ChangeSomething: Help people with limited assets save

I've been thinking long and hard about an organization that I'd want $1,000 to go to. Now, in some ways this is just an intellectual exercise for me, because I'm a Vancity employee and therefore ineligible for this contest. But perhaps someone else wants to endorse this organization.

One of the things that's really opened my eyes since starting at Vancity is how money can create change in people's lives. For those in our community who aren't in a position to save, helping them start to build assets is crucial to break cycles of poverty and homelessness.

I recently discovered the Future Foundations program, which Vancity supports. This organization accepts people with no assets and helps them grow their savings by giving them 300% interest. Often these people are single moms who want to return to school, start a business or buy a home. They put aside $1 and they end up with $3. Their savings accelerate and they can make profound change in their lives.

It's a wonderful organization and one I support with this entry into the ChangeSomething contest.