Asset-building initiatives and organizations
Asset-building initiatives help people save, own productive assets, access capital and build financial security. The organizations in this directory research these approaches, fund them, support public policy or strengthen the institutions that deliver them.
This selective guide groups organizations by role so readers can distinguish research bodies, funders, community-finance networks and international policy organizations.
The original AssetBuilding.org page was a 49-record directory in 2004. Its subject continues here, with every current description checked against the organization’s own website.
What types of asset-building initiatives are included?
Asset-building initiatives generally use saving, ownership, access to capital, research or policy to help households and communities improve their financial position over time.
The main approaches include emergency and long-term saving, children’s accounts, homeownership, business ownership, community finance and access to responsible financial services. Some organizations deliver or finance programs. Others conduct research, advise policymakers or connect institutions working on the same issue.
Readers looking for supporting evidence can consult our asset-building statistics and evidence. Our UK Child Trust Fund resource examines one national example of a long-term children’s savings account.
Which US organizations work on saving, ownership and financial security?
Several US organizations study, fund or support asset-building policies and programs. The most useful starting point depends on whether the reader needs research, policy analysis, funding practice or program support.
| Organization | Primary role | Main areas covered |
|---|---|---|
| Prosperity Now | Research, policy and support for community organizations | Housing and homeownership, small business, child and family financial health, tax credits and field support |
| Center for Social Development at Washington University | University research and policy development | Inclusive asset building, child development accounts and applied social-policy research |
| Asset Funders Network | Membership organization for grantmakers | Funding for policies, programs and financial products linked to economic mobility and asset ownership |
| Aspen Institute Financial Security Program | Research and convening | Household financial stability, saving, investing, ownership and financial systems |
These organizations mainly serve policymakers, researchers, funders and practitioners. Readers seeking a local savings, housing or business program should check eligibility and availability with the relevant provider.
Which organizations connect underserved communities with capital?
The US Treasury’s CDFI Fund and Opportunity Finance Network are useful starting points for understanding how capital reaches communities underserved by mainstream finance.
| Organization | Primary role | Main areas covered |
|---|---|---|
| Community Development Financial Institutions Fund | US government fund supporting community-development finance | CDFI certification and support, tax-credit programs, bond guarantees, affordable housing and Native initiatives |
| Opportunity Finance Network | National network of community development financial institutions | Community lenders, investor connections, industry research, training and a CDFI locator |
The CDFI Fund explains federal certification and public support for community lenders. Opportunity Finance Network represents and supports many institutions that deploy capital in underserved communities. Neither source guarantees the suitability or performance of a particular institution or investment.
Which organizations work on financial inclusion internationally?
The World Bank and the Alliance for Financial Inclusion provide two current starting points for international financial-inclusion policy, data and institutional cooperation.
| Organization | Primary role | Main areas covered |
|---|---|---|
| World Bank financial-inclusion work | Country support, financing, research and data | Financial infrastructure, payments, savings, credit, consumer protection and access to finance |
| Alliance for Financial Inclusion | Member-owned network of central banks and financial regulators | Policy exchange, working groups, regional initiatives, training and financial-inclusion data |
Financial inclusion includes payments, credit, insurance, consumer protection and financial infrastructure. Access to appropriate saving and financial services can support asset formation, which is why these organizations are relevant to this directory.
How can you assess an asset-building organization?
Assess an asset-building organization by checking what it does, whom it serves, where it operates and whether independent evidence supports any claims about results.
- Confirm that the organization is active and that the website is official.
- Identify the specific mechanism, such as matched saving, child accounts, housing, business finance, research or policy.
- Check the country, region, eligibility rules and intended users.
- Separate the organization’s stated purpose from independently evaluated results.
- Distinguish access to a program or institution from the suitability of any financial product or investment.
An official website can confirm an organization’s current identity and stated work. It does not by itself prove that a program produces better financial outcomes. Material outcome claims require suitable evaluations or primary data.
What did the original AssetBuilding.org directory cover?
The original page was titled “All Initiatives And Organizations.” A December 2004 archive record lists 49 directory entries, with 25 displayed on its first results page.
The directory covered asset-development research, microenterprise, community development financial institutions, homeownership, financial services, children’s savings accounts, individual development accounts and ownership policy. Those descriptions record the field as it existed in 2004.
This replacement preserves the directory’s subject and function. It does not republish the old descriptions or present the 2004 entries as a current membership list. For the wider historical and investment context, see our guide to asset building.