Innovation Session Descriptions
Brought to you by
Lincoln
Homeownership is a fundamental asset-building strategy and a community development strategy. Place-based organizations working to create homeownership opportunities are interested not only in improving life opportunities for homebuyers but also in helping revitalize their neighborhoods. Local Initiative Support Corporations (LISC) programs are working with Community Development Corporations (CDCs) across to country to pursue both goals. Panelists will discuss their experience with these initiatives and explore the connections between homeownership initiatives and broader community development strategies.
Speakers: Oramenta Newsome (Washington DC LISC), Annetta Jenkins (South Florida LISC)
I.11 PREPAID CARDS: INNOVATIONS IN CREATING FINANCIAL ACCESS FOR UNDERBANKED CONSUMERS
Potomac VI
Designed by 
By adjusting business models to meet consumers where they are, local community-based organizations are uncovering significant potential in providing financial services to the millions of individuals who are currently underserved by traditional banking outlets. At this session, learn the basics of prepaid products, hear from community organizations that are marketing and distributing prepaid cards to underbanked consumers, and leave with a better understanding of the potential for financial services distribution by nonprofits.
Speakers: Sarah Gordon (CFSI), Tam Doan (Center for Community Change), Jean Hunt (Campaign for Working Families)
I.12 NEW INNOVATIONS IN ASSET BUILDING THAT LEVERAGE MARKETS TO REACH SCALE
Prince William
Despite the success of asset-building innovations such as IDAs and split refunds, they do not meet the full scale of the need. This session will review new research that examines innovations to leverage markets and build assets for all, including taking advantage of common assets like the carbon absorption capacity of the sky, new models of distributing ownership in the workplace, and new forms of economic risk insurance to protect assets.
Speakers: Carl Rist (CFED), Peter Barnes (Tomales Bay Institute), John Logue (Ohio Employee Ownership Center, Kent State University)
I.13 BUILDING ASSETS/BUILDING WEALTH THROUGH SHARED OWNERSHIP - NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Potomac V
More common in Europe, Latin America and Africa than in the U.S., shared ownership approaches to asset-building enable low-income individuals and families to access affordable investment opportunities and to build wealth for current and future generations. This session will offer participants an opportunity to learn from national intermediaries who are supporting shared ownership opportunities in the U.S. Panelists will talk about strategies that help people invest in homes, business and real estate, with other stakeholders in their community.
Speakers: Jeffrey Lubell (Center for Housing Policy), Jessica Gordon-Nembhard (African American Studies Department and The Democracy Collaborative), Beadsie Woo (The Annie E. Casey Foundation)
II.12 FUNDRAISE, DO TAXES AND ASSET BUILD AT EMPLOYER SITES
Prince William
This session will focus on ways to involve employers with low-income employees in promoting tax credits, asset building and other work supports through outreach and mobile tax sites. Presenters will discuss implementation strategies, employer recruitment, software that can be used in the workplace to facilitate projects, and ways to make effective fundraising pitches. Participants will learn about public and pr
ivate benefits that assist in asset building such as childcare, energy assistance, 401(k) plans and healthcare.
Speakers: John Hoffmire (Center on Business and Poverty)
II.13 AMERICA'S BEST KEPT SAVING SECRET: U.S. SAVINGS BONDS
Potomac V
This session will make the case that U.S. Savings Bonds are a valuable and unique asset-building product, especially well suited to low-income and/or first time savers. Panelists will showcase results from several pilot studies, conducted by D2D Fund, Inc., H&R Block and their partners, in which savings bonds were offered to low-income clients. Participants will also hear suggestions for adding a savings bond offering in connection with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs.
Speakers: Timothy Flacke (D2D Fund), Alan Gentle (Roxbury Resource Center), Melissa Koide (New America Foundation)
II.14 ASSET BUILDING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE BORDERLANDS
Lincoln
This session will focus on a university-community-media collaboration in low-income and working-poor Latino communities in the Southwest border areas of Texas, California, New Mexico and Arizona. Panelists will discuss the use of tax refunds to capitalize microbusinesses; pooling mixed-status family and extended family asset resources, especially in affordable housing; community-based organizations' financial fitness outreach using culturally-competent delivery mechanisms; and tax/fiscal policy awareness campaigns using 'telenovela' (docudrama) formats.
