Thurston County Asset-Building Coalition

The Thurston County Asset Building Coalition is comprised of leadership from human and social services, financial institutions, micro-enterprise, workforce development, economic and community development agencies. The Coalition has forged a strong working partnership established under the philosophy of a long-range strategy to assist in building individual’s assets and improving the quality of life found throughout the community.

Members of the Thurston County Asset Building Coalition have identified critical work to be accomplished that will make a significant impact upon the community’s low-income adults and families within the genre of asset building. The work effort is focused directly on the issue of terminating the cycle of poverty and lack of financial resources that historically plagues this underserved population. The Asset Building Coalition programs, when enacted, will combine outreach campaigns with an implementation strategy that focuses resources towards those individuals in need and at financial risk.

Target: 70,000 low-income adults in Thurston County.

The Thurston County Asset Building Coalition has three principles for guiding the coalition’s multi-year strategies:

The 5-hub model of asset development

1. Broad based campaign to increase financial literacy through multiple venues.
2. Reach out and connect the target to existing resources.
3. Quilt together a system of inter-connected and mutually accountable asset building resources among separately owned organizations to create a “no-wrong door” approach to assure:
   1. Income – financial resources to pay for basic food, housing, transportation, child care and still save for the future.
   2. Money management – knowledge of how to best build and protect net worth.
   3. Housing – basic shelter needs met on a daily basis.
   4. Food – basic nutritional needs met on a daily basis.
   5. Health care – financial protection from unpredictable health care events.