Research / Reports

AFI Reports to Congress

The Office of Community Services provides annual reports to Congress about the AFI Program. Each AFI Project provides detailed information for these reports every fall, as required by the AFI authorizing legislation. Annual reports issued to date include:

• First Interim Report to Congress
• Second Interim Report to Congress (March 2003)

National Evaluation

AFI is a demonstration program established to investigate new strategies for helping low-income families become economically self-sufficient. To better evaluate effective projects, the Office of Community Services is financing a long-term national process and impact evaluation of the program. Each AFI Project provides annual information for the study, and the program evaluation team conducts intensive data collection and interviews at a small but representative number of projects. The evaluation also includes information about the impact of the program on a group of approximately 600 individual project participants. Abt Associates, Inc., a social science research firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is working with OCS on the evaluation.

Detailed Information about the Study Design and Interim Progress Reports

• 2nd Annual Site Review Report - December 2002

• 1st Annual Site Review Report - October 2002
• AFI Act Evaluation: Phase 1 Implementation Final Report - October 2001

• Design Phase - Final Report - August 2000
• Design Phase - Concept Paper - December 1999

Special Reports

AFI sponsors special projects and additional research to add to the knowledge of asset building as an anti-poverty strategy.

Employer-Based Asset Building Demonstration: The Office of Community Services has contracted with the United Way of America to help develop employer-based asset-building projects throughout the nation. The following documents describe this on-going project.

• United Way of America Assets for Family Success™ Initiative Employer-Based IDA Demonstration Project (coming soon)
• "Analysis of Challenges to Employer Participation in Asset-Building Activities," United Way of America (coming soon)

IDAs and CAAs: A Natural Partnership.  This technical assistance document is for Community Action Agencies operating Individual Development Account programs.