Savings and Asset Building

Our Approach

The Insight Center has developed a portfolio of initiatives designed to foster the development of more equitable asset building policies, increase the economic security of low-income people, and help make women-and minority-owned businesses more competitive. The Insight Center helps strengthen and expand the asset building field through the following activities:

  • Increasing the reach and impact of experts of color in the national asset policy dialogue
  • Improving and expanding saving strategies to reach a broader portion of the population
  • Promoting and crafting program designs and policy models to grow minority businesses
  • Facilitiating the investment of private capital to benefit low-income communities
  • Providing and increasing legal and operational support to community organizations

Key Projects and Initiatives

  • Closing the Racial Wealth Gap --working to increase the impact of people of color in asset policy, practice and research; developing a public policy agenda and communications effort that will raise this issue to national prominence, and create the impetus for policy change
  • Inclusive Business Initiative --supporting minority- and women-owned business development through research, policy analysis, and partnerships with public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
  • Community Asset Building -- researching and advising nonprofit economic-development corporations on social-enterprise creation and replication strategies, worker-owned cooperatives, and second-tier service cooperatives, especially among immigrant communities or in rural areas.


    Click here for more projects.

 

Customized Services

  • Design small-business development policy and programs, including affirmative marketing and procurement, and financing for minority- and women-owned businesses
  • Research community and family savings and asset building strategies, including feasibility, scalability, case studies, and best practices
  • Consult on the start-up or replication of worker-owner cooperatives, especially in new immigrant communities
  • Research sector-based investment and support strategies for minority- and women-owned business and small-business development
  • Consult on alternative financial products, such as payday lending

  • Provide strategic planning for foundations