Will the Corporation for Enterprise Development Lead the World?

Posted on 09/03/2010 @ 03:34 PM

EDITOR’S NOTE: The blog post below was written by Jack Taggerty, who maintains the 5 Star Innovation blog. The post has been edited to fit the format of CFED Blogs. If you have questions or comments for the author, please post them in the comments section below.

Throughout the world, the aging populations of many Western countries is starting to have severe impact on economies as the baby boomer generation starts to come to grips with what retirement will mean to their lifestyle. The Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) is leading the world with its 2010 Assets Learning Conference.

Innovation and the 2010 Assets Learning Conference

The Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) is a nonprofit organization that has a mission of expanding economic opportunities for those that are low and moderate income communities and families. CFED is based in Washington, DC. The 2010 Assets Learning Conference will be held on September 22-24. The website can be accessed here.

The organization uses a Think-Do-Invest approach, which consists of:

• Think: The organization explores various practices and ideas that may in fact help communities and families have a better opportunity to engage in the larger economy in which they live. The ideas help to bridge the gaps that currently exist economically.
• Do: Once the organization has the ideas and practices, they then seek out funding collaborators as well as those that make the policies in order to carry out and demonstrate the program throughout the nation. Demonstrating is the best way to show exactly what the organization is seeking to accomplish.
• Invest: The organization then seeks out investors as well as those that are advocates for policies in order to bring about change on a larger scale.

What is the role of CFED?

The role of CFED is to make changes with policymakers so that within the near future, every American will have the same opportunity from birth regardless of economic status.

The main reasons that CFED has organized the 2010 Assets Learning Conference

The Assets Learning Conference is a way to bring many different people together at the same time in order to figure out ways in which to initiate the change needed to the economy.

• The Assets Learning Conference is where the group plans the 2010 economy focused on saving and investing in the future.
• To bring national and international government, researchers, policy makers, business leaders and entrepreneurs together to lay the groundwork for expanding the economy as well as plan paths to recovery.
• The group is having its first innovation marketplace where they will have on display exhibits.
• The Assets Learning Conference will have approximately 60 sessions back to back demonstrating research, innovations, homeownership, children’s savings programs and many more.
• With the economic crisis and government changes, the conference is way for everyone to put their goals into action and map out the next strategies.

Some main reasons for the First-Ever Innovation Marketplace

• A way to bring in-person and virtual leadership together for the first time
• An opportunity to show innovative ideas and how these can help the next generation
• The Marketplace will present products that are safer for the environment and which can help the next generation
• The marketplace brings ideas on the national and global level that allows interaction among participants at the Conference

How do you access the Innovation Marketplace?

The Innovation Marketplace is part of the 2010 Assets Learning Conference, so in order to gain access to the in-person Marketplace, you will need to register for the conference. The virtual Marketplace can be accessed here.

Why consumers and innovators should participate

• Financial Assets and Income – asset ownership and financial security are interconnected because they enable people to plan for the future.
• Business and Jobs – earning an income from business or wage employment funds the plans and wealth creation.
• Housing and homeownership – owning a home is the chief asset of many households while affordable rental can be a step along the way to achieving homeownership for many.
• Education – education is an asset that produces skills and knowledge resulting in income and asset building for the individual and the country.
• Health Care – access to quality health care is a necessary foundation to fitness to be able to earn income and build assets.

Summary

CFED and the Assets Learning Conference is about building the future by creating the positive innovation environment that will generate the ideas that makes the Think-Do-Invest approach work. The Global Financial Crisis has brought to the fore the need for innovation that is easily understood and will create hope for the future by building assets.

Adventures of the Pig, Volume VII

Posted on 09/03/2010 @ 02:59 PM

Pig stopped by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today. According to HUD, homeownership has become a reality for more Americans over the years. A home is a financial asset and more: it's a place to live and raise children; it's a plan for the future; it's an investment in the community.

That's why HUD has programs so that all Americans have an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of owning a home. In fact, HUD has helped more than 30 million people become homeowners since 1934. During 2000, the US homeownership rate reached 67.7%, the highest rate ever. However, many of these gains in homeownership have been lost, due to the mortgage foreclosure crisis in recent years. Communities across the US are experiencing steady and even increasing rates of foreclosure, as well as an increase in the number of homeowners at risk of foreclosure.

