Build vs. Partner: A Comparison Guide to Evaluating Financial Education Options

For banks and credit unions, the question is no longer whether to invest in financial education. The question is how to deliver it at the scale, quality, and measurability that community impact requires. This guide explores two common approaches—building a program in-house or partnering with an education provider—and evaluates each across the factors that matter most, including audience reach, scalability, accessibility, measurement, cost, and long-term sustainability.

What You’ll Learn

In this guide, you’ll discover:  

• How in-house programs and education partners compare across ten key evaluation areas, from scalability and curriculum quality to reporting and time to impact.  

• The operational requirements many institutions overlook when evaluating a build-versus-buy decision. 

• Questions to ask when assessing your organization’s readiness to build and sustain a financial education program internally. 

• Criteria for evaluating education providers, including audience support, accessibility, assessments, and reporting capabilities.  

• Signs that a homegrown approach may become difficult to scale over time. 

• A decision framework to help align your financial education strategy with your institution’s goals, resources, and community impact objectives. 

Download the Guide

Choosing between building and partnering is about more than curriculum. It requires understanding the infrastructure, expertise, support, and measurement capabilities needed to create sustainable impact across the audiences you serve. This guide provides a structured framework for evaluating both approaches and identifying the model that best aligns with your institution’s priorities.

Download the guide to explore the full scorecard, evaluation questions, operational considerations, and decision framework for developing a financial education strategy that delivers meaningful, measurable community impact

Looking for a quicker overview? Download the companion Build vs. Partner infographic for a concise side-by-side comparison of the two approaches. If you’re exploring the broader strategic considerations behind scale, measurable impact, and universal access, explore The Platform Advantage white paper.