Ariva partners with the Consulate of Ecuador in New York to offer free financial counseling and tax preparation with support from M&T Bank

Photo credit: Consulate of Ecuador in New York

(New York, New York) Ariva, a Bronx-based nonprofit organization, announces the official launch of “La Ventanilla,” a free financial education window, and their partnership with the Consulate of Ecuador in New York. With a mission of financial inclusion, Ariva is committed to helping immigrant families in New York City to be financially included and build long-term wealth. Ninety-five percent of Ariva’s clients are low-income, with 23 percent having an adjusted household gross income of less than $10,000 per year and 90 percent having a household income of less than $40,000. 

José Sandoval,  General Consul of Ecuador says: “Expanding Ariva’s free financial services to the Ecuadorian community at the Consulate of Ecuador in New York benefits Spanish-speaking people worldwide.  Our community is motivated and strong. Our collaboration with Ariva will provide the financial knowledge and empowerment they need to thrive. The National Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Consulate General in New York reaffirm their faith in the talent and dedication of our migrants, and together with our partners like Ariva, we will build a supportive, inclusive, and loved community.” 

To date, Ariva’s certified financial counselors and tax preparation teams have filed 108 tax returns, helped 92 people obtain the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), and guided them toward additional free community resources at La Ventanilla, at the Consulate of Ecuador in New York. 

Irene Baldwin, Executive Director of Ariva, says, “Ariva is pleased to expand our existing collaboration with M&T Bank to the Consulate of Ecuador in New York.  The financial capabilities services provided by La Ventanilla will serve as a springboard to full financial integration for recently arrived Ecuadorian New Yorkers.” 

Located at 800 2nd Ave FL 2, Manhattan, NY 10017, La Ventanilla at the Consulate of Ecuador in New York will be open Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 pm. Individuals over the age of 18 and families can receive free access to financial counseling regardless of income or immigration status. Ariva’s financial counselors offer one-to-one personal guidance, including establishing and building credit, opening an affordable bank account, learning to save, avoiding predatory lenders, understanding the importance of filing taxes, learning about the requirements to obtain an ITIN number, documenting self-employment income and expenses, and learning about the importance of credit building in the United States.

Blair Ridder, Regional President of M&T Bank, says, “At M&T Bank, we are committed to helping all members of our communities—including our newest neighbors—achieve their financial goals. Our long-standing support for Ariva brings together M&T’s business and charitable expertise to help established and new immigrants understand and benefit from access to the U.S. financial system.”

About Ariva
Ariva exists to help residents of New York City build financially empowered and prosperous lives by providing free financial counseling and free tax preparation services in NYC at locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, where they have been headquartered since 2003. Ariva has grown from a small, free income tax preparation program serving just a few hundred people to providing free, comprehensive financial capabilities services to almost 12,000 people annually. Learn more at https://ariva.org/