NeighborWorks America, our Homeownership Sponsor, has worked to improve this situation through programs aimed at stabilizing communities hit hard by foreclosures, preventing future foreclosures and supporting new home purchases with appropriate and affordable financing. NeighborWorks is offering the following sessions at the Assets Learning Conference: Getting Affordable Homeownership Right: Strategies to Support Sustainability, Shared Equity Homeownership: Strategies to Grow and Preserve Affordable Homeownership and Community Stabilization and Foreclosure Prevention.

Scholarships Available for Financial Education Academy on September 21 and 22

Posted on 09/02/2010 @ 03:21 PM

The AFI Resource Center is pleased to announce that travel scholarships are available for AFI grantees to attend a one and a half day financial education academy on September 21 and 22 prior to the CFED 2010 Assets Learning Conference in Washington D.C. For participants of the financial education academy, a limited number of scholarships are available to attend the CFED Assets Learning Conference.

AFI Advanced Financial Education Academy
The pre-conference financial education academy, conducted by the AFI Resource Center, will provide IDA project and partner staff with the opportunity to further develop their financial education facilitation skills and content knowledge on advanced financial education topics. The academy is open to representatives of organizations that are administering IDA projects, including those that do not currently have an AFI grant. The academy will feature training on:

• Using new activity ideas in the context of financial education
• Understanding the core concepts of behavioral economics and how these may apply to financial education and savings program design
• Keeping participants motivated during the financial education learning process and using new skills following the conclusion of the financial education
• Integrating concepts of media literacy into financial education efforts
• Facilitating sessions on budgeting for people at different stages of life

The academy will provide practitioners with opportunities to expand their peer networks and learn from colleagues.

Registration: Please register here to attend this pre-conference session. For more information on travel scholarships and the special scholarships to attend the CFED Assets Learning Conference, please contact Eliza Kean at the AFI Resource Center at 1-866-778-6037 or info@idaresources.org.

New Pre-Conference Session! Content and Skills for Making Financial Education Effective and Engaging: Level II

Posted on 08/30/2010 @ 12:04 PM

September 21, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; continues September 22, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

This Assets for Independence (AFI) Academy will provide IDA project and partner staff with the opportunity to further develop their financial education facilitation skills and content knowledge on advanced financial education topics. The academy is open to representatives of organizations that are administering IDA projects, including those that do not currently have an AFI grant.

The academy will feature training on:

• Using new activity ideas in the context of financial education
• Facilitating sessions about principles of saving and investing in the new economy, asset protection, consumer protections including consumer rights and responsibilities, and credit scoring
• Understanding the core concepts of behavioral economics and how these may apply to financial education and savings program design
• Keeping participants motivated during the financial education learning process and using new skills following the conclusion of the financial education
• Integrating concepts of media literacy into financial education efforts
• Facilitating sessions on budgeting for people at different stages of life

The academy will provide practitioners with opportunities to expand their peer networks and learn from colleagues.

The intended audience is IDA project staff that have completed the Assets for Independence Resource Center Financial Education Academy: Content and Skills for Making Financial Education Effective and Engaging, Level I OR who have substantial direct experience providing financial education (more than five years). The academy is open to representatives of organizations that are administering IDA projects, including those that are not funded by the AFI program.

To attend this pre-conference session, please register here.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Eliza Kean at the AFI Resource Center, 1-866-778-6037.

Sponsor Spotlight: PNC

Posted on 08/30/2010 @ 12:01 PM

CFED extends utmost gratitude to PNC, Gold Sponsor for the 2010 Assets Learning Conference.

innovation@cfed Update

Posted on 08/26/2010 @ 02:24 PM

Innovators-in-Residence, Innovative Idea Champions, Innovative Idea Engineers and International Innovators will be posing their burning questions during the Innovation Marketplace, soliciting input from participants to help identify solutions to the challenges they face in their work. Visit the Innovation Marketplace website to read these questions!

Why Attend the Assets Learning Conference? Network with the Field!

Posted on 08/26/2010 @ 02:20 PM

In addition to the comprehensive program being designed to optimize your ALC experience, CFED wants to make sure you have a great time and meet some terrific people from the field when you’re in DC this September. To ensure the most robust networking experience possible, we’ve put together the following exciting events:

Legislative Reception – Wednesday, September 22, 2010 – 5:30-7:30 PM
This opening reception will recognize a slate of legislators who have helped create the save & invest economy in meaningful ways. Enjoy the ceremony honoring these assets advocates on Capitol Hill and stay awhile to meet up with friends for drinks and light snacks.

