San Diego Family Asset Building Coalition

The Health & Human Services Working Group’s research, investigation and grant awards to date indicate that families who are vulnerable to episodic homelessness benefit from financial education that leads to budget management, traditional banking relationships, reduction of debt, improved credit, and increased savings.

From 2004 through 2008, through the Prevention of Family Homelessness Initiative, the Health & Human Services Working Group provided broad support for financial education and asset building programs of community-based organizations serving the residents of the San Diego region.

In 2005, The San Diego Foundation asked its grantees to partner and form the San Diego Family Asset Building Coalition. Each organization, focused on serving particular populations or geographic areas throughout San Diego County, provides financial education and asset-building programming through a combination of classroom training and one-on-one counseling. Together, the Coalition organizations pool their knowledge and resources to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in program delivery with the goal of improving the quality of life for individuals and families through the development of their financial and human capital. By adopting common outcome measures, the Coalition aims to demonstrate the impact of its programs and develop a powerful collective voice.

As a true partnership, the Coalition embodies the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Working Families model and, thus, offers access to a full array of client services across the Coalition that may not be available within one organization.

From 2009 through 2010, the Health & Human Services Working Group will focus support on strengthening and expanding the San Diego Family Asset Building Coalition to assure its sustainability. The Working Group will focus 2009 funding on current grantees and building the capacity of the San Diego Family Asset Building Coalition.

To learn more, please contact Robyn Chatten, at robyn@sdfoundation.org or (619) 235-2300