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Rural Family Economic Success Practice Briefs

This series of practice briefs highlights programs and organizations that are using rural family economic sucess strategies (Casey's RuFES framework) to help families "earn it," "keep it," and "grow it."

Strengthening Rural Families: By the Numbers, Using Data to Drive Action on Behalf of Children and Families

This issue highlights how data collection and analysis can be incorporated into the Casey Foundation’s framework for rural family economic success: Earn It, Keep It, and Grow It. Specifically, this brief portrays how data collection and analysis have underpinned decision-making efforts to improve the well-being of low-income working families in Minnesota. more >>

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Affordable Car Ownership Programs: Transporting Families Toward Financial Stability and Success

This article looks at innovative programs that are helping rural low-income families to acquire affordable, reliable transportation as a strategy to stabilize or improve their employment situation. The need for a car is particularly critical in rural areas, where there usually are no public transportation options, and jobs and fair-priced goods and services are far away. The brief describes a variety of car program approaches and how they help to build family economic success in rural communities. more >>

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Rural Family Economic Success Overview

Despite working hard, far too many low-income parents in rural communities find severe obstacles in their path toward financial stability and success. This brochure presents a framework for increasing their economic success by helping them increase income, stabilize financial lives, acquire assets and build wealth. This framework is based on the Foundation’s overall Family Economic Success agenda, adapted to reflect circumstances and conditions found in rural America. more >>

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Strengthening Rural Families: P-3 Community Foundation

This document profiles the development of a new community foundation to serve struggling families in three Florida counties. The foundation and its community partners now have launched a family economic success initiative. more >>

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Southern Bancorp and Southern Good Faith Fund: Tailoring Financial Services to Help Families Get Ahead

This document details findings that show that to move ahead financially low-income families need additional supports such as banking services to accumulate assets. This document also recounts the rigor in drawing low-income families into ongoing banking relationships.  more >>

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Mortar and Muscle: Building Community and Assets Through Self-Help Housing

This report looks at the experiences of families working to build their own homes through self-help housing projects across the United States. By combining personal stories, data, and descriptions of promising program models, this document highlights how self-help housing projects are strengthening communities and creating informal, positive social networks.  more >>

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