# Presentation: 701036

## Welcome!

- AFI Project Design & Implementation – Part I of II

## AFI Program Design and Implementation

- Second in a series of four webinars
- Overview and Application Process
- Project Design and Implementation Part 1
- Project Design and Implementation Part 2
- All topics are repeated and downloadable
- Schedule, registration and download links at: _[http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/afi_calendar.html](http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/afi_calendar.html)_

## AFI Program Design and Implementation 

- If you have technical difficulties with hearing or viewing this presentation,  please press “*0” or  contact Stephanie Dodge
- 703.279.6256
- SDodge@icfi.com
- If you have not received material, contact the AFI Resource Center:
- _[Afiprogram@acf.hhs.gov](mailto:Afiprogram@acf.hhs.gov)__;_
- 202.401.4626
- The call will be recorded and posted at:
- http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/outreach_presentations/project_design_presentation_one.html

## AFI Program Design and Implementation

- Materials for this call are in downloadable form
- http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/outreach_presentations/project_design_presentation_one.html
- This presentation
- Project Builder
- Contact the AFI Resource Center for materials or with follow up questions:
- _[Afiprogram@acf.hhs.gov](mailto:Afiprogram@acf.hhs.gov)__: 202.401.4626_

## Agenda

- Effective workplans
- Strategies for selecting your client population
- Account Structure
- Questions and Answers

## IDA Basics

- IDAs developed by Michael Sherraden to give poor a long term path out of poverty
- Restricted matched savings accounts
- Accountholder saves, host agency matches savings
- Trust or custodial account owned by both accountholder and host agency

## IDA Basics

- At the same time that accountholders begin saving for their asset:
- They receive financial education training and asset-specific education
- Host organization staff can expect the need to do other troubleshooting with some accountholders

## AFI and IDAs

- In 1998, Congress passed legislation to launch AFI
- 368 active AFI projects at 258 organizations
- Nearly 44,000 accounts and growing
- 13,000 asset purchases
- 3⁄4 of accountholders are female
- 3⁄4 of accountholders have children in the household
- Demographically 44% African-American, 27% White, 18% Latino

## AFI and IDAs

- There have been a few private IDA projects run in the past
- Many states do fund IDAs, as well as other types of organizations
- AFI is the largest source of IDA funds
- AFI comes with particular rules and regulations

## Effective Workplans

- An effective workplan is worth 20% of your points on the AFI application
- An effective workplan is vital to run a good AFI project

## Effective Workplans

- In order to design an effective workplan you will need to have an idea of your goals and objectives
- Goals (vision) and Objectives (how you address the goals)
- See Project Builder page 14

## Effective Workplans 

- Please keep in mind
- Your agency’s mission and who it seeks to serve
- Goals of AFI
- What needs the AFI program can meet in your community
- Project Builder page 14

## Effective Workplans 

- Outline what you will do and by when
- Include targets and benchmarks at regular intervals
- Link to key project activities, recruitment, enrollment, when will IDAs open, when will asset purchases be made, etc.
- Link to AFI project management Indicators and AFI Program Outcomes

## AFI Goals

- AFI has identified the following Project Management Indicators and Program Outcomes:
- Increase in IDA savings used for asset purchases
- Increase in the number of participants who make asset purchases
- Increase in accountholders’ savings rate

## Define Target Population 

- AFI is interested in funding places/people in need
- Determine who you seek to serve
- First consider current service population

## Define Target Population 

- Who can meet requirements and benefit?
- Accountholders must be TANF eligible OR
- EITC eligible or annual adjusted gross income less than twice poverty level ($40k for family of four);
- AND
- Net worth less than $10,000 excluding the value of a residence and one motor vehicle

## Define Target Population

- Determine typical budget for essential expenses in your service area
- Look at how much families in your area can reasonably save after paying for the essentials
- Then calculate how much would be needed to acquire an asset in your area
- Can they qualify for a mortgage?
- Those who can meet these conditions can be accountholders
- Project Builder page 11

## Define Target Population 

- Remember these are five-year grants
- It is okay to start off slow
- Give yourself time to get operations moving smoothly
- Recruitment is hard!

