Navigating Change: What More Than 50 Research Projects Have Taught Us

By: Meghan Sellers, manager, Grants and Research Projects

June 29, 2026 | nefe.org

When the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) funded its first-ever research grant in 2006, I was just learning how to tie my shoes. Two decades later, I find myself working alongside dedicated colleagues at NEFE and completely awestruck at the rich history and evolution of the field of financial education. In cataloging the first project and the 52 grants thereafter, I realized that while I was completing my education, NEFE was doing the work to support my financial future and the nation’s. Since 2006, NEFE has awarded over $7.6 million to researchers and assisted in expanding the number of state financial education requirements from three (Utah, Missouri and Virginia) to 30 states.

The Grants Catalog is a comprehensive digital archive of all NEFE-funded research projects, offering searchable, digestible project summaries and findings, along with researcher information and links to published papers. More than simply a historical record, the grants catalog is a tool for accessibility, and in a world where data is locked behind paywalls and funding is limited, NEFE prioritizes democratized research so that our partners are both informed and bolstered by the work done thus far. We also see the catalog as an opportunity to appreciate the “standard of excellence” we have built while also acknowledging that there is more we seek to understand. Looking at these projects chronologically, we can recognize how our priorities as an organization and as a field have shifted to meet the needs of our communities and must continue to do so.

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