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Introducing RuFES
Washington HorizonsSeattle, WA
November 1 – 4, 2009
Founder’s story embedded in the mission:
Improve the life chances of disadvantaged children by giving them what they need most – strong, capable, financially secure families.
Meet “Annie”
Research Reinforces our Instincts
• Growing up poor matters to kids:
• Hospitalized uninsured children have a 60% higher chance of dying (1000 kids/year)¹.
• Physical evidence of impact on learning• Significant correlation between percent of time
spent in poverty 0 – 13 years old + physical evidence of stress + “working memory” as young adults².
1 Johns Hopkins Children’s Center 2009 (cited in NY Times 10/31/09)
2 Evans and Schamberg, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2/24/09.
• Low-skilled workforce matters to
communities
• Federal Reserve Bank argues that the best investment in the economy is in human capital, starting in early childhood.
• We know what works!
Kids do well when their families do well;
Families do better when they live in
supportive communities.
The “Mantra”
“Start with the End in Mind”
“Start with the End in Mind”
• All families experience economic stability and success.– All families are getting by.– More families are getting ahead over
time.
• All families contribute to and are buoyed by thriving communities. – All families are able to Earn It, Keep It,
Grow It
Family Economic Success:Striving Families Become Thriving
Families
Earn It
Make Work Payso that
Families have enough income to meet basic family
budget (at least)
• Improve skills to increase wages
• Build ladders and pipelines
• Close the gap– Maximize benefits– Co-ops– Informal jobs– Mutual self-help
• Workers have more earnings and other income
• Employers able to fill higher quality jobs with better prepared workers
Earn It … what works?
• Families– Immediate impact
on ability to meet expenses.
– 25% - 30% “raise”
– 90% - 95% of families screened qualify for one or more benefits they are not receiving.
• Local economies– Immediate impact on
local economy• Food Stamps generate
$1.73 for every dollar spent.
• Unemployment Insurance generates $1.63.
• MN: $1 billion into state economy in 1 year via federal funds (tax credits, food stamps, school meals, child care, energy assistance).
• ROI ≥ 9:1 (especially with technology and volunteers)
Closing the Gap by Maximizing Benefits (EITC+)
Keep It
Make every dollar count
so that
Families have stable and predictable financial lives
and can weather small crises
• Decrease the “high cost of being poor”– Car ownership programs– Health insurance
• Help families avoid “the money traps”– Help them make good
decisions (link families to on-going coaching and advice)
– Make good (fair, affordable) options available and protect them from exploitation
• Families have higher credit scores, lowering the cost of financial services
• Local businesses have more customers who can pay their bills
Keep It … what works?
Grow It
Improve families’ bottom line
so that
Families have bankable assets and are builders of
strong local economies
• Create pathways to assets– From emergency savings and
credit repair to long-term savings and investments.
– Individual Development Accounts (matched savings)
• Create good investment opportunities – Homeownership– Co-ops and other ownership
opportunities– Business ownership
• Families build, preserve and leverage assets.
• The community supports, attracts and retains striving families and growing businesses.
Grow It … what works?
“How”+
“What”
“Campaign” Frame
Quilt It
so that
The Whole Is Greater than the Sum of the Parts
