SANDPOINT — The upcoming North Idaho Women and Their Money conference aims to help women better understand money and their finances.

Set for June 9 at North Idaho College, the daylong conference began as a way to empower women by giving them the tools they need to understand money and make informed financial decisions. The free conference, which runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., is offered to women throughout North Idaho, with registration beginning April 24 and running through June 1.

Thanks to donors and support from North Idaho College, the conference is offered free to participants, with parking, beverages and lunch provided. Those donations are making it possible for North Idaho Women and Their Money to offer the conference to participants at no charge — and to expand the number of seats to 550 people.

The hope, said organizer Teresa Irish, is to make the financial conference a truly North Idaho event, with a special emphasis this year on ensuring women in all five North Idaho counties — Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah — are aware of the conference and know they have an open invitation to attend.

“We want to make this like a college department for financial literacy for women that will have core classes all of the time,” Irish said. “Then, each year, some of the sessions will change based on what is going on with the market or cybersecurity or other timely topics.”

This year’s event features keynote speaker Alison Kosik, a freelance reporter for ABC News and former CNN business correspondent known for her coverage of the stock market. She is also the author of “What’s Up With Women and Money?”

Kosik decided to write the book after a divorce in which, after spending the day explaining finance and business, she let her then-husband take charge of their finances and big-money decisions.

The book is her way of helping other women by using her expertise to give them the tools they need to live their best financial lives.

Women of all ages are invited to attend, from those just graduating high school to those nearing retirement. All are welcome, and there will be something for everyone.

Breakout sessions include banking smarter, creating a budget, career transitions, how to have conversations about money, credit confidence and entrepreneurship. In addition, sessions will be held on estate planning, résumés, insurance, investing, navigating finances after major life events, ways to reduce debt and homeownership.

“‘Yes, you can own a home up here’ was a big one for us this year because of the cost of living,” Irish said. “So we’re really excited that we will have a banker, a mortgage professional and the Idaho Department of Finance, because there are a lot of programs where women can start to find it affordable.”

The conference itself has its genesis in a conversation Irish had with Idaho State Treasurer Julie Ellsworth. Ellsworth mentioned a similar event that was held in Boise and wondered if Irish could help her launch something similar in North Idaho. Irish loved the idea and reached out to several businesswomen she knew.

After those conversations, the group realized they wanted to offer a full day of hands-on, practical information, giving women the tools they need to empower their lives. North Idaho College President Nick Swayne was immediately on board, offering the group use of the college’s facilities and classrooms.

In 2025, the event attracted 365 participants and featured 15 breakout sessions. Of those women, 84% lived in the five northern counties, and 65% were the primary income earner or head of household. Roughly 44% were raising children under the age of 18, and 46% lived in a single-income household, with 26% earning under $50,000.

A 2025 study by Boise State University found that nearly half of Idahoans report significant financial strain from household costs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found in a 2023 study that Idaho women working full time earn a median wage of $910 per week.

“This really tells us we have a regional need for this information, and it’s just a powerful day,” Irish said. “We want people to come and walk out the door with steps — for example, to get their debt under control.”

The instructional sessions are packed with information, presenting practical, actionable steps to teach women how to move to the next step, Irish said.

“Our hope is that this gives you the tools you need to achieve your goals,” she said.

Many women have already taken steps to improve their lives; they just need the tools to take it to the next step and connect the how with the desire.

“We really make a point to try to reach people who have already taken steps, who are trying to level up their lives,” Irish said. “And we want to be another rung they can take that helps them financially.”

North Idaho Women and Their Money also wants to make sure finances are not a barrier to a woman’s attendance, working with sponsors so that the entire conference can be offered at no charge to participants. That way, Irish said, women don’t have to choose between paying a bill or attending the conference.

For the past month, they’ve been reaching out to women through a variety of sources, as well as businesses, to encourage attendance and spread the word about the conference.

“We exist for the community,” Irish said. “We want you. We want your employees. We want your family. We want every woman in these communities to attend. It’s really a program that’s designed to serve the communities and help us uplift both the women, their families and, ultimately, their communities.”

Registration runs April 24 through June 1.

For more information, email [email protected] or go online to niwatm.com.