Nonprofit Merger Sets Sights on Greater Impact During Credit Education Month and Beyond

THE ON THE RISE Financial Center, an Atlanta community-based organization, held its grand opening last year in the historic Westside Atlanta community, to much fanfare. Now, it boasts new branding, a new web presence and a renewed purpose to create financial well-being for members of the local community. 

In addition, On the Rise recently merged with Greater Atlanta Builds Credit (GABC), a credit building program designed to guide Atlantans on how to strategically build credit, increase credit scores, and promote financial resilience. The new official name of these two organizations is the On the Rise Community Development Center.   

Maxwell and Falita Flowers, GABC program director, said the organization’s mission still prioritizes services and resources that foster financial inclusion for traditionally underserved groups. “We strengthen and guide Georgia families, individuals and small businesses in building financial resilience, well-being and wealth,” Flowers said. 

Services at On the Rise Community Development Center include financial coaching and counseling (budgeting, debt-reduction, credit improvement strategies, and savings programs), home-buyer readiness, professional development, workshops on relationship-building with banks and credit unions, and more. 

Services are free to Georgia residents and can be scheduled by calling 404-228-1569, or by logging on to the On the Rise website.

Equifax has been a proud partner and sponsor of On the Rise and Greater Atlanta Builds Credit since their inception in 2017. Equifax Chief Financial Officer John Gamble will continue to serve as board chair for the On the Rise Community Development Center. New OTR board member Kelly Merrill, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Equifax U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), is thrilled about the organization’s expanded potential to support better access to credit. 

“Far too many people across Georgia and the country do not have access to the basic services and opportunities they need to be financially healthy and credit secure,” Merrill said. “I’m proud of the expanded work On the Rise is doing to help change these odds.”

Members of Equifax’s communications, marketing and brand teams lent a hand with On the Rise’s rebrand project, which involved three months of work sessions and reimagining the organization’s core values, mission and vision statements, and more. 

“I couldn’t be more proud to be part of this team in support of the important work happening at this development center,” said Diane Koskey, a director of marketing at Equifax. Koskey and On the Rise leadership led the work sessions to design a new logo, support the build-out of a new web landing page, enterprise messaging, and more. “The work we’re a part of now will enhance the consumer experience and streamline support services in dynamic ways,” Koskey said.