Working Together to Build Wealth in Lower-Income Communities Abstract

In December 2007, the Massachusetts Community & Banking Council (MCBC) helped to organize “Working Together to Build Wealth in Lower-Income Communities,” a forum on strategies for financial institutions, community-based organizations and public programs to expand access to financial services, financial education and asset development.

The forum included panel presentations by bankers, trade association officials, representatives from a wide range of community-based organizations, city, state and federal agency officials and academics. The purpose of the forum was to help identify barriers to the use of mainstream financial products and services, to share information on collaborative program models and to encourage and promote increased program coordination to help build wealth in lower-income communities. This report is intended to share the experience and findings of that meeting with other financial institutions, community organizations and public officials.