About the Assets Learning Conference

Why Attend?

After each ALC, we spend weeks combing through attendees’ feedback to identify ways to make the each Conference program better than the last. The 2014 ALC is no exception. In 2012, you indicated that you wanted more networking time, more learning sessions and more opportunities to advocate on behalf of policies that create pathways to opportunity. With this feedback in mind, we’re offering:

  • Five plenary sessions with high-profile speakers representing a diverse range of perspectives.
  • Four concurrent sessions, each with 10 or more breakout options.
  • Six capacity-building intensives, which offer in-depth, hands-on training designed to improve the effectiveness of your work.
  • Capitol Hill Visits, as well as a lunchtime training session to help prepare you to bring the issues you care about the most to your elected lawmakers.
  • Three special networking events, including the ALC Awards Dinner to honor some of those who have made significant strides in creating platforms for prosperity.
  • The Platforms for Prosperity contest, which honors those organizations which are transforming the lives of members if their communities.
  • Special sessions designed to build the capacity of federal agency staff.
  • Research roundtables highlighting the latest data to help build the financial security of the individuals and families you serve.
With three action-packed days, the 2014 ALC offers endless possibilities for you to design the ideal Conference experience. For more details, visit the Learn page.

 

Who Attends?

If you envision a nation where everyone has the opportunity to build a better financial future, then the ALC is the Conference for you. The ALC brings together a diverse range of participants working to build more financially secure individuals, families and communities. More than 1,200 service providers, researchers, policymakers, funders, fundraisers, financial institution professionals and a range of others will come together at the ALC to create and improve platforms that promote prosperity. Whether your platform has to do with where we live, learn, work, bank, get healthy or get social services, there’s something for everyone at the Assets Learning Conference.



2012 ALC Testimonials

Attendees of the 2012 Assets Learning Conference gave us wonderful feedback to inform our planning for this year’s conference and make it even better. Check out the interviews below with two attendees.

Sherry Williams, Executive Director of the Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative, shared her most inspiring sessions, major takeaways and ways that learnings from the conference would inform her work once she went back home to  California.

Tiziana Dearing, former CEO of Boston Rising, offered her perspective on presenting at the conference, the sessions that she attended and how they’ve influenced her work.

More Testimonials
It was a privilege to be a part of the conference. As an academic, I rarely have the opportunity to share scholarly work with practitioners and learn from their work. The conference was an amazing experience. I attended the Child Savings Account Institute, learned a lot and made some excellent contacts for possible future work in Iowa. The conference itself was a wonderful blend of applied research, reports of “real” work in communities and inspiring stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many dedicated and talented people.  The hospitality and organization demonstrated by CFED—especially for such a large group---was beyond my expectations. Time is always precious during the academic year, but I truly feel that attending the conference will have long-term benefits for our work with families. My sincere thanks to each of you for making my attendance and small contribution at the conference possible. Please extend my thanks and accolades to all who worked so hard to make the conference a success. I hope you are all still basking in the glow of the conference!
- Cindy Fletcher, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University


Thank you for inviting me to participate in your Assets conference. It was one of the best conferences I've ever attended, and I have attended a lot! The quality of the presentations was superb - both in content and depth of experience among the presenters. Best of all though for me was the level of engagement from everyone, including such power brokers as Bob and Andrea, general presenters, and attendees - all of whom were clearly dedicated and passionate about contributing to and advancing the mission of asset building across generations and differing socio-economic demographics.

This weekend I gave a presentation at the AARP national conference which was all about "Re-imagining Life @50." The presentation I had prepared on senior entrepreneurship soared to new levels of optimism thanks to the inspiration I had just received about the power and promise of asset building at your convening.
- Elizabeth Isele, Senior Innovation Fellow at Babson College

I just wanted to pass along a huge congratulations on the amazing conference. I am seriously impressed that you all put on such a terrific event stacked with sessions and great keynote speakers.  

Some quotes from my discussions with my Ohio attendees:

One of my colleagues, a regional VP for PNC Bank said “I can’t wait until we get back to Cleveland, I have a million ideas in my head!”

A colleague who runs the Columbus area free tax and income coalition said “You were right, I am glad I adjusted our budget to send people to this conference. They don’t need to go anywhere else for training!”

My policy liaison from Columbus said “I wish you would have sent me to this when you hired me! It would have saved me 3 months of learning.”
- David Rothstein, Project Director for Asset Building at Policy Matters Ohio