2004 IDA Learning Conference
September 21-23, 2004 New Orleans, LA
Sharing Our Visions, Forging Our Paths
Though Hurricane Ivan threw some punches, this year's conference in New Orleans was an overwhelming success! CFED would like to thank all the sponsors,partners, speakers, and participants for helping to make this the best IDA Learning Conference to date. In the upcoming weeks, CFED staff will be working to post (on www.cfed.org) those presentations and handouts shared during the conference—please keep checking back. Thanks again to all those who made the trek to the Crescent City.

Please join us in New Orleans, Louisiana, on
September 21-23 for the 2004 IDA Learning Conference:
Sharing Our Visions, Forging Our Paths.

This event—the largest convening of the asset-building movement to date—will highlight the Individual Development Account (IDA) and asset-building field’s dramatic expansion over the past 10 years and help forge its direction for the coming decade.

Since 1994, the IDA field has grown from four programs to over 500 in 49 states and countries from Australia to Uganda. At least 20,000 low-income individuals are saving and investing in the United States alone. In a recent survey over 200 IDA programs reported that accountholders purchased at least 8,000 assets—an investment of at least $168 million (including savings and matches). The survey also revealed that a breadth of organizations, including community development financial institutions, community action agencies, and faith-based organizations, are operating IDA initiatives and that the Assets for Independence (AFI) Program is funding significantly more initiatives than any other government or private source.

The federal agency that administers AFI, the Office of Community Services (OCS) within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is proud to be the lead sponsor of the 2004 IDA Learning Conference. The Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) and our long-time partner, the Center for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University are pleased to work closely with OCS to deliver a high quality conference that best meets the needs of the IDA and asset-building field.

We thank our generous host committee, which includes the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta New Orleans Branch and the Louisiana IDA Collaborative, and our advisory committee, comprised of key leaders in the IDA and asset-building field, for helping us to plan a robust agenda. We are most grateful to members of the IDA field who submitted ideas during the first open "Call for Ideas" and to the practitioners from all sectors who are volunteering their time to present in almost 50 workshop sessions, five plenaries, and numerous Time-to-Talk roundtables. The result of this exciting collaboration is a menu of fresh and comprehensive conference activities that are sure to inspire innovation.

Sharing our Visions, Forging our Paths will convene the greatest minds and hearts in the IDA and asset-building field. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues, share innovations, and help direct the future of our movement.

Sincerely,

Clarence H. Carter,
Office of Community Services

Robert E. Friedman,
Corporation for Enterprise
Development

Michael Sherraden,
Center for Social
Development