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Research, solutions and inspiration, delivered.
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Discover new ways to advance equitable wealth building and economic mobility.
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Early-Bird Closes Today, April 16. Prices Increase by $300 Tomorrow.
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This October 6–8 in Philadelphia, as the nation marks its 250th anniversary, we are convening 200 philanthropic leaders in the field — an intentionally small, grantmakers-only gathering — to forge the connections and strategies that will define this era of equitable wealth building.
Key conference activities and hotel rooms are filling up fast. Good news: we've added more rooms to the hotel block for those who missed out, but availability is limited, so book soon.
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New Publications and Resources to Inform Your Work
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Heirs' Property: Investing to Preserve Wealth in Texas
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For families navigating heirs' property on urban residential properties in Texas, the numbers are clear: every $1 invested in resolving these cases can yield $4–$67 in societal benefits—and $19,000–$506,000 in financial gains for individual families.
AFN's Prospective Social Return on Investment (SROI) for Urban Residential Properties in Texas, sponsored by JPMorganChase, provides funders and practitioners with a forward-looking, data-driven framework to assess the full economic impact of heirs' property interventions across housing markets, practitioner capacity, and regional conditions. It is a powerful resource for funders and advocates making the case for investment in heirs' property solutions.
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AFN Short Takes - Insights and Perspectives from Recent AFN Programming
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Before the Cliff: Why Student Loan Default Belongs in Your Economic Mobility Portfolio
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Heirs’ property sits at the intersection of housing stability, wealth preservation, and intergenerational equity, yet it remains one of the most underfunded areas in philanthropy.
In a new AFN Short Take, Beadsie Woo of the Annie E. Casey Foundation recaps AFN's recent webinar on the student loan default crisis, drawing on insights from the National Consumer Law Center and New America to explore who is most at risk, how default intersects with housing, workforce, and family financial stability — and where philanthropy can act now to prevent mass defaults and protect long-term economic mobility.
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Assets Built, Assets Protected: The State-Level Opportunity Funders Can't Afford to Miss
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Building wealth and protecting it are two sides of the same coin — yet asset protections often lag behind the investment strategies funders prioritize.
In a new AFN Short Take, Naomi Stanhaus of RRF Foundation for Aging recaps AFN's recent webinar on state consumer financial protections, outlining concrete entry points for philanthropy — from flexible, sustained advocacy funding to investing in the full arc from policy passage to community impact.
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IN-PERSON (Central TX AFN) Grantmaker Lunch Conversation: Philanthropy & Impact Investing for Housing
April 17, 2026 | 11:40 am - 12:50 pm CST | REGISTER
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NATIONAL WEBINAR: Scaling Children’s Savings for Lifelong Wealth: Lessons From Two Decades of Philanthropic Investment and Growing Momentum
April 23, 2026 | 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm EST | REGISTER
Momentum again is building around Children’s Savings Accounts. The foundation for this work has been two decades in the making, with documented impact on changed outcomes.
Join AFN and field leaders Debra-Ellen Glickstein (NYC Kids RISE), Rebecca Loya (San Francisco Treasurer’s Office), Colleen Quint (Alfond Scholarship Foundation), and Rubi Hernandez (Dollars for College) to explore what the data tell us about effective CSA design, how those lessons apply to new tools and a shifting landscape, and where funders can act to move the field forward.
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IN-PERSON (Greater Philadelphia AFN) Unlocking Opportunity: How State Treasurers Can Drive Economic Mobility
May 6, 2026 | 9:30 am - 11:00 am EST | REGISTER
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IN-PERSON (San Antonio Area AFN) Preserving Heirs’ Property in Bexar County: Scope, Risk, and Opportunities to Protect Family Assets
May 7, 2026 | 8:30 am - 12:30 pm CST | REGISTER
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NATIONAL WEBINAR: Inclusive Prosperity for All: An Asset Funder’s Guide to Supporting Immigrants and Refugees
May 19, 2026 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST | REGISTER
Across the country, enforcement actions are destabilizing families, communities, and local economies — and philanthropy is being called to respond with both urgency and sustained commitment.
Join us on May 19 with speakers from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Appleseed Network to explore the new guide from AFN and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), hear how funders are moving resources right now, and discover how to apply an asset-building lens to immigrant-inclusive grantmaking regardless of your issue area, population, or geography.
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Additional Webinars Coming Soon!
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- Survivor-Informed Grantmaking Strategies that Advance the Economic Security of Gender-Based Violence Survivors
- Introduction to CDFIs for Asset-Building Funders: Philanthropy’s Role in Supporting Youth and Young Adults to Build Wealth
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Member News and Announcements
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- Capital IDEA has named St. David's Foundation its 2025 Workforce Champion Award recipient, honoring more than fifteen years of partnership advancing education, career mobility, and economic opportunity for Central Texans.
- Wells Fargo and AARP are each offering clear guidance to help workers reclaim retirement savings left behind in former employers' 401(k) plans — a commonly overlooked asset. Both highlight practical options for rolling over these funds and taking steps to access and protect what people have already earned.
- Congratulations to AFN member Mark Constantine of the Dogwood Health Trust on being awarded Grantmakers in Health's 2026 Terrance Keenan Leadership Award, recognizing outstanding health grantmakers whose work is distinguished by leadership, innovation, and exceptional achievement.
- University Federal Credit Union has opened a full-service branch at Austin Community College's Eastview Campus, bringing trusted financial services — including personalized guidance and 24/7 ATM access — directly to students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding East Austin community.
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Insights and Opportunities From the Field
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- A new tool from the Washington PN3 Coalition offers a replicable roadmap for advancing equitable access to paid family medical leave — outlining the policy steps, collaborative strategies, and targeted recommendations that helped Washington State lead the way.
- Rooftop solar now accounts for 20% of Puerto Rico's power-generating capacity — and 81% of all new generating capacity installed between 2016 and 2025 — as residents turn to solar to escape chronic outages and rising diesel costs, offering a compelling case study in community-driven energy resilience and household asset building.
- New Mexico enacted the most significant state corporate tax reform of the year, with Senate Bill 151 hardening the state's corporate tax base against offshore profit shifting — offering a novel approach for other states to consider as they navigate the intersection of federal and state tax policy.
- New SBA eligibility rules now require 100% U.S. citizen or national ownership for major small business lending programs, excluding legal permanent residents who were previously eligible. National CAPACD's new fact sheet explains what changed, which programs are affected, and what the economic impact could mean for immigrant-owned small businesses and the communities that depend on them as anchors of local economic growth.
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— Share of people whose families lack the resources needed to fully participate in today's economy (true cost of economic security).
Nearly half of people in American families lack the resources needed to cover essential expenses — food, child care, housing, health care, and energy — to live securely in their community. As costs continue to rise, many don't expect their situation to improve. The Urban Institute's American Affordability Tracker offers timely, place-based data on where pressures are most acute
Source: Urban Institute's Affordability Tracker
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Catch up on past stories in our newsletter archive.
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The conversation doesn’t stop here. Join us on LinkedIn for real-time ideas, conversations, and voices shaping the future of equitable wealth building—follow AFN!
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