Resources

Publications

Tools for Survival: An Analysis of Financial Literacy Programs for Lower-Income Families is a recent publication of the Woodstock Institute. It describes the work of the organizations that are currently the largest providers of financial education, details what financial training poorer Americans receive and recommends improvements. Available from Woodstock Institute at 312-427-8070  or online at www.woodstockinst.org. 

The Transportation Equity Network’s Getting on Track illustrates how most local planning organizations make it difficult for community groups to become involved in the transportation planning process. It has a list of best practices and recommendations for improvement. The report is available online at http://uac.rdp.utoledo.edu. Hard copy versions are available from kumart@commchange.org.

Encouraging Work, Reducing Poverty: The Impact of Work Incentive Programs is a recent publication from Manpower Development and Research Corporation (MDRC). It examines Milwaukee’s New Hope Project, Minnesota’s Family Investment Program, and Canada’s Self Sufficiency Project, all of which “made work pay” by supplementing the earnings of low-wage workers with cash payments. Available online at www.mdrc.org/InPractice.

Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research produces Policy Briefs, which highlight important policy implications of faculty affiliate research, and Research Summaries, which illustrate key findings of poverty-related research. The accessible, on-going publications are available online at www.jcpr.org/policy_subscription.html, via email at jcpr@uchicago.edu or via telephone at 773-834-4448.

The National Network of Sector Practitioners (NNSP) is a clearinghouse of sectoral intervention strategies and technical assistance resources. For further information, call 510-251-2600 or visit the NNSP Web site at www.nedlc.org/nnsp.

Rental Housing Assistance – The Worsening Crisis finds that despite the booming economy, worst-case housing needs have reached an all-time high of 5.4 million families, some 12.3 million individuals. The full report is available free of charge from HUD USER at 800-245-2691 or online at www.huduser.org.

Housing America’s Working Families by Michael Stegman is a report by the Center for Housing Policy of the National Housing Conference. It documents the critical housing needs of the three million moderate-income families who work the equivalent of a full-time job (14% of moderate-income working families). For more information, go to www.nhc.org.

Steady Work and Better Jobs, How to Help Low-Income Parents Sustain Employment and Advance in the Workforce by Julie Strawn and Karin Martinson is a report from MDRC. It’s a how-to guide focusing primarily on women who have moved or are moving off welfare and into the workforce. The report includes extensive listings of resource materials and contact information. For more information, go to www.mdrc.org.

Opportunities for Smarter Growth: Social Equity and the Smart Growth Movement describes what urban sprawl may mean from an equity perspective and articulates why funders should become involved in the emerging anti-sprawl, smart growth movement. Written by PolicyLink, the paper highlights the synergy between the smart growth and community building movements. It is available from the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities by calling 305-377-4484 or by e-mailing bstarrett@collinscenter.org.

Stronger Links: New Ways to Connect Low-Skilled Workers to Better Jobs reports on the experiences and emerging policy lessons from the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s six-city Jobs Initiative. Among its findings are that policymakers should help people from distressed neighborhoods advance into good jobs that pay family-supporting wages. Call 410-547-6600 for a copy of the report. The report and additional information on the Initiative are available online at www.aecf.org/jobsinitiative. The New Orleans Jobs Initiative, which was part of a site visit organized by NFG during the Council on Foundations’ April 1999 annual conference, recently reported that its graduates are receiving high marks from employers. 

Welfare Leavers, Medicaid Coverage, and Private Health Insurance by Bowen Garrett and John Holahan looks at the large proportions of women and children who leave welfare and don’t have health insurance of any kind. Copies of the report, by the Urban Institute’s New Federalism Project, are available by calling 202-261-5687 or visiting www.urban.org and clicking on “Assessing the New Federalism.”

TANF Policies in Nine States: Implications for Microenterprise Initiatives is a report by Lisa Plimpton and Mark Greenberg. A companion volume contains case studies that describe the key state TANF policies affecting microenterprise development in some states. Produced by the Aspen Institute, both volumes can be downloaded from Aspen’s web site, www.aspeninstitute.org. The books are available free of charge by calling the Publications Hotline at 410-820-5338.

How Much Is Enough? Basic Family Budgets for Working Families is an Economic Policy Institute review of family budgets to determine the income necessary for working families to meet their basic needs. It also outlines a number of key policy options that the authors feel would best address the currently unmet needs of low-income working families. An Executive Summary and Introduction of the book by Jared Bernstein, Chauna Brocht and Maggie Spade-Aguilar are available online at www.epinet.org. To order a copy, call 800-EPI-4844. It costs $12.95 plus shipping.

Public/Private Ventures recently released Surviving, and Maybe Thriving, on Vouchers, A guide for organizations making the transition to Individual Training Accounts (ITA) under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Written by Sheila Maguire, the publication clearly explains WIA’s provisions and describes some possible strategies for work under these new policies. For copies of the report or more information, call 215-557-4400 or go to www.ppv.org.

A Democratic Landscape: Funding Social Change in California is a new study by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) on how foundations and nonprofit groups influence progressive social and economic policy in California. Over one-third of respondents cited the lack of general support as the most significant obstacle to effective policy work. Copies are available, pre-paid, for $25.00 per copy from NCRP at 2001 S St., NW, Suite 620, Washington, DC 20009.

Audio Conferences

Community Jobs and Your Grantmaking is now available on audio tape. This one-hour audio conference features experts on jobs and jobs grantmaking. The participants are Jane Downing of the Pittsburgh Foundation, Sara Gould of the Ms. Foundation for Women, Katherine Gross of the John Merck Fund and Andy Mott of the Center for Community Change. The April 2000 audio conference was jointly sponsored by the Association of Small Foundations and the Neighborhood Funders Group. To order, go to www.nfg.org and click on “publications.”

The Center for Law and Social Policy’s audio conference series is continuing. For information on past and future audio conference topics and how to participate, go to www.clasp.org/2000audioconferencebrochure.html.

Public Policy Alerts and Updates

Center for Community Change – www.commchange.org/alerts
Housing Assistance Council – www.ruralhome.org
National Low Income Housing Coalition – www.nlihc.org/

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