DETROIT ROOTS. MICHIGAN HEART. OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL.Building toward our 2027 launch
MAC NEALLITERACY FOUNDATION

KNOWLEDGE IS A FOUNDATION.

Your future.
Our community.

Neighbors learning, planning, and building together. We’re creating free financial education and tax help so more people can move forward with confidence—and bring someone with them.

Find your starting point Meet the mission

Rooted in Detroit.
Our door is open to all of Michigan.

Illustration of an imagined, multigenerational group of neighbors learning together around a community table
COMMUNITY IS WHERE WE LEARN.ALL OF DETROIT.
ALL OF MICHIGAN.
Illustration of our community vision
LEARN. BUILD.RISE TOGETHER.
01 / THE FOUNDATIONA place at the table.
A path forward.
Free learning.Real confidence.Shared opportunity.A future we build together.

01 / OUR PURPOSE

Strong foundations.
Stronger communities.

Financial literacy is more than knowing the numbers. It’s having support, a plan, and room to imagine what comes next.

Mac Neal Literacy Foundation’s mission is to make practical financial education and free tax help accessible to individuals and families, with particular care for neighbors facing economic barriers. Our door is open to every background, every starting point, and every part of Michigan. Here, questions deserve respect and learning begins without judgment.

We’re building toward more stable households, informed choices, and pathways to meaningful employment. As funding allows, we aim to create paid opportunities for community educators and program staff—so people can help shape this work and share in its progress.

About Malcolm Alexander-Neal

A COMMUNITY WITH ROOM FOR YOU

Many stories.
One shared future.

Black and Brown neighbors. Latino, Arab, and Middle Eastern communities. Newcomers and families with generations of Michigan roots.

We honor the people and cultures that make this place home—and welcome everyone who wants to learn, contribute, or begin again.

Come as you are.

No perfect budget. No financial vocabulary test. Your questions, experience, and goals belong here.

Learning within reach.

We’re planning free workshops in English and Spanish, with future community partners helping us understand and expand language access.

Build with your neighbors.

A first paycheck, a steadier household, a new skill to share. Progress grows when opportunity reaches the people around us.

02 / THREE WAYS FORWARD

Start where you are.
Build from here.

You don’t need to have it all figured out.
Just a place to begin.

01

PLANNED FOR 2027

Learn together.

Live virtual workshops that turn money questions into everyday skills. From your first paycheck to your next big goal.

  • Budgeting, credit & debt basics
  • Tax-season learning & retirement basics
  • English & Spanish session plans
Explore the learning tracks
02

A SERVICE WE’RE BUILDING TOWARD

File with confidence.

A vision for free, respectful tax preparation that helps eligible neighbors understand their returns and their next steps.

  • Future VITA partnership pathway
  • Support for families & older adults
  • Refund education & document readiness
03

TOOLS TODAY. MORE TO COME.

Plan what’s next.

Build a foundation that lasts with practical tools and a future vision for coaching, youth learning, and community education.

  • Free budget & tax-readiness tools
  • First-paycheck & youth programs
  • Future one-on-one learning support
Put a plan on paper

We’re in our founding stage. Workshops, coaching, and Mac Neal tax preparation are in development; enrollment and appointments are not yet open.

THE BUILDER BEHIND THE MISSION

About Malcolm
Alexander-Neal

Malcolm Alexander-Neal is the builder behind Mac Neal Literacy Foundation and the founder of Mac Neal LLC. He holds a master’s degree in accounting, with professional experience at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the National Futures Association (NFA).

His vision for Mac Neal Literacy Foundation is personal: build something that helps neighbors build their own futures. That means making financial education easier to reach, helping families find a foundation, and creating pathways to meaningful work as the organization grows.

Rooted in Detroit and open to all of Michigan, this work carries a belief that progress should make room for someone else—across neighborhoods, cultures, and generations.

We lift as we climb.
We hold the door open for our community.

Explore Malcolm’s experience & résumé
Malcolm Alexander-Neal smiling in a burgundy suit
Malcolm Alexander-NealTHE BUILDER BEHIND MAC NEAL LITERACY FOUNDATION
Know.Plan.Build.Lift.

