit, coordinates financial literacy & education, credit counseling, and language support.

My ImpactAssets donor advised fund (DAF) allows me to support Express Advantage through charitable grantmaking. However I wanted to do more. After all, once people understand how to manage their finances and improve their credit, they still need tools to actually do it! Express Credit Union provides affordable car loans and credit building credit cards- the exact tools people need to actualize what they learned from Express Advantage. As a credit union, Express Credit Union is not eligible for a tax-deductible grant. However ImpactAssets makes it possible to support the credit union by making an investment directly from my DAF. Investments allow them to increase their capital base, providing more loans to their members. I am also able to personally aid in growing the institution as a direct consumer by taking a car loan out from Express Credit Union. The interest I pay on that loan is part of the earned revenue that sustains them.

Thanks to ImpactAssets, I can be both a donor and an investor at Express Advantage, a customized investment opportunity I couldn’t have found elsewhere.”