Frontera Asset Building Network

NALCAB 2009 Border Community and Economic Development Summit

El Paso, TXJuly 17-18

The Frontera Asset Building Network

A Learning Community dedicated to improving asset building pathways and outcomes for families living along the U.S.-Mexico Border Region.

Who Are We? A Network of over 80 Border organizations

• Border NGOs: Community Action Agencies, United Ways, Housing Authorities, direct service providers

• Community Foundations

• Academic Institutions: state universities, community colleges

• Financial Institutions: CDFIs, credit Unions, banks, federal reserve

• Local/regional government- Housing authorities, municipalities

• National Partners: Annie E. Casey Foundation, National Community Tax Coalition, Internal Revenue Service, NALCAB, U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership,

Regional Coalitions • San Diego, CA• Southern Arizona• Las Cruces, NM • Albuquerque, NM • El Paso, TX • Cameron County, TX• Laredo, TX • Hidalgo County, TX

Regional Coalition Asset Building Programs

• Provide an array of asset building services – Free or low-fee tax preparation – Year round tax clinics– Earned Income Tax Credit outreach – Savings and IDA programs: education, auto, home,

etc. – Credit repair/counseling– Foreclosure– Financial education– Microbusiness– Many more…

Why does the Network Exist?

• Many practitioners along the border find themselves working in isolation

• Connect and lift up best practices of how to effectively work and serve border communities

• Drive innovation and support for local work

• Provide a national voice to the border

FABN Membership - Peer learning and capacity building opportunities

- Annual Learning Institute - Peer learning site exchanges- Webinars: ARRA, Border Census outreach - Grant opportunities

- Research and Data - Latino Financial Behaviors and Preferences Study

- Over 15,000 surveys on border residents financial preferences/behaviors

- Informs program development, areas of advocacy, and resource development

Continued- FABN Asset Building Survey: Aggregates our

partners’ work and impact on the border - Examples (2006-2008) *

- over 17 million saved in tax fees - 95 million returned to border families through free tax prep - Over 1,200 completed/enrolled IDAs- 14,000 financial education courses complete - Over 1,000 homes purchased - 3,000 new savings accounts* Does not include 2009 survey which is currently being conducted

Continued

• Communications—Keeping people connected! – Quarterly Newsletter – Job announcements – Grant announcements – Promotion of asset building trainings/events

FABN in the Field

• A voice for the Border in the broader field – Seat on the NCTC Steering committee – Research presentations around the country and

internationally – VITA Grant Roundtable– CFED conferences

• Informing national programs– IRS English Language Proficiency Program

Areas of Growth • Developing a Border Advocacy Agenda

– Policy briefs under development

• Expanding Learning Opportunities – Topical peer exchanges – Provide competitive scholarships to national conferences

• Continue to grow our membership and track collective results/impact

• Expand national influence: more national partnerships and serve to inform other cities/organizations with emerging “border-like” communities

Questions?Thank You

To learn more visitwww.fabnetwork.org