Speed Dating for Researchers & Practitioners – Thursday, September 23 – 5:00-6:00 PM
Speed Dating at the ALC is a facilitated networking opportunity for researchers and practitioners to share ideas that will create and support the next generation of asset-building innovation and research. It will be a great opportunity to make connections with others in a fast-paced and fun environment.

Networking Reception – Thursday, September 23, 2010 – 6:30-9:00 PM (following the Innovation Marketplace)
Live music, dancing, hors d’oeuvres and more! This reception is open to all Conference participants and is the perfect time to let your hair down. Unwind with a cocktail and enjoy conversation with your friends and colleagues and make a new friend in the process. Be sure to bring business cards so you can keep in touch once you’ve gone back home.

#ALC2010 Tweetup!
Stay tuned for details about a special event for our friends in the world of social media, including a bonus offer for people who help promote the Conference via sites like Twitter and Facebook!

Adventures of the Pig, Volume VI

Posted on 08/19/2010 @ 06:04 PM

The pig made a stop at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families where the Assets for Independence (AFI) Program is housed. The AFI Program is administered by the Office of Community Services (OCS) under the supervision of Program Manager Jim Gatz. The AFI Program provides grants to enable community-based nonprofits and State, local, and Tribal government agencies to implement and demonstrate an asset-based approach for offering low-income families help out of poverty. Individuals interested in building assets through participation in an AFI program can browse the AFI Project Locator to find opportunities in their communities. In addition to the information provided there, the AFI Program Fact Sheet provides a high level overview of key program information.

AFI Projects assist client families in a number of ways. They help participants save earned income in special matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). Every dollar in savings deposited into an IDA by a participant is matched from $1 to $8 by AFI Projects. The IDA promotes savings and enables participants to acquire a lasting asset after saving for a few years. Clients use their IDA savings, including the match funds, to acquire any of the following assets:

• A first home
• Capitalization of a small business
• Post-secondary education or training

To help clients with their IDA savings, all AFI Projects provide training and supportive services related to family finances and financial management. Services include:

• Financial education on issues such as owning and managing a bank account or a credit card
• Credit counseling and credit repair
• Guidance in accessing refundable tax credits including the Federal and State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), child tax credit, and others
• Specialized training about owning a home, starting a business or attending post-secondary school.

All AFI Projects participate in a national program evaluation to help determine the effectiveness of this asset-based approach to addressing poverty.

AFI Program Manager Jim Gatz will be featured at the Assets Learning Conference in the IDA Basics Session. We will also have a session on Child Support and Asset Building. In addition, Abt Associates is offering the Content and Skills for Making Financial Education Effective and Engaging: Level II. Come hear the latest from the AFI Program and its fellow HHS Programs at the ALC!!!

Sponsor Spotlight: NeighborWorks America

Posted on 08/17/2010 @ 12:31 PM

CFED extends utmost gratitude to NeighborWorks America, Gold Sponsor for the 2010 Assets Learning Conference.

Adventures of the Pig, Volume V

Posted on 08/13/2010 @ 06:40 PM

Pig has been making the rounds to key federal agencies to hear about the latest asset-building initiatives that will be featured at the ALC. Today at the Internal Revenue Service, Pig learned that the IRS is stepping up financial education and asset-building opportunities. As the IRS continues to assist individuals and families on meeting their tax responsibilities, there is a renewed focus on helping people understand the critical role financial education and asset-building plays in their lives. A tax refund for many low- and moderate-income families is the most significant financial opportunity they will have all year. For the IRS, tax time is a natural focal point to highlight reasonable financial education and asset-building opportunities, providing people with a chance to use part of their tax refund to kick-start their savings. While tax time does present a natural inroad, being knowledgeable about personal finances is a year-round practice. The IRS partners with thousands of national and community organizations to address financial literacy and provide opportunities for asset building. For many people, these education efforts paired with a tax refund may be the first time they've considered savings as a realistic option. “The work we and our partners do on financial education and asset building is critical to the financial well-being of the people who need it most,” says Mike Beebe, Acting Director of SPEC, an organization within the IRS leading these efforts. Be sure to check out some of the tax and asset-building sessions at the ALC on topics such as Self-Employment Tax Preparation, Tax Time Policy and Practice Innovations, Social Marketing of Savings at Tax Time and Tax Refunds and Savings Bonds.