## Recruitment

- Many host agencies overestimate speed of recruitment
- Often takes time for word to spread
- Often takes time for trust to be established
- Word of mouth is best sales technique

## Recruitment

- Other recruiting practices
- Pluck accountholders from other programs at your agency
- Family members
- Partnership referrals
- Promoting your success stories
- Advertisements

## Recruitment 

- Remember even after potential accountholders apply to join your program you still will need to evaluate them to gauge their likely success
- For proposal you will need a timetable for completing recruitment

## Protocols

- Grantee will need to establish protocols
- Establish accountholder responsibilities
- Attend classes, abide by savings plan agreement, treat others respectfully
- Establish host agency responsibilities
- Pull together savings plan agreement, handling withdrawals, keep accountholders informed, complete paperwork in timely manner, deliver classes
- Establish partner responsibilities for each other
- Work cooperatively, submit information to each other in a timely manner, meet agreed responsibilities

## AFI Host Agency Accounts

- First a quick reminder about the accounts that the host agency must establish
- Project reserve fund
- IDA accounts
- “Operations” account

## Slide 24

## AFI  Participant Accounts

- Accounts are either custodial or trust accounts. The accountholder does not have free and clear access to the account
- Host agency must release funds
- Accounts must be held in federally insured institution
- Participant must make regular deposits into the account

## AFI Participant Accounts

- No withdrawals within the first six months
- After six months withdrawals only for asset purchase or emergency withdrawal
- Asset purchases are matched
- Emergency withdrawals are not matched and should be avoided

## AFI Participant Accounts

- Establish savings goals
- How much can accountholders save over time?
- How much will they need in savings + match  to purchase an asset?
- How much can accountholders save monthly?
- What will your match rate be?
- Do the math to come up with the savings period
- Assume a little lumpiness in savings
- Project builder page 20

## AFI Participant Accounts

- In order to determine the cost of assets in your areas consult local sources of information on housing, business and education costs.
- Also seek information on other sources of funds that may combine with your program to make the asset more accessible
- See work sheets in Project Builder appendix G to help determine costs

## Part II Preview 

- Program Design and Implementation will be continued on Thursday
- Topics will include
- Financial and Asset-specific education
- Organizational Capacity
- Staffing and Partnerships
- Creating a Budget

## Questions & Answers

- Instructions to ask questions.
- If you have a question, please press ***1** on your phone or simply type in your question
- Please provide the operator with your name and organization.

## Application Submission Information

- Due date: **March 25th, 2008**
- _Received_ by 4:30 p.m. Eastern time -
- see appendix M in Project Builder
- Address:
- Office of Community Services Operations Center
- Assets for Independence Program
- 1515 Wilson Blvd, Suite 100
- Arlington, VA 22209
- 1.800.281.9519

## Application Submission Information

- May submit using _[www.grants.gov](http://www.grants.gov/)_
- Must be _submitted_ by 4:30 p.m. on **March 25th, 2008**
- Prepare _[www.grants.gov](http://www.grants.gov/)__ submission well before due date_
- Registration
- DUNS number
- Authorized signature

## AFI Orientation Call Series

| Overview and Grant Application Process | Tuesday. Jan, 29
Tuesday, Feb. 19
Tuesday, Mar. 4 |
| --- | --- |
| Cost Sharing: Raising Non-federal Resources | Thursday, Jan. 31
Thursday, Feb. 21
Thursday, Mar. 6 |
| AFI Project Design & Implementation, Part 1 | Tuesday, Feb. 5
Tuesday, Feb. 26 |
| AFI Project Design & Implementation, Part 2 | Thursday, Feb. 7
Thursday, Feb. 28 |

**All calls at 2 p.m. Eastern**
**Registration and document download:**
- _[http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/afi_calendar.html](http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/afi_calendar.html)_

## AFI Resource Center

- _[www.acf.hhs.gov/assetbuilding](http://www.acf.hhs.gov/assetbuilding)_
- Project Builder
- Application forms
- Program announcement
- Technical information on AFI IDA implementation
- _[AFIprogram@acf.hhs.gov](mailto:AFIprogram@acf.hhs.gov)_
- 202-401-4626

## Other IDA Resources

- Center for Social Development
- _[http://gwbweb.wustl.edu/csd](http://gwbweb.wustl.edu/csd)_
- IDA Network -_[http://www.idanetwork.org](http://www.idanetwork.org/)_
- New America Foundation - _[www.assetbuilding.org](http://www.assetbuilding.org/)_
-  Others can be found in the Project Builder in appendix A

##             Contact Information

**AFI Resource Center**
**afiprogram@acf.hhs.gov**
**(202) 401-4626**
**www.acf.hhs.gov/assetbuilding**