ABOUT EBO

1979 Incorporation of Entraide budgétaire Ottawa. The organization is located in Lower-Town

1985 Recurring funding from the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton 

1986 Publication about “cheque-cashers” 

1988 Recurring funding from Ottawa-Carleton United Way that leads to hiring four full-time employees

1991 Funding aimed at designing a competency booklet for Ontarian communities interested in setting up a budget counselling service

1992 EBO has almost 150 members!

2004 – 25 YEARS!  EBO officially adopts its slogan Because life is about much more than just money

2006 Revenue diversification plan in response to the ever increasing possibility that United Way funding, EBO’s main funder, starts to dwindle

2007 EBO reveals the Joseph-Assabgui plaque that will from now on be awarded to the organization’s volunteer of the year, in memory of this devoted volunteer who had worked with EBO for 13 years 

2008 Launching of the Ottawa Desjardins Mutual Assistance Fund, a small interest-free loan program provided in partnership between the four Ottawa caisses populaires Desjardins. It is the first ever private recurring funding received by EBO

2009 – 30 YEARS! EBO shifts toward financial literacy

Recipient of the Community Builder Award of the Year from United Way of Ottawa. Our plaque is still displayed on a wall in the Jean Pigott Hall, at the City of Ottawa building.

Launching of Oasis, a budget counselling fee-based service for average-income clients. The service did not meet expectations (as a source of revenue for EBO) and it was terminated after a few years

Development of our first website!  EBO is on Facebook!

EBO becomes an affiliate member of the l’Union des consommateurs that brings together several ACEFs in Quebec. The Union is one of five National Champion for financial empowerment.

2011 EBO welcomes the late Jim Flaherty, Finance Minister, for the submission of the report by the national working group on financial literacy. Eventually, this report would lead to the development of a national strategy on financial literacy and the designation of a Canadian leader in the field of financial literacy (with a five-year mandate)

2012 EBO is one of the founding members and leader of the Financial Literacy Action Network Ottawa (FLANO)

2014 – 35 YEARS!

After 35 years under the name Entraide budgétaire Ottawa, the organization changes its designation to Center d’éducation financière EBO Financial Education Center in order to reflect more adequately its clienteles and bilingual services

2016 EBO begins the delivery of the financial education program Personal Finance: I’m in charge^TM to thousands of young adults from Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, a Desjardin initiative and the second large-scale partnership with the microcredit program

2017 EBO is selected as Ontario Financial Empowerment Champion! This four-year program led by Prosper Canada brings together organizations from five regions of the province with a view to expanding and highlighting the impact of budget counselling and producing tax returns on Ontario’s low-income population 

2018 EBO decides to integrate tax income services into budget counselling services, thereby providing a single entry point for both individual services offered by the organization

EBO says farewell and honours one of its founding members, Richard Monette, a faithful participant in our annual general meetings, who left us far too soon

2019 40 YEARS! AND MORE LIVELY THAN EVER!