Building Assets and Opportunities:

Proven Approaches for Families to Achieve Financial Stability

Sarah Dieleman Perry, Neighborhood AlliesMargie Howard, NeighborWorks Western PA

Yesenia Cervantes, Instituto Del Progreso LatinoTed Melnyk, East Liberty Development, Inc.

Is getting a job enough to get ahead?

• For those with limited skills and experience, employment isn’t enough to cover expenses

• High levels of debt and high expenses undermine the value of work

• Without financial stability, it’s harder to keep a job

• Need to consider debt, credit, budgeting, banking

Goal: Financial Stability

• Sufficient family income• Transferable job skills• Manageable expenses• Strong credit• Post-secondary education plan• Retirement at age 65

Creating greater neighborhood wealth through accessible financial education, coaching, and community leadership development

Dorothy Mae Richardson

“I believe people get their roots down when they own their houses... take pride in them. That in turn, is good for the whole city. Why should a neighborhood be a slum when it can be a place of good livable homes?”

Financial Capabilities

Financial Education

Credit & Budget Counseling

Financial Coaching

Homebuyer Education

Goal Achieved

Comprehensive Systems

Qualitative: Success Measures®

Quantitative: Financial Progress

Outcomes

Garfield - East Neighborhood Employment

Center

Hazelwood - Second Avenue

Hill District - Hill House Association

Homestead - Mon Valley Initiative

Homewood - Operation Better Block

Larimer - Kingsley Association

New Castle - Lawrence County Community

Action Partnership

North Hills - North Hills Community Outreach

North Side - Northside Leadership

Conference

Oakland - Community Human Services

Sharpsburg - Veteran’s Administration

Sheraden - West End Neighborhood

Employment Center

South Hills - South Hills Interfaith Ministries

Turtle Creek - Human Services Corp.

Uptown - NWWPA Main Office

Wilkinsburg - Hosanna House

Neighborhood Connections

710 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1000Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219

Phone: 412-281-9773

Web: www.nwwpa.org

E-mail: info@nwwpa.org

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For More Information

Center for Working Families

Institute for Latino Progress

Institute for Latino Progress Located in Chicago. Founded in 1977

We contribute to the fullest development of Latino immigrants and their families through education, training and employment

that fosters full participation in the changing United States society while preserving cultural dignity and identity

Adult EducationCarreras en Salud

Center for Working FamiliesCitizenship

Computer Information TechnologyManufacturing Works and Manufacturing Training

Youth Development Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy

Rudy Lozano Leadership Academy

Instituto Educational ModelFrom Learning to Knowledge

Social

Emotional

EvaluationPlacement

Academic Leveling Deep Learning

ContextualizationRelevance

Peripheral learningInternships

Understanding

KNOWLEDGE

Dr. Ricardo A EstradaInstituto Del Progreso Latino2008

Non-traditional testing

Tutoring

Tutoring

Conventional Testing

Readiness to Learn

Recreational

New Concepts

Prax

isEpist

emol

ogyEconomic

CWF

School of Psychology

AcademicLearning Center

‘Jobs are not enough’ Resident input during Quality-of-Life

Physical Planning sessions in Chicago, 2002-2004

Subsequent planning sessions led by Lead Agencies in LISC Chicago’s New Communities Program

• Workforce services alone - not enough to tip the scale • Net income (NI) is negative for 20% of all working FOC participants • Most workforce programs don’t ask about expense

What is “enough?”Minimally, being able to cover BASIC monthly expenses…

Child support

Check cashing feesPayday loan interest

Household ExpensesFurniture rental

EXPENSE

INCOME

Income from job

Household scenario adapted from Aspen Institute report

Expense exceeds Income

Consequences of not having “enough”… (expenses exceed income)

Unsustainable Situation: Which bills to pay each month? Utility Shut-offs Eviction / Foreclosure

Borrowing every month Informal borrowing from friends / family

Time associated with bill paying Bill-paying in person / cabs to pay bills Poor attendance at work Poor attendance at school / college

Social / Emotional (Stress) Distracted at work Distracted at school /college

Poor job retention?Poor school / college completion?

Tax credits Low-cost

checkingAlternative pay day

loan

Household

expenses

Income from job

Child support

CWF Priority… Balance Budget

Income Expense

Household scenario adapted from Aspen Institute report

Income exceeds Expense

CWF Model: 3 Core Services Based on Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Working Families model

1) Employment Services Employment counseling Job readiness / job placementAccess to education / training (College) 2) Income Support ServicesFood stamps (LINK card); ACA Housing and energy subsidies Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)…

3) Financial ServicesPull / review credit report Establish household budget & balance sheetConnect to mainstream financial products…

All 3 Core Services… Delivered through one-on-one counseling Dedicated counselors for each service Bundled for 74% of population served in 2012 Each service affects the budget / bottom line

How LISC supports the FOC network

Operating grants Common data-tracking platform

Built on ETO software platform; leverages Project Match tracking methodology

Credit reports (TransUnion) Learning networks Access to financial products Training in coaching Training / assessment re: credit

building Best practices (extract / share /

implement)

LISC supports 13 sites in Chicago, 71 nationwide

The Center for Working Familieswww.idpl.org19

Our Goal:To assist participants become self-sufficient

through 5 main core services! 

Asset Building Educate and coach participants on various financial needs and setting up short and long term financial goals.

Career Advancement

Assist and coach participants in career development. Set short term and long term career advancement.

