WHO WE ARE

America Saves is a nationwide campaign involving around 20,000 enrolled Savers and 1,000 nonprofit groups, employers, financial institutions, and government agencies working at the local, state, or national levels. These organizations provide leadership, offer savings services, and promote these services.

Locally, campaigns are run either by a working group or, if the campaign has been incorporated as a nonprofit organization, by a board of directors. These governing bodies typically include representatives from community groups, Cooperative Extension offices, nonprofit credit counseling agencies, banks and credit unions, and city and county government agencies.

Nationally, the campaign is being advised by representatives from some 50 major governmental, nonprofit, and business organizations. Government participants include the Federal Reserve Board, the Comptroller of the Currency, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Program. Nonprofit advisory committee members include AARP, Consumers Union, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, the American Savings and Education Council, and several minority organizations.

Overall management for the campaign is being provided by the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America (CFA). CFA is a federation of some 300 consumer education, advocacy, and cooperative organizations dedicated to advancing the consumer interest.

The Ford Foundation has taken leadership in providing core funding for each stage in the development of the American Saves campaign. Current national funders also include the Fannie Mae Foundation, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Providian Financial, InCharge Institute, Century Financial, VISA, American Express, GE Mortgage Insurance, and the National Credit Union Foundation. Local funders typically include community foundations, banks, credit unions, and Cooperative Extension offices.

WHAT WE DO

First and foremost, America Saves encourages and assists individuals to save and build wealth. We do that at both local and national levels.

In a growing number of cities, a coalition of nonprofit, business, and government organizations have organized and maintain local Saves campaigns. These initiatives typically assist individuals and families by providing the following free services:

• savings messages and the availability of Saves services through local media and sometimes paid advertisements;
• a Build Wealth Not Debt brochure, and local Saves website, which explain how to save and how to use Saves services including enrollment as a Saver;
• Wealth-building workshops which show how almost anyone can save and build wealth;
• enrollment of Savers who have developed a wealth-building goal -- such as debt repayment, an emergency fund, homeownership, or retirement savings -- and a simple plan to achieve this goal;
• Wealth Coaches to assist Savers in the selection of this goal and plan;
• Certified Financial Planners who can provide more detailed planning information to Savers;
• no- or low-balance savings accounts at local banks and credit unions so Savers avoid costly fees;
• Wealth-building Clubs for those who wish to participate in a group that learns about and supports wealth-building; and
• Savers with a subscription to the quarterly American Saver newsletter.

Throughout the nation, America Saves offers all Americans the following free services:

• this website with its Personal Wealth Estimator and information about how to save, how all Americans save, how to enroll as an American Saver, and how America Saves is doing;
• a Build Wealth Not Debt brochure in English or English and Spanish;
• enrollment as an American Saver, Black American Saver, or Hispanic American Saver;
• to Savers, information about savings options and a subscription to the quarterly American Saver newsletter;
• to Savers, access to Certified Financial Planners who have been recruited, as volunteers, by the Financial Planning Association.