What is the Asset Funders Network? Web-Based Resources for Asset Building Publications on Asset Building
The work of the Asset Funders Network is guided by a Steering Committee comprised of:
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Why Assets Matter? The wealth gap between rich and poor has widened in recent years, as the top income earners have vastly increased their assets and wealth while lower-income Americans have seen only modest change. Racial and ethnic inequities have also sharpened. Despite some strides in narrowing the income gap, minority families have far fewer assets to withstand emergencies, plan for retirement or cover major expenses such as college tuition than non-minority families. Between 1999 and 2001, the net worth of Hispanic and Black households fell by 27 percent each, while the net worth of White households increased by 2 percent. Asset development addresses inequitable distribution of wealth by making the tools for building and preserving assets more broadly available to low-income and minority households. What is Asset Development? Asset development is a relatively new approach to poverty alleviation and long-term economic development for low-wealth families. The focus of asset development is to provide the tools, mechanisms and incentives to enable low-income people to save, invest and grow assets that will promote greater self-sufficiency and opportunity. While the approach is relatively new, the tools used in asset development have long been employed in community development and poverty alleviation work, including: developing access to fair and affordable financial services, promoting thrift and increasing opportunities to save, increasing high return investment opportunities, financial education and long-term financial planning.
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Upcoming Events Please check back soon.... Recent Events "What We've Learned So Far About Savings." Final call in three-part conference call series 3. "Behavioral Economics and Decision-Making about Savings in low-income households" This discussion was led by Professor Eldar Shafir of Princeton University January 11, 2007 at 2:00 pm EST To find out more click here Second call in three-part conference call series 2. "Asset Building in Assisted Savings Programs: What matters in structured savings programs and plans?" Led by Bob Friedman, Center for Social Development and Univ of Kansas School of Social Work Tues, Nov 28, 2006, 2:30 pm EST To find out more click here First call in three-part conference call series 1."Savings Behavior of Low- and Moderate-income households." Led by Michael Barr, Univ of Mich Monday, October 30 at 2:00 pm EST To find out more click here CFED's 2006 Assets Learning Conference A Lifetime of Assets: Building Families, Communities & Economies September 19-21, 2006 Phoenix, AZ An informal dinner was held for funders on Sept 20th Neighborhood Funders Group (NFG) 2006 Annual Conference Building Community, Building Assets: Race, Place & Equity September 11-13, 2006 Durham, NC Course highlight: "Assets Institute" co-created by the Asset Funders Network Meeting on Asset Building Policies and Strategies "Making Connections and Linkages Among Asset Funders" Hotel Lombardy, Washington, DC March 9, 2006 To find out more click here Conference Call on Homeownership February 14, 2006 at 1:00 pm To see the presentation click here Launch Meeting of the Asset Funders Network "Poverty, Inequality and the Role of Philanthropy in Asset Creation and Preservation" Friday, December 9, 2005 New York, NY To find out more click here
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