Stay tuned, you never know where Pig will end up next!

Virtual Innovation Marketplace Now Open!

Posted on 08/12/2010 @ 10:13 AM

Last week marked the launch of the virtual Innovation Marketplace. As the digital home of this dynamic in-person event, the virtual Marketplace features a platform through which you can interact with Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Sponsors and Exhibitors. Innovate, connect and share 24 hours a day.

Why Attend the Assets Learning Conference? We’re Offering 60 Concurrent Sessions!

Posted on 08/11/2010 @ 02:54 PM

One of the best reasons for attending the Assets Learning Conference is that there is something for everyone – literally! Whether your interests are in matched savings for people with disabilities or learning about federal funding opportunities that advance EITC, there are a series of sessions that will suit your needs. Below are just a few of the programs we’ve introduced in the last week – stay tuned for more as we continue to roll out exciting panels and sessions.

• Public Funding for Asset Building. This engaging session will feature Christianne Lind at Finance Project, LeElaine Comer at CFED and CFED Innovator-in-Residence Dennis Campa from the City of San Antonio. The panelists will speak on sources of funding, both at the federal and state levels, for key asset policy priorities, including IDAs, microenterprise and EITC.
• Local, State and Federal Policies to Address Predatory Consumer Lending. This session will discuss policies at the local, state and federal levels that address predatory consumer lending—including payday loans, rent-to-own arrangements, predatory auto loans and refund anticipation loans. The session will include an overview of relevant provisions of the recently-enacted federal financial reform bill, examples of state policy advocacy efforts nationwide, and the City of New York’s comprehensive approach to curbing high-cost consumer loans.
• Behavioral Economics 101, 201. These sessions are designed to position you at the cutting-edge of behavioral economics research. Behavioral Economics 101: Decision Making in the Context of Poverty will feature Crystal Hall, Assistant Professor in the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs and will be a shortened version of her course on behavioral economics with special emphasis on economic decision making in the context of poverty. Behavioral Economics 201: Applying the Research to Asset-Building Initiatives will examine how behavioral sciences should be applied to asset-building programs. The session, including Linda Paulson of Foundation Communities and Meagan Kiesel of the Campaign for Working Families, will look back at the lessons learned over the past year from CFED Innovator-in-Residence Mindy Hernandez’s virtual residency.
• State & Local: Working with your Coalition to set a Policy Agenda. Knowing what you want is the first step to successful policy advocacy. This session, with panelists Ida Rademacher of CFED and Janet Byrd of NFP, will address the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of setting a coalition policy agenda. It will present a range of resources to help you think through what issues could be included in a comprehensive asset-building and asset-protection agenda, as well as a concrete example of how one coalition set and got buy-in for their agenda.

Adventures of the Pig, Volume IV

Posted on 08/10/2010 @ 02:37 PM

Pig made a timely trip to the White House on Wednesday – just as President Barack Obama signed into law the most sweeping financial overhaul including the broadest consumer and investor protections since the Depression. The law gives the government authority to take over and liquidate failing financial firms, injects transparency into transactions involving financial instruments and will restrict banks from making risky bets with their own capital. The law creates The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, a new agency to protect consumers from abusive financial products. The law also creates a Loan Loss Reserve Fund for small-dollar, consumer credit loans. The fund will help to improve underbanked consumers’ small-dollar loan options by expanding the number of responsible lenders and products available in the marketplace. ALC Bronze Sponsor Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) helped to craft and champion the creation of the small-dollar loan program. Jennifer Tescher, CFSI’s Director, will be a featured speaker at the ALC Assets Innovations Without Borders plenary panel discussion on September 23 at 1 p.m. Ms. Tescher will give insights into the future of financial products and services.

Stay tuned, you never know where Pig will end up next!

Sponsor Spotlight: Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation

Posted on 08/09/2010 @ 02:27 PM

CFED extends utmost gratitude to the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation, our Special Sponsor for the 2010 Assets Learning Conference.

Special Discount for Interns and Students!

