Recreating the conditions under which generation after generation of Americans secured a future for their children and communities

What is FII?

The Family Independence Initiative is a national center for anti-poverty innovation that over this last decade has demonstrated that investing in people’s strengths and initiative delivers stronger, more sustainable and cost effective outcomes for working poor families. Our strength-based approach, as radical and as old as our democracy, is inspired by the historical successes of poor and immigrant communities in the U.S.

What We Believe

FII’s work with cohorts of families in cities across the country shows that low-income people can advance together if we:

• Make resources and funding available more directly to people, not just institutions
• Allow families the freedom to determine their own paths, instead of taking direction from case managers and social workers
• Encourage and reward personal initiative, instead of penalizing or reducing eligibility for help if a family makes progress
• Support and promote mutuality and building social capital, instead of helping individuals outside of the context of their families and communities
• Honor resident leadership and expertise, instead of professionals and outside intervention
• View families as consumers with valuable feedback entitled to hold services and programs accountable, instead of needy victims

Read evaluations of our work in San Francisco and Boston

Direct Outcomes From FII’s Approach

FII’s approach has been demonstrated in several cities across the country. Families in these projects show significant near- and long- term economic gains as well as a host of other outcomes that show increased control over their lives and choices for the future.

Boston:
In June of 2010 152 individuals, including 81 children, from 35 families enrolled in FII’s Boston demonstration project. In just six months by working together they made tremendous progress toward the goals they set for themselves.

Outcomes include:

• 13% increase in average household income (excluding subsidies and FII payments)
• 22% increase in average savings
• 25% of children improved grades
• 20% improved attendance

The families are pursuing a range of initiatives to move forward and are focused on quality of life issues like more time with their kids, for themselves, building relationships, better access to food, self care, and education. The families reported over 500 initiatives and positive “sparks” from June to December of 2010. Families are also taking steps to raise their credit rating by getting financial counseling, paying bills on time, and reducing debt.

Read more about FII–Boston

Control & Choice

Everyone wants control over their circumstances and a reasonable set of choices for their children's futures. FII operates under the assumption that, like most middle and upper class people, most low-income families are capable of taking tangible steps towards establishing control and choice in their lives. What these families lack is sufficient capital and access to opportunities and information that are more readily available to the middle and upper income.