You’ve held it together through deployments, moves, and uncertainty.
But when the bills pile up and stability slips, even the strongest families need backup. Our Financial Wellness Counseling steps in to stop the spiral - offering immediate relief and long-term solutions to rebuild stronger.
Our approach is personalized and focused on real change. We take all the elements that studies show are the most effective in creating lasting financial wellness and put it into one effective, social work-led program.
We look beyond the bills to understand what’s really driving financial stress, and help families build new, sustainable financail behaviors.
Every family is matched with a certified financial social worker who tailors support to each family's unique situation, goals, and lifestyle.
With a 90% long-term success rate and only 3% returning for help, our approach isn’t just effective - it’s lasting.
You'll meet one-on-one with a certified financial social worker who empowers you with the confidence, knowledge, and support to face your situation head-on.
Together, you'll:
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Our approach is never one-size-fits-all. You’ll receive education and guidance tailored to your life, your goals, and the future you want to build.
Together with your social worker, you’ll:
If you're at risk of losing a basic need - like housing, utilities, or transportation - we act fast to stop the crisis.
We provide emergency financial support:
Stars on Charity Navigator
Of funds go directly to programs
Military households with changed lives
Distributed in emergency funds
Answer a few questions, upload basic docs (like your LES), and you’re set. Spouses can apply too - just list your service member as the applicant and yourself as the spouse.
We’ll review your info and match you with a social worker in 3–5 business days. If you’ve received urgent paperwork (like a 3-day notice), upload it so we can prioritize your case.
You'll receive a call, and your social worker will review next steps with you. To avoid delays, keep an eye out for missed calls and check your inbox and spam folder for emails.
Our Financial Wellness Counseling - including one-on-one support, education, and a personalized finance plan - is open to all military and Veteran families. Whether you’re in crisis or just want to get ahead, you’re welcome here.
Service-member, Veteran, or spouse may apply.
We step in to restore or retain critical basic needs like housing, utilities, and transportation by paying directly to third-party lenders. While we don’t pay off debt, we’ll work with you to build a realistic plan to tackle it.
Our support goes beyond emergency relief and handing out essential supplies. Families work one-on-one with certified financial social workers to build long-term financial wellness.
Our financial counseling, personalized finance plans, and support programs are open to all military and Veteran families - regardless of rank or separation date.
Emergency financial support is available to:
STEP offers support programs designed to offset expenses, provide essential resources, and connect families to our long-term solutions.
We’re headquartered in San Diego and guarantee service for families across California, Washington, and Oregon officially - but we have served families across 47 states and counting. We are expanding nationally over the next decade and will continue to add more states to our guaranteed service areas.
You can subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on social media (@teamstepusa), or check out our blog!
Emergency funds (grants - not loans) are available to E1–E6 service members and Veterans within 18 months of separation who are facing the loss of a critical basic need such as housing, transportation, or utilities.
Click any “Apply for Help” button to start your application. You’ll be asked to upload basic documentation, like your LES, but everything should be easy to access.
Only service members, veterans, and their spouses are eligible to apply for the program.
No - STEP provides direct payments to third-party vendors (like landlords, automotive companies, utility companies, etc.), and there’s no repayment.
You’ll work one-on-one with a certified financial social worker to create a customized finance plan based on your situation and goals.
Once you submit your application, a social worker will be assigned within 3–5 business days (usually 3).
We don’t pay off unsecured debts or offer loans, but our social workers are very good at helping create a plan to manage and reduce debt.
You don’t have to be in crisis to apply. If you’re a military or Veteran family looking to improve your financial wellness, we encourage you to start the process.
Most families only need our help once. However, we evaluate on a case-by-case basis. Only 3% of clients ever return for additional support.
Yes. All information is kept confidential in accordance with professional social work standards, including the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics and applicable state laws.
No, everything done through us is 100% confidential. We do not contact anyone; your information is secure with us.
80% of funds go directly to STEP programs - combating:
to address the root cause: chronic financial stress.
The remaining funds support the operations and infrastructure that make this work possible.
Yes. STEP is a registered 501 ( c ) 3 nonprofit. You’ll receive a tax receipt for your records.
Yes! Check with your employer to see if they’ll match your donation - it can double or triple your impact.
Yes! Your privacy and security matter to us. We use secure platforms to process donations, and we never sell or share your information. We treat your data with the same care and respect we give the clients we serve.
We regularly share impact stories (with confidential information changed to protect identities) in our emails, social media, and donor updates. These stories reflect real lives changed, thanks to you.
Recurring donations can be updated anytime. Contact us at development@teamstepusa.org and we'll gladly help you through the process!
Yes! Whether it's a birthday fundraiser, workplace campaign, or online drive, we’d love to support you. Contact us to get started or navigate to our page.
Our EIN is 20-3051279. Every donation is tax-deductible.
At STEP, transparency and accountability are non-negotiable.
You can subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on social media (@teamstepusa), or check out our blog!
We offer public recognition, logo placement, engagement opportunities for your team, and more. To learn more about our Sponsorship Benefits, contact chelsea.fenner@teamstepusa.org.
Absolutely. Corporate volunteer days are a great way to build team morale while supporting military families directly. Contact us to set something up!
Yes! Sponsoring a distribution (groceries, diapers, essentials) is a powerful way to make a visible impact in your community. Learn about our distribution sponsorship opportunities and benefits by contacting chelsea.fenner@teamstepusa.org.
Our EIN is 20-3051279. Every donation is tax-deductible.
At STEP, transparency and accountability are non-negotiable.
We take your trust seriously - and work hard to make every dollar count.
You can subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on social media (@teamstepusa), or check out our blog (coming soon)!
Sign up on our website! You can lend a hand in the warehouse, help out in the office, support distributions, assist at events, or join seasonal programs like Sharing the Joy.
Nope! Just bring your time, compassion, and willingness to help. We’ll provide all training and instructions. Just let us know what area you'd like to help in or sign up for a volunteer opportunity, and we'll do the rest.
Yes. Many of our volunteer opportunities are family-friendly. Just check if there are specific age requirements listed.
As often as you’d like! You can come once, monthly, or as often as your schedule allows. Our main warehouse volunteer days are Tuesday and Thursday, and distributions held at our headquarters are typically Saturdays.
Mostly in San Diego and Washington state, but we’re expanding. Some opportunities, like donation drives, marketing, or admin tasks, can be remote.
Yes. We’re happy to verify hours for school, clubs, or service requirements.
Yes! We love to recognize the impact our volunteers make through:
Your time and dedication don’t go unnoticed. We make sure of it.