Posted on 07/29/2010 @ 05:28 PM

CFED, a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for all Americans, invites you to attend its 2010 Assets Learning Conference. The conference, The Assets Movement at its Moment: Creating the Save & Invest Economy, will convene over 1,000 leaders from the Assets & Opportunity field at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC, September 22‐24. This year’s conference remains the only place where a diverse group of leaders comes together to focus on the issues you care about the most, paying particular attention to the biggest challenges facing low- and moderate income American individuals and families.

CFED is offering a special discount to students, interns, fellows and AmeriCorps participants who are interested in learning more about the asset-building field! For just $450 you’ll have access to five plenaries, over 60 concurrent sessions, an Innovation Marketplace showcasing the most innovative ideas in poverty alleviation and two networking receptions where you can interact with the most insightful and influential domestic and international community practitioners, government officials, policymakers, researchers, business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs who are dedicated to addressing the challenges facing low-income Americans.

Contact Kristin Lawton at klawton@cfed.org to receive the discount code before registering. For more information on the Assets Learning Conference, visit www.assetsconference.org.

innovation@cfed Thanks Stanford Social Innovation Review

Posted on 07/21/2010 @ 06:21 PM

innovation@cfed wishes to extend a special “thank you” to our friends at Stanford Social Innovation Review, our 2009-2010 Media Partner. Their work in expanding social innovation and their interest in propelling the innovation@cfed community forward have enabled CFED to build a far-reaching and strong platform for innovations in asset building.

Call for Volunteers

Posted on 07/14/2010 @ 01:31 PM

We need YOUR help! Are you interested in attending the Conference, but don’t have room in your budget for the registration costs? Become a volunteer for the Innovation Marketplace and receive a free pass to the Conference. For more information, please contact Aimee Chambers (202.595.2617, achambers@cfed.org).

Adventures of the Pig, Volume III

Posted on 07/09/2010 @ 02:26 PM

As Pig goes around Washington, DC as it makes its way over to the Assets Learning Conference, the next stop on the journey is to the U.S. Treasury Department building. One of the Treasury's programs is MyMoney.gov, which is dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics about financial education. The site features resources to help you maximize financial decisions, from buying a home to balancing your checkbook or investing in your 401(k). These strategies are critical for building assets now and for the future – and this topic of financial capability is a major theme that will be featured at the Assets Learning Conference.

Stay tuned to the next issue, you never know where Pig will end up next!

Why Attend the Assets Learning Conference? Participate in the First-Ever Innovation Marketplace!

Posted on 07/07/2010 @ 03:16 PM

The Innovation Marketplace, hosted by innovation@cfed and sponsored by the Levi Strauss Foundation, is a unique and dynamic space for innovators and entrepreneurs to advance creative approaches to asset building. The Marketplace will bring together Innovators-in-Residence, Innovative Idea Champions and Engineers, Innovative Entrepreneurs, International Innovators, Sponsors and Exhibitors focused on identifying the next generation of concepts that expand economic opportunity.

The Innovation Marketplace will exist in-person and online before, during and after the Conference:

• The in-person Innovation Marketplace will take place from 4:30-6:30PM on Thursday, September 23 in Salons 1 & 2 of the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. It will feature innovators from around the world presenting their ideas at Innovation Stations, Innovative Entrepreneurs demonstrating products and services that exist as a result of social innovation and a colorful variety of sponsors and exhibitors. The Marketplace will also be the site of live entertainment, free Internet access and more. Of course, these incredible opportunities don’t exist for just two hours – select portions of the in-person Marketplace will be available throughout the entirety of the Conference.
• The virtual Innovation Marketplace, going live on July 19, will feature a user-friendly way to interact with the individuals presenting in the in-person Marketplace so that the conversation can start well before September and last well beyond the closing plenary. Before the Conference, this virtual platform will be the best way to identify innovation leaders developing ideas that matter to you the most. After the Conference, the platform will allow you to keep in touch with the variety of dynamic individuals you meet in Washington, DC. Check the ALC website on July 19 when the virtual Innovation Marketplace will be unveiled.

TODAY is the Early Bird Deadline

Posted on 06/30/2010 @ 05:35 PM

TODAY is the last day to register for the 2010 Assets Learning Conference at the special early bird rate of $650. Be sure to take advantage of this special opportunity by registering by 12:00 midnight (EDT) tonight!

Starting tomorrow, the regular registration rate will take effect and the cost of attending will be $750.