Asset Development in Central Iowa

The half-day workshop, developed by a team of local leaders from the Des Moines Asset Development Coalition, focused on the importance of wealth. Improving personal incomes is not done just by moving out of poverty. Building wealth means creating opportunities for people to save money, which is needed to pay for car repairs, finance college, or start a microenterprise. This also represents assets, such as a home, that can be leveraged to pay the living expenses of retired families or for a small business loan.

This workshop highlighted various asset development strategies, including:

• Individual Development Accounts
• Children’s Savings Accounts
• Polk County Housing Trust Fund
• Financial Capability Network
• Small Dollar Loan Program
• Microenterprise finance