For Grantees

AFI Resource Center

The AFI Resource Center provides training and technical assistance to AFI Projects to help them succeed in their mission to help low-income people build assets. The Center is managed by the Office of Community Services (OCS), with contract support from leading organizations in the asset-building industry, including the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the Corporation for Enterprise Development, Faith to Finance, the United Way of America, Abt Associates, Inc., and Development Services Group, Inc. AFI National Resource Center services include:

• AFI Project Academies – Two-day intensive "IDA Effective Practices Training" events for teams from AFI Projects and partners.
• Topical Conference Calls and Web-Based Seminars – Facilitated conference calls or small group discussion about asset-building issues and AFI Project administrative matters.
• Customized Technical Assistance – Telephone or in-person assistance on administrative or programmatic issues such as recruiting participants, providing financial literacy education, building partnerships, or closing-out grants.
• Intensive Workshops – Intensive topical sessions for AFI Project representatives on administrative and policy issues.
• Facilitated Peer-to-Peer Exchanges – Opportunities for representatives of AFI Projects to learn first-hand from other AFI Projects.

Request Assistance

If you are an AFI grantee and want to learn more about the Resource Center or want to request assistance, email AFIProgram@acf.hhs.gov or call the AFI Program Office at (202) 401-4626.

ListServ

The AFI ListServ is designed so that OCS may share program-related information quickly and easily with AFI grantees. Listserv members may also post questions and share information among themselves about their AFI Projects. To subscribe, email AFIProgram-L-Join@lyris.acf.hhs.gov.

Policy and Guidance

Legislation
AFI was established by the Assets for Independence Act (AFI Act) (PDF 117k) in title IV of the Community Opportunities, Accountability and Training and Educational Services Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1998, P.L. 105-285. It was subsequently amended in December 2000.

AFI Program Policy and Guidance
The Office of Community Services has issued the following official guidance documents about the AFI Program. Please review the annual program announcements and the Frequently Aasked Questions section of this webpage for more policy-related information.

• Custodial Account Information
  Transmittal No. IDA-01-1, March 2, 2001
  
• IDAs – Tribal TANF and Native Employment Works Program Final Rule, 2000

Grants and Financial Management Guidance

Upcoming Events

Find out about up-coming AFI Project Academies or other training and technical assistance events.

• AFI Events

Other Featured Events Include...

• Sharing Our Visions, Forging Our Paths—The 2004 IDA Learning Conference (PDF), September 21-23, 2004 in New Orleans, Louisiana. CFED and 900 assets stakeholders from across the country will share strategies to increase the impact of asset-building tools for low-income families. Registration information will be available in upcoming weeks.

The ACF Office of Community Services is proud to be a primary sponsor of this conference, which is produced by the Corporation for Enterprise Development.

MIS — Management Information System

The Office of Community Services is developing a comprehensive web-based Project Management Information System (MIS) designed for administering AFI projects. All AFI grantees may choose to use this system and will receive free access and training.

A small number of AFI grantee organizations are participating in a beta test of the OCS system, which will be available to all grantees later in 2004. To learn more or to participate in the beta test process, email afiprogram@acf.hhs.gov.