The Association of Financial Counseling, Planning, and Education (AFCPE) Receives 2026 Power of Associations Summit Award for the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship

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Sep 25, 2026, 08:41 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Financial Counseling, Planning, and Education^® (AFCPE^®) has been honored with a 2026 ASAE Power of Associations Summit Award by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). The ASAE Power of Associations Awards recognize associations that leverage their unique ability to convene stakeholders, inspire collaboration, and drive meaningful change. Through innovative programs, partnerships, and advocacy efforts, award recipients exemplify how associations create lasting impact that extends well beyond the members they serve. The Summit Award celebrates AFCPE for their impact in providing workforce mobility for military spouses while strengthening financial readiness in the communities they serve through the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship.

Heather Baker, AFCPE Education Coordinator (Military Familes) Accepting the 2026 Summit Award.

(Left to Right) Heather Baker, AFCPE Education Coordinator (Military Familes), Christine Niles Kieffer, FINRA Foundation President, and Rachael DeLeon, AFCPE Executive Director

Funded by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and administered by AFCPE, the Fellowship addresses two military spouse challenges: persistent financial stress driven by frequent relocations, deployments, and life transitions, and chronic underemployment caused by barriers to portable, credentialed work.

AFCPE selects up to 30 qualified military spouses annually providing a structured, fully funded pathway to the Accredited Financial Counselor^® (AFC^®) certification. Funding covers education and exam costs, which supports Fellows through coursework, a proctored certification exam, and the AFC experience hours requirement. Fellows are connected to an active alumni network, the Society of FINRA Foundation Fellows, and to volunteer-led regional ambassadors who strengthen peer support, leadership, and ongoing service delivery within military-facing settings.

Since 2006, 743 Fellows have earned the AFC, providing education and support to more than 288,000 military families as part of their required experience hours. Many Fellows go on to build meaningful careers serving military families and communities domestically and internationally, extending the Fellowship's impact beyond the numbers.

"ASAE's Power of Associations Awards recognize the very best of what our community can accomplish," said ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, AAiP. "This recognition honors organizations that don't simply advance their own missions - they bring people together to solve complex challenges, strengthen industries and professions, and create lasting benefits for society. AFCPE has demonstrated the vision, leadership, and commitment to make a meaningful difference, and we are proud to recognize the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship as one of this year's outstanding achievements."

"This Fellowship is a powerful example of what becomes possible when associations and partners come together around a shared purpose," said AFCPE Executive Director Rachael DeLeon. "We saw a real challenge — military spouses needed portable, credentialed career pathways, and military families needed greater access to trusted financial guidance — and we worked together to build a solution. We are deeply grateful to the FINRA Investor Education Foundation for over two decades of partnership and impact. Together, we have helped create economic opportunity for military spouses, strengthen financial readiness for military families, and expand access to trusted financial guidance."

Learn more about AFCPE's FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship: https://www.afcpe.org/education/finra-foundation-fellowship/.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tara Meehan, [email protected], 614-368-1499

About AFCPE
AFCPE educates and equips financial professionals to serve their communities with a vision of financial well-being for all. The Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) credential is accredited by The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and nationally recognized by the Department of Defense and the CFPB. Please visit www.afcpe.org.

About The Power of Associations Awards
ASAE's Power of Associations Awards recognize the association community's economic and societal contributions locally, nationally and globally. ASAE will celebrate The Power of Associations Award recipients during its annual Summit Awards Dinner on September 22, 2026, at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

SOURCE AFCPE