MoneyWise · Open Doors
From an idea to a working program.
Programs Buxton created and led were included in Open Doors' successful $250,000 Citi Foundation grant application.
Citi Foundation ↗
Real people.
Real programs.
Stronger communities.
Free to participants. Funded by institutional partners.
Turning financial education into measurable progress.
Nova Strategy Partners brings together financial institutions, nonprofits, and community partners to create financial education and matched-savings programs that help underserved communities build financial knowledge, grow savings, and access opportunities for long-term economic stability.
Explore our programsExplore our work
Three programs that made a Real impact.
Our programs
The work, program by program.
In partnership with
MoneyWise, a financial education and matched-savings program designed to help participants build financial knowledge, establish savings habits, and pursue long-term stability. Conceived, designed, launched and managed by Trajah Buxton at Open Doors.
What the MoneyWise program looked like.
Participants build savings while gaining practical financial knowledge through six workshops over twelve weeks.
Exhibit 1Month-end balance for one participant, months 1–12
- Participant deposits
- Open Doors match
- MSCU match
- Total participant deposits
- $402 6 deposits of $67
- Ending amount, Option 1
- $1,002 Withdrawn at month 6
- Ending amount, Option 2
- $2,004 Held in a CD to month 12
Illustrative example for one participant. Amounts rounded; see notes.
Notes
- Participants contribute $67 a month for six months, $402 in all (shown rounded).
- Open Doors adds $600 at month six, bringing the total to $1,002. Participants may withdraw at that point (Option 1).
- Participants who open a qualifying MSCU account and keep the $1,002 in a CD from month 6 to month 12 become eligible for an MSCU match (Option 2). The $1,002 match shown is illustrative; the match is capped at $1,500.
- The $2,004 year-one total is an example, not an actual cohort payout.
Behind the program
Selected evidence, recreated without participant identifiers.
In partnership with
Trajah originated the partnership idea and helped connect job seekers to Indeed's Job Squad, profile optimization, résumé support, and one-on-one employment assistance, hosted at the Open Doors Economic Opportunity Hub in Norwalk.
How it worked
A connection to the next opportunity.
- Job Squad
Indeed's team on site with job seekers.
- Profile optimization
Stronger profiles employers can find.
- Résumé support
Résumés reworked for today's hiring.
- One-on-one help
Individual employment assistance.
In partnership with
The Keep America Beautiful initiative in Norwalk connected paid workforce development, environmental stewardship, financial literacy, employment preparation, and community partnership.
How it worked
Growing skills. Strengthening a city.
- Paid workforce development
Participants were paid for their work.
- Environmental stewardship
Tree planting across Norwalk.
- Financial literacy
Money skills built into the program.
- Employment preparation
Readiness for the next job.
From real estate finance to community programs
After spending much of his career in real estate finance, Trajah Buxton brought his institutional experience into the nonprofit sector, and in just one year, transformed that experience into innovative programs and partnerships designed to expand economic opportunity.
A complete program. Built around your community.
Match & Grow gives partners the operating infrastructure to connect financial learning with action. NSP designs, coordinates, recruits, measures, and reports, customized to each population.
- PartnerStart with people. Define the population, need, geography and funding capacity.
- DesignCurriculum map, match structure, intake, assessments and trackers.
- RecruitOutreach, partner referrals, messaging and a tracked enrollment funnel.
- LaunchWorkshops, savings, coaching, incentives and accountability.
- MeasureAttendance, savings, knowledge, confidence and well-being, reported to partners.
Financial-institution professionals, coaches, and community partners deliver instruction. NSP oversees program design, coordination, quality, measurement, and reporting; Trajah participates in selected workshops.
Why partners join.
- 01
Community impact
Help households build savings, strengthen financial capability, establish banking relationships, and access mainstream financial products.
- 02
CRA alignment
Programs can be structured around documented financial-education, community-development, and low- or moderate-income service activities that may receive CRA consideration when applicable. Credit is not guaranteed.
- 03
Relationship development
Connect employees, community organizations, and consumers through workshops, coaching, account relationships, and measurable outcomes.
- 01
A complete program, ready to run
NSP designs, coordinates, recruits, measures, and reports, customized to the population you serve.
- 02
Free to your participants
Financial institutions and sponsors fund program design, operations, and participant incentives, so the people you serve never pay.
- 03
Outcomes you can report
Attendance, savings, knowledge, confidence and well-being are tracked and reported back, ready for funders and boards.
- 01
Resident progress
Match & Grow can support financial empowerment, asset building, employment and income progress, savings, coaching, and partner coordination for residents.
- 02
HUD FSS: Family Self-Sufficiency
As earned income rises, an FSS escrow savings account builds. Match & Grow can run alongside an FSS plan with financial education, a matched-savings habit, coaching and banking access.
- 03
HUD ROSS: Resident Opportunities
ROSS funds service coordinators who connect residents to services. Match & Grow gives them a ready program to refer into, with outcomes reported back.
The model can be structured around FSS and ROSS objectives; it does not automatically fulfill program requirements. Founder experience includes prior work with Norwalk Housing Authority ↗.
Indeed + Open Doors
A connection to the next opportunity.
Buxton originated the partnership idea and helped connect job seekers to Indeed's Job Squad and one-on-one employment assistance.
Read in Norwalk Current ↗
Keep America Beautiful + City of Norwalk
Growing skills. Strengthening a city.
Paid workforce development, environmental stewardship, financial literacy, and employment preparation in Norwalk.
Read in Norwalk Current ↗ Keep America Beautiful story ↗
Trajah Buxton
Institutional finance experience.
Community program-building practice.
Trajah brings experience across institutional finance, real estate, nonprofit leadership, financial-capability program design, community partnerships, and technology-supported operating models.
- Deloitte
- Distressed debt & real estate finance
- Asset management & underwriting
- Open Doors nonprofit leadership
- MoneyWise creator & program manager
AI-supported program architecture
Nova uses AI-supported workflows for research, curriculum customization, partner materials, communications, assessment analysis, reporting, and iteration. Human oversight remains central to relationships, participant safeguards, and final decisions.
AI-supportedClaude · Gamma · Grok · ChatGPT. People make the decisions.
Build & dataCloudflare · Supabase · GitHub · Obsidian
MasterClass ExecutiveExecutive education: participation in MasterClass Executive, created in collaboration with the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and OpenAI.