Income SupportsAssist participants to identify and apply for public benefits as well as advocate for them to obtain benefits in a timely manner.

Self-SufficiencyAchievement

Highest academic Financial potential! Asset Building! Wealth Creation!

Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) Database

Assist and coach participants to find employment and long term careers in growing industries!

Job PlacementAssist and facilitate classes for participants to become digitally competent

Digital Literacy

Student Support TEAM Intake Specialist (CBO)

Career Coach (CBO)

Academic Advisor (College and CBO)

College Navigator (College)

Case Manager (CBO)

Employment Specialist (CBO)

Financial Coach (CBO)

Public Benefits Coach – Income Support (CBO)

Information Technology Coach (College and CBO)

Pre-college Basic Skill contextualized Tutor (CBO)

College Tutor ( College and CBO)

College Non-Traditional Tutoring (College and CBO)

Social and Emotional Resources ( Psychological Counseling – out-sourced)

Family Intervention Specialist (CBO)

Assessment Specialist (Data, Evaluation and Research)

Job Placement

Appt.. Financial

Coach

Appt.. Income Support Coach

CWF Orientation

Job Readiness Training

Appt.:Employment

Specialist

Community Residents

Instituto:Existing Students

Appt.. Resume

Development

Appt.:CareerCoach

Appt.: Enrollment in

WIA, CDBG, DFI

Computer knowledge

Food Stamps,Medical, Circuit

Breaker…

Financial Counseling

Career Advancement

Appt.. ACA Enrollment Digital Literacy

Classes

Healthcare Insurance

enrollment

New services!

Service Delivery Model

Career Coaching

Income Support

s

Financial Coaching

ResumeDevelopmen

t

Employability Assessment

Orientation

TABE Test

Screen

Assess

Plan

Follow-up

Achieve!

Become Self-

Sufficient

Minimum 1 year

commitment

COMPOSITE financial indicators:

Can show progress … large and small

Can mark milestones … income > expense; credit score > 650

Can use 3rd party credit report data to track behavior over time

Puts single events in context (i.e., purchase home, open checking account)

Data Sources:• Budget (baseline, subsequent)• Balance Sheet (baseline, subsequent)• Credit Report (baseline, subsequent)

LISC Key Indicators:• Increase in Net Income• Increase in Net Worth• Increase in Credit Score

How do you measure financial stability?

Center for Working FamiliesOutcomes PY2014

Employment Services # Registered T 625 N 304 # Job Placements 154 Average Wage $11.68 Over 90 days retention 119 (77%)

Financial Services # registered T 629 N 303 # of completed CFAs 335 # improved credit score 144 # improved Net income 228 # improved Net Worth71

Income Supports Services # screened for benefits T 625 N 303 # applied for benefits150 # received benefits 103

Barriers we overcome in making the model work

Cultural Shift• Services Colocation• Department Isolation• Staff Skepticisms• From gurus know it all to empowering of our

clients• Broken clients- they need to be fixed

approach• Funder driven mentality to community

service• Change of job description from case

mangers to career advancement coachesService Delivery Improvements

• Case management versus coaching• Service capacity limited to funders request

vs. optimization of staff talent • from an I to a team approach• From finding jobs to building / coaching on

careersOutcomes Modification

• From placements and retention to that plus net income, net worth, increase in credit scores

• From pay to pay check to asset building and wealth creation

Operations that facilitate the bundling of services

1. Orientation

2. Intake serves as the appointment coordinator for all coaches

3 .Career Development Program incorporates all services in one setting:• Digital literacy 30 hours• Job Readiness 15 hours• Career Exploration 6 hours• Personal Financing 15 hours• Income Supports over the internet 3 hours• OSHA training 3 hours

4. Efforts to Outcomes Tracking System

Thank-you!

Gracias!

What is a Circle?

The Circle Goals

• 200% of poverty

• Impact 10% of poverty population

Introduction to Circles USA

10 up-and-coming neighborhoods around

the USA

May 8th, 2014

Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh's East Liberty suffered a dramatic failed

urban renewal plan in the 1960s after its "golden era" in the 1940s

and 1950s. Today, this culturally diverse

neighborhood is undergoing a monumental

"metropolitan chic" redevelopment effort,

including boutique hotels opening in

rehabbed historic buildings, new restaurants

popping up and Google establishing offices

here. The neighborhood's greatest landmark, the East Liberty

Presbyterian Church, has survived, embracing a diverse and socially

active congregation who have dubbed it "the Cathedral of Hope.“

The Circle Leader

• 12-week Training/Graduation

• Weekly Circles Group

• Matched Circle

• Min. 18 months with Circles Group

• SMART Goals

The Circle Allies

• Poverty Simulation

• Matched Circle

• 4-10 hours month

• 5-week Training

• Min. 18 months w/ Circles Leader

The Circle Meetings

• Weekly w/ Dinner & Childcare

Week 1 – Individual CirclesWeek 2 – Community Info

Week 3 – Guiding Coalition

• New & Good

Week 4 – Big ViewWeek 5 – Family Fun Night

The Guiding Coalition

• Resource Team

• Community Team

• Economic Stability Team

• Big View Team

• Recruitment Team

Community

Program

s

Circles

Economic Stabilit

y

Circles approach

My Circles

• Circles Group Fall 2014

• Scaling Plan

• Greater Pgh NetworkPittsbur

gh

Moving forward