Disrupting Poverty: Coming Together to Build Financial Security for Individuals and Communities

Mar 01, 2014
  • Description

Despite the efforts of many groups and partners working to alleviate poverty, national trends concerning wealth are disconcerting because they appear to be moving in the wrong direction. For example, according to The Urban Institute, approximately 30 percent of American households live from paycheck to paycheck, without an adequate financial safety net. The Pew Research Center has found that disparities in wealth between Native populations and white populations are pronounced, while wealth gaps between white households and households of other races and ethnicities are widening. This report highlights organizations that are reversing these trends. We examine six projects that are taking bold approaches to solve one of the biggest challenges in our country today: disrupting poverty by building financial security. The report highlights lessons and best practices gleaned from our examination of a variety of projects that we and other foundations support. We expect that this information can help practitioners and funders as they look for opportunities to stregthn financial security and foster wealth-building initiatives across the country