03 / KNOWLEDGE FOR REAL LIFE

Your life. Your goals.
Your learning path.

Our proposed workshop series starts with
the questions that matter to you.

Virtual by design. Community at heart.Live sessions + a future replay library · Target launch: 2027
Detroit’s skyline, illuminated at dusk

DETROIT ROOTS. A MICHIGAN WELCOME.

This place knows
how to build.

From the entrepreneurs of Paradise Valley to institution builders like educator Dr. Violet T. Lewis, Detroit has a legacy of turning determination into opportunity.

Our vision also looks to the families, neighborhood businesses, and community builders of Southwest Detroit, Dearborn, and communities across Michigan. Arab American and Latino cultural institutions help preserve the stories of the people who make this region home. Many histories. Many ways of helping a neighbor get ahead.

We’re bringing that spirit to a virtual front door for financial learning, with room for people across the city, the metro area, and the state.

Explore the legacy of Paradise Valley Learn about Dr. Violet T. Lewis ↗
Arab American National Museum ↗El Museo del Norte ↗
Detroit photography: Venti Views / Unsplash

04 / A SMALL STEP IS STILL A START

Put your future
on the page.

Free resources. Plain language.
Something useful you can do today.

YOUR MONTHLY SNAPSHOT

See where you stand.

A simple starting point for your next money conversation.

YOUR MONEY. YOUR STARTING POINT.

Enter your numbers to see what’s left to plan with.

Your entries stay in this page and aren’t sent or saved. This is an educational estimate.
PRINTABLE WORKSHEET

A budget that starts with your life.

Give your income, essentials, and goals a place on the page.

PRINTABLE CHECKLIST

Get your tax documents together.

A starting checklist for a visit with a verified tax provider.

TRUSTED LEARNING RESOURCE

Keep learning with Money Smart.

Explore the FDIC’s free financial education resources.

05 / BUILDING WITH INTENTION

A vision.
A foundation. A way forward.

Our proposed path, one thoughtful step at a time.
Timing depends on funding and program readiness.

NOW — DEC 2026

Lay the foundation.

Develop the organization, pursue nonprofit formation, choose curriculum, and bring the vision to life.

OUR FOUNDING CHAPTER

JAN — APR 2027

Learn. Teach. Connect.

Target the first virtual seminars and learn tax-site operations alongside established community programs.

MAY — FALL 2027

Build the network.

Explore VITA partnership and eligible funding. Recruit volunteers, pursue training, and grow local relationships.

TAX SEASON 2028

Bring the vision home.

Target a dedicated tax-preparation program, subject to approval, training, funding, and operational readiness.

THERE’S ROOM FOR YOU IN THIS STORY.

Help build what
comes next.

A library with space. A professional with time.
A business that believes in its neighbors.
Every strong foundation starts with people.

Our funding vision includes local banks and credit unions, community foundations, individual supporters, and eligible grant opportunities. Formal partnerships and donation channels are still being developed.

A LITTLE CLARITY

Good questions.
Honest answers.

Can I sign up for a workshop or tax appointment?

Not yet. Mac Neal Literacy Foundation is in its founding stage, with virtual workshops targeted for 2027 and a dedicated tax program targeted for 2028. The free tools on this website are ready to use now. For current tax help, use the IRS’s free tax assistance locator.

Who is this being built for?

Our planned financial learning programs welcome people of every race, culture, faith, age, and background across Detroit and Michigan. We’re especially focused on neighbors whose income, access to services, language, or life circumstances have put financial education out of reach. That includes working families, young adults, older adults, people with disabilities, newcomers, freelancers, and military families. Any future tax program will follow its applicable eligibility rules.

Will programs be available in other languages?

English- and Spanish-language workshops are part of our program plan. We also aim to work with community partners to understand local language needs and expand access as resources allow. Available languages and session details will be confirmed when registration opens. Nuestra visión incluye talleres en español. Próximamente compartiremos los detalles.

Can I donate or apply for a job today?

Donation processing and job applications are not yet open. Our goal is to develop a sustainable organization that can create paid opportunities as funding allows. This website does not represent that tax-exempt status has been approved or that contributions are tax-deductible.