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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is FII’s mission?
FII’s mission is to create an opportunity rich environment that invests resources in low-income communities based on the strengths and initiative they demonstrate towards improving their lives and the lives of others in their communities. FII also aims to test and advocate for a new set of policies and practices that support community initiative while still protecting the current needs-based system for those in crisis.
- What does FII do?
FII runs pilot projects to demonstrate the capacity of families to lead their own change, and to learn from the families what works—and doesn’t—work for them as they strive for their self-defined self-sufficiency. We take what we learn and share it with funders, legislators, and policy makers to help them improve their work. We craft policy and practice recommendations that support people in achieving economic independence and self-sufficiency and respond to the initiative of low-income people.
- What families does FII target for its pilot projects?
We work with families generally considered “working poor.” They may or may not be on welfare or receiving other government support. FII initially targets those that have been at or near the poverty level and may be experiencing generational poverty.
FII does not work with families who are in crisis (i.e. homeless, experiencing debilitating drug abuse, violent domestic turmoil, etc.) and require crisis intervention or need basic needs met. We also don’t work with families who are making progress on their own and whose success is expected by their peers. We know we are working with the right families when their success inspires their friends to strive for similar success.
- Who are the “working poor”?
Millions of people in America are struggling to make ends meet with too-small paychecks and almost no support from social services. They are the working poor. They are the people who clean our offices and hotel rooms, grow and harvest our food, provide homecare to our elderly parents, ring us up as the grocery store, answer the phone when we call the doctor, and watch after our children while we’re at work. These workers and their families make up one-quarter to one-third of the United States population. They live on the brink of poverty. A sick child, a car accident, or an unexpected bill can be devastating. They may get a regular paycheck, but it’s not enough to cover healthcare, education, and household expenses, much less build any financial security.
- How long are families enrolled in FII’s pilot projects?
Families are enrolled for two years. After the second year, FII continues to collect data on the progress of the families, paying the families for the data, but the families no longer gets the same level of awards.
- What are the eligibility requirements of FII?
FII initially targets families at or near the poverty level. These families must have someone working or able to work. They must seem typical or average in their communities, and be willing to push themselves to change their conditions and inspire others.
These initial “core” families then can nominate others in their community to join FII. The actual income level of FII participants ranges from very poor to near the median income level for the area.
- What benefits are available to families enrolled in FII’s pilot projects?
All enrolled families get a computer so that they can enter data, such as income or savings changes, online every month. FII provides three levels of awards:
- Small Steps: Families are also eligible to earn around $2,000 annually for two years for reporting small steps such as increasing savings ($25), decreasing debt ($25), improving grades ($25), attending financial trainings ($25), and starting a new business ($30).
- Bigger Assets: Families who save money can also earn up to $2,000 in matched savings to purchase a home, start or expand a business, or attend school.
- Community Building: The families can earn awards for recruiting and helping other families enroll in FII ($30).
FII also provides fellowships to participants who want to develop as community leaders or support the work of FII.
- Since you send families award checks quarterly, how do you monitor how they spend it? What if they spend it on drugs?
When our government provides monetary or tax benefits to middle and upper-income people we do not monitor how they spend the money. What is certain is that if they spend their money on drugs and ruin their lives they will no longer be eligible for the government benefits they were receiving.
The same is true for families enrolled in FII. Benefits are earned through continued family progress and success. If families use their funds in ways that inhibit their continued progress they will no longer be eligible to receive awards from FII until they begin again to improve their lives.
- What policies does FII feel need to be created or changed?
Currently the benefits for the low income such as welfare and EIC, disappear off when a family is working and their income reaches about 130% of poverty level—too little to build economic security. Benefits pick up again once a family starts earning over $60,000. Help exists for the very poor and for the very rich. FII advocates for policies that can fill this gap and make support available to the working poor as a means of helping to rebuild the middle class and stopping the cycle of poverty.
FII also uses the data and stories provided by participating families to inform policy makers and funders which programs and policies work and which don’t. While middle and upper income families demonstrate what programs or products work for them how they choose to spend money, no such feedback system is available for low-income families who utilize non-profit and government services. A program will exist as long as it can convince the funder that it is needed. FII encourages low-income families to make their voices heard so the service sector can be more effective.
A few examples of policies we’d like to see are: extend eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a self-employment tax credit, community-based matched scholarship funds, matched funding for savings that are invested in business or education, reduced penalties for surfacing under-the-table businesses, and venture capital investment funds for new businesses.
- Why do you keep calling FII a process and not a program?
FII is more of a process that empowers low-income families. FII creates a vacuum of leadership that has to be filled by the families themselves. Most antipoverty initiatives provide specific services while FII engages in a two-year process of transferring power to the families and their friends.
Providing awards, data feedback, and access to new connections are tools that need to be used in ways that don’t disempower the families. One of the most difficult things to understand about the FII process is that ultimately we must use our tools in ways that leave families in control of their own futures, allowing for mistakes, growth and learning
- What does FII staff do that is different than social service staff?
The primary role of FII staff is to collect data and document what families do through their own initiative. Staff refrains from directing or advising families unless families have taken the lead in creating and acting upon their own goals and ideas. In our experience families initially try to engage with FII as if it were a social service—looking to us for direction and answers. Once they understand that we’re waiting for them to take the lead they take charge and the relationship becomes a partnership.
FII staff also acts as a bridge to new connections. FII generally has access to networks and people of influence in the pilot area. Once a partnership is established with families FII will connect families to these networks and resources.
Our staff must intuitively look for the strengths, not the weaknesses, of families. Staff has to be comfortable in playing a supportive role, not a leading role, in the change process.
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