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2004

American Dream Demonstration

Articles 1 - 11 of 11

Full-Text Articles in Social Work

Savings Outcomes Of Older Adults Participating Idas: Findings From The American Dream Demonstration, Michelle Putnam, Nancy Morrow-Howell, Lin Zhang, Michael Sherraden Oct 2004

Savings Outcomes Of Older Adults Participating Idas: Findings From The American Dream Demonstration, Michelle Putnam, Nancy Morrow-Howell, Lin Zhang, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

This research report is the second of a three-part series aimed at developing a greater understanding of older adults and their use of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). The intent of this second report is to answer the following question: What individual and IDA program characteristics are associated with saving outcomes among older adults participating in IDA? These questions are answered using data from the American Dream Demonstration programs (ADD), the first nation-wide evaluation of IDAs as tools for asset building and community development. In this report, comparisons are made between older (50 years or older) and younger (49 years or …


Profile Of Older Adults Participating Idas: Findings From The American Dream Demonstration, Michelle Putnam, Nancy Morrow-Howell, Lin Zhang, Michael Sherraden Sep 2004

Profile Of Older Adults Participating Idas: Findings From The American Dream Demonstration, Michelle Putnam, Nancy Morrow-Howell, Lin Zhang, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

This research report is the first of a three-part series aimed at developing a greater understanding of older adults and their use of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). The intent of this first report is to answer the following three questions: 1) Who are the older adults participating in IDAs? 2) What are they saving for? and 3) What do we know about IDAs and saving for retirement? These questions are answered using data from the American Dream Demonstration (ADD), the first nation-wide evaluation of IDAs as tools for asset building and community development. In this report, comparisons are made between …


Cost-Effectiveness In Individual Development Accounts, Mark Schreiner, Guat Tin Ng, Michael Sherraden Jul 2004

Cost-Effectiveness In Individual Development Accounts, Mark Schreiner, Guat Tin Ng, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Because resources are limited, the benefits and costs of social-work interventions—like all interventions—must be compared with the benefits and costs of alternatives. Evidence-basedpractice should ask not only “What works?” but also “How well does it work?” and “What does it cost?” Unfortunately, evaluations of social-work practice—like evaluations in any field—rarely can measure all the relevant variables. In particular, benefits are extremely difficult to measure. Costs are simpler to measure, but even so, few evaluations measure costs. In the end, all evaluations are inevitably incomplete and so must make subjective judgments aboutunmeasured factors. The key to evaluation, then, is not certainty …


Family Saving And Community Assets: Designing And Implementing Family-Centered, Place-Based Individual Development Account Programs, Stephanie C. Boddie, Michael Sherraden, Lorlene Hoyt, Prema Thirupathy, Trina Shanks, Solana Rice, Margaret Sherraden Jul 2004

Family Saving And Community Assets: Designing And Implementing Family-Centered, Place-Based Individual Development Account Programs, Stephanie C. Boddie, Michael Sherraden, Lorlene Hoyt, Prema Thirupathy, Trina Shanks, Solana Rice, Margaret Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Family Saving and Community Assets: Designing and Implementing Family-Centered, Place-Based Individual Development Account Programs


Racial Differences In Performance In A Matched Savings Program, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Michael Sherraden Jul 2004

Racial Differences In Performance In A Matched Savings Program, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

This study examines the saving performance of low income African Americans and Caucasian participants in an Individual Development Accounts (IDA) program. IDAs are matched saving for home ownership, education, and small business capitalization. Using data from the American Dream Demonstration (N = 2,364), this study compares the savings performance of Black and White participants in IDAs. The results indicate that low-income African Americans on average save successfully in IDAs, though in smaller amounts than Caucasians. Results of separateregressions for Blacks and Whites indicate that mostly individual characteristics are associatedwith saving performance among Caucasians. In contrast, mostly institutional characteristics areassociated with …


Saving For Microenterprise In Individual Development Accounts: Lessons From The American Dream Demonstration, Fred M. Ssewamala, Michael Sherraden Jul 2004

Saving For Microenterprise In Individual Development Accounts: Lessons From The American Dream Demonstration, Fred M. Ssewamala, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Saving for Microenterprise in Individual Development Accounts: Lessons From the American Dream Demonstration


Overcoming Poverty: Supported Saving As A Household Development Strategy, Margaret S. Sherraden, Trina Williams, Amanda Moore Mcbride, Fred Ssewamala Jul 2004

Overcoming Poverty: Supported Saving As A Household Development Strategy, Margaret S. Sherraden, Trina Williams, Amanda Moore Mcbride, Fred Ssewamala

Center for Social Development Research

Low-income participants experience greater positive financial, psychological, and cognitive outcomes of saving in IDAs than controls. The study contributes to knowledge about poverty alleviation, capacity-building, and empowerment.


Saving Performance In Individual Development Accounts: Does Marital Status Matter?, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Min Zhan, Michael Sherraden Jul 2004

Saving Performance In Individual Development Accounts: Does Marital Status Matter?, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Min Zhan, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Research indicates that marriage has a large effect on reducing the risk of poverty and is associated with a higher probability of attaining affluence over the life course when comparedwith nonmarriage. Using data from the American Dream Demonstration (N = 2,364), this studycompares savings performances of married and unmarried low income participants in a matched savings program – Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). The results indicate that both married and unmarried low income participants can save in IDA programs; however, unmarried participants are saving less than married participants. We further examine possible factors that are associated with savings performance for these …


Evaluation Of The American Dream Demonstration: Final Evaluation Report, Gregory Mills, Rhiannon Patterson, Larry Orr, Donna Demarco Jul 2004

Evaluation Of The American Dream Demonstration: Final Evaluation Report, Gregory Mills, Rhiannon Patterson, Larry Orr, Donna Demarco

Center for Social Development Research

Evaluation of the American Dream Demonstration: Final Evaluation Report


Integrating Savings Into Microenterprise Programs For The Poor: Do Institutions Matter?, Fred M. Ssewamala, Michael Sherraden Jul 2004

Integrating Savings Into Microenterprise Programs For The Poor: Do Institutions Matter?, Fred M. Ssewamala, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Numerous theoretical frameworks have been used to explain factors that influence outcomes of poor families engaged in self-employment. Theories related to human capital, social capital, andfinancial assets have guided most studies. Using data from fourteen institutions promoting self-employment among the poor, and drawing on the institutional theory, this study finds that theories related to individual influences do not adequately explain all the phenomenon.Controlling for a wide range of individual characteristics, there is a statistically significant association between institutional influences and participants’ outcomes. Policy makers shouldconsider a range of institutional characteristics when designing policies and programs aimed atpromoting self-employment among poor …


Saving For Post-Secondary Education In Individual Development Accounts, Min Zhan, Mark Schreiner Jul 2004

Saving For Post-Secondary Education In Individual Development Accounts, Min Zhan, Mark Schreiner

Center for Social Development Research

Low-income people have less access to opportunities for post-secondary education, and the welfare reform in 1996 further limited access for welfare recipients. Since welfare reform, there has been an increasing interest in strategiesmeant to enhance the well-being of low-incomepeople through education and the development of human capital. In this study, we examine how low-income people saved for post-secondary education in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) in a nationwide demonstration. IDAs are structured accounts that provide matches for savings used for home purchase, microenterprise, retirement savings, and post-secondary education. We examine how savings outcomes differed between participants who intended to use their …