Nota A Strength-Based Approach To Reduce Poverty Maurice Lim Miller, Founder & President

$22,000 $50,000 $80,000 Service workers, laborers ….. 30 million working families $ benefits $10K $20K Middle income Upper income Welfare: TANF, etc. Church, nonprofit programs Household Income Poverty Level (Family of 4) Cycle of Poverty Federal benefits for home ownership, savings, investments & business development 2008 census study Food stamps

$50,000 $80,000 Service Workers, laborers, etc. $ benefits $10K $20K Middle income Upper income Household Income Filling a Critical Gap Based on Initiative Federal benefits for home ownership, savings, investments & business development * FII Families 40% under poverty line TOP DOWN: Investing in Initiative & Mutuality BOTTOM UP: Taking Control & Working Together The Safety Net for those in Crisis

Create Space & Leadership Vacuum for Families to Exercise Control & Choice Families initiate & control the change process Families self-organize in natural communities, supporting mutuality (build social capital) Process evolves and changes as families priorities shift and opportunities emerge thus staying culturally appropriate Social networks offer opportunities, define expectations and determine behavior

Program Model: Bottom Up Program Model: Bottom Up Two-year, FII-facilitated engagement with groups of families to catalyze change Family Families select to enroll with friends Each family gets computer to report progress Require monthly group meetings & qtrly family meeting to audit reported progress FII pays families for reporting progress (kids grades go up; credit score improves, get part time job), to lead, facilitate & counsel one another. On average families earn $1.800/yr. Natural leaders/role models emerge & they get Fellowships, instead of staff, to lead others FII liaison Facilitating Natural NetworksActivities Ripple Families Core Catalyst Families 300+ applying in S.F.

MetricsOutcomes Earning % increase in income23% Asset- Building % increase in savings240% # of new homeowners15 or 17% # of new businesses19 or 22% # of expanded businesses9 Direct Outcomes: Earnings & Assets Direct Outcomes: Earnings & Assets Families have demonstrated significant near- and long- term economic gains as well as a host of other outcomes that show increased control over their life trajectories 27% increase Sample Outcomes – All Sites Sample: n= 344 people from 86 households Within first 2 yrs in FII (Oakl, S.F., Hi ) Sample of S.F. Outcomes: (310 adults/children from 65 households, thru April 2010) Over 70% of childrens grades improved 30% of S.F. families doing side businesses 25% or 8 of 32 families on subsidies dropped CalWorks and Section 8. Only 2 new on food stamps in spite of recession