The Center for Economic Development (CFED) argues that the federal Head Start program, which offers early education services to nearly one million children and their low-income families, is a logical venue for connecting low-income families and participating teachers with a range of services that foster short term financial security and long-term economic prospects.The Head Start Program works directly with 1,600 local agencies that provide education and social services, such as first-time homebuyer assistance programs and access to individual development accounts, to economically disadvantaged individuals and families.Although 80 percent of Head Start’s funding comes from federal grants, in 2010, 16 states provided an additional $147 million in supplemental funding to allow an additional 17,000 more Head Start-eligible children and families to participate.
The National Business Incubators Association is a nonprofit membership organization that provides technical assistance, hands on management assistance, and access to financing opportunities to help ensure the long-term viability of participating member-businesses in incubators. Read more about National Business Incubation Association...
The National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA) is a national, nonprofit, trade association that provides members with a wide variety of training services, workshops, technical assistance, and data analysis in the area of economic development. Members come from economic development agencies across the country as well as from public, private, and nonprofit enterprises. Read more about National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA)...
The Institute for Fiduciary Education (IFE) is an educational organization that provides workshops and seminars for private, public, and nonprofit executives in the area of economically targeted investments (ETIs.) Read more about Institute for Fiduciary Education...
The Heartland Labor Capital Network works to implement jobs, creating economic development investment strategies that utilize the capital held by labor in pension funds and other institutions in order to create high road workplaces and build sustainable regional economies. Read more about Heartland Labor Capital Network...
Co-op America is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing social and environmental problems through a variety of programs, research, and education. Co-op America hosts the Social Investment Forum, which reports on and promotes the targeting investments to benefit local communities. Read more about Co-op America...
The California Public Employees' Retirement System pension fund, the largest public pension fund in the United States, is noted for its active engagement in targeted investment and serves as a resource for information on the policy issues surrounding this practice. Read more about California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)...
The AFL-CIO Office of Investment conducts rates works with union trustees on active government for corporate sector and promotes investment that generates benefits for workers, without sacrificing pension returns, including the development of worker-friendly investment products. Read more about AFL-CIO Office of Investment...
ACENET promotes local economic sustainability by assisting those local businesses seeking to manufacture complex goods on a regional level through the creation of informal networks with other local businesses. Read more about ACENET...
Launched in January of 2011, the Public Banking Institute is an educational non-profit aimed at expanding the understanding and furthering the possibility of implementing public banking at local, regional, state, and national levels. The institute advocates for a network of state and locally owned banks that are able to create affordable credit, minimize credit crises, build infrastructure, and create jobs. Read more about Public Banking Institute...
NAST is an association that links state treasurers across the country. In 24 states, state treasurers manage tobacco settlement funds, and 30 states have local investment pools. NAST also sponsors a number of conferences, some of which include presentations on such topics as economically targeted investments. Read more about National Association of State Treasurers...
NASRA is a non-profit association whose members are the directors of the nation's state, territorial, and some of the larger local public retirement systems. NASRA members oversee retirement systems that hold more than $1.8 trillion in assets and that provide pension and other benefits to more than two-thirds of all state and local government employees. Among many available resources on its web site is its survey of public pension funds, which provides an overview of the size and asset allocation of statewide public pension funds. Read more about National Association of State Retirement Administrators...
The National Association of State and Local Equity Funds (NASLEF) is a professional, nonprofit association formed in 1994 to promote the efficient management of state and local equity funds. Collectively, member funds have created or rehabilitated more than 45,000 units of affordable housing and have raised $2.1 billion in equity capital for rental housing developments throughout the United States. Read more about National Association of State and Local Equity Funds...
The National Association of Regional Councils is a nonprofit membership organization serving the interest of regional councils and metropolitan planning organizations nationwide. It conducts research and promotes regional economic development strategies among its members. Read more about National Association of Regional Councils...
The National Association of Development Organizations is a public interest group that provides a variety of services for regional development organizations across the U.S., including training, advocacy, and research in support of a regional approach to economic development. Read more about National Association of Development Organizations...
The Appalachian Regional Commission is a U.S. government agency responsible for promoting economic development in the Appalachian region. Agency activities include the publishing of research reports, as well as grants and loans to promote small business development. Read more about Appalachian Regional Commission...
