In order for individuals and families to achieve economic mobility, the communities they live in need to provide equitable access to high-quality education and jobs. Increased wages, adequate working hours and reasonable working conditions can help advance economic well-being and provide increased access to opportunities such as buying a house, paying for a college education or investing in a business.
Because of the complex social, economic and political issues that have affected economic mobility over several decades, solutions that help individuals and families achieve this “American Dream” require a multi-faceted, cross-sector approach designed to impact change at the systems level.
Now, we’re building on our previous work on family economic security and family asset building to explore how community foundations can use the five competencies of community leadership to help families move beyond economic security and toward upward economic mobility through a new Economic Mobility Action Network.