Speakers: Barbara J. Robles (Center for Community Development Civil Rights, Arizona State University), Tony Banegas (Arizona Community Foundation), Kristen Wagner (Center for Social Development)
III.12 EMERGING SOLUTIONS FOR SHORT-TERM CREDIT
Potomac V
Designed by
Underbanked consumers frequently turn to high-interest payday loans to meet their short-term cash needs, often to the detriment to their financial well-being. In this session, hear from a range of innovative institutions about their exciting new small-dollar, short-term credit products that represent an affordable alternative to more predatory options.
Speakers: Sarah Gordon (Center for Financial Services Innovation), Justin Maxson (Mountain Association for Community Economic Development), Raymundo Aviles (BBVA Bancomer USA)
III.13 INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO ASSET BUILDING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Prince William
Community and economic development planning, underway in communities across the country, offers numerous - and often untapped - opportunities for residents to build financial assets (e.g., access to financial services, savings, and home, business and real estate equity). This session will explore different approaches to community planning that target asset-building outcomes for low-income community residents. Participants will learn about strategies, targeted beneficiaries and outcomes to date, and the challenges and lessons learned by each community.
Speakers: Kevin Jordan (LISC), George Harris, III (Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation Diamond Management), Beadsie Woo (Annie E. Casey Foundation)
III.14 BUILDING MICROBUSINESS ASSETS THROUGH THE TAX CODE
Lincoln
Brought to you by Small
Business Sponsor
While starting a business is an important asset-building strategy, there is limited understanding of specific program strategies for using microbusinesses to build assets. This session will bring together practitioners from EITC, VITA and/ or microenterprise programs which have pioneered the development of microenterprise tax preparation. Presenters will explain how tax preparation can become an important strategy to scale up microenterprise services and to link microbusiness start-ups with household asset building.
Speakers: Eugene Severens (CFED), Daniel Delahanty (North Fork Bank/Capital One), Mary Dupont (Nehemiah Gateway CDC), Bonnie Esposito (Accountability Minnesota)
IV.10 LAND RICH: DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FOR CASH-POOR LAND OWNERS
Prince William
Many inter-generational land owners have faced obstacles to developing their assets because of clouds on titles, family disagreements and lack of knowledge. Land Rich Inc. was established to help cash-poor land owners understand and develop the value of their real estate holdings. In this session, representatives from Land Rich Inc. will highlight key resources and processes for helping families navigate through these obstacles to enhance their families' and communities' quality of life.
Speakers: Robert Wynn (Land Rich Inc.), Anita Earls (Southern Coalition for Social Justice), Thomas Mitchell (University of Wisconsin)
IV.11 BUILDING SECURITY AND VALUE WITH HOMEOWNERS IN MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITIES
Potomac V
Resident-ownership has been demonstrated to improve security, increase access to conventional residential financing and engage citizens in local democracy. Building on local experiences – both challenges and opportunities – roC USA is partnering with national organizations and local partners to develop a systems-based approach to improving the security and asset-building qualities of this affordable housing sector, a sector that is home to 3.5 million homeowners nationwide.
Speakers: Paul Bradley (ROC USA), Kathryn Gwatkin Goulding (CFED), Carolyn Carter (National Consumer Law Center)
IV.12 IDAs FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: AFI NEW GRANTEE INITIATIVE
Lincoln
This session will present case studies on successful AFI IDA programs that have leveraged significant local matching and other resources by linking their outcomes to local priorities for community development and neighborhood revitalization. Participants will learn about the roles that credit unions, CDFIs and Weed and Seed sites have played in developing innovative programs, lessons learned from these experiences, and the potential for establishing a more sustainable model of AFI IDAs.
Speakers: Terry Ratigan (National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions), James Gatz (Office of Community Services, Health and Human Services), Dan Kornelis (Forsyth County Department of Housing)