Opportunity Platform

FII works to activate low-income residents, foundations, the media, policymakers, and others across the U.S. to collectively re-think our social and economic systems so we can build one where all people can access resources, based on their initiative, to build stable futures. We call this system an “Opportunity Platform.”

The Opportunity Platform is a broad set of practices, products, and policies that invest in the strengths, ingenuity, and initiative of low-income families and communities. The Opportunity Platform will provide a pathway for tens of millions of low-income individuals and families to move out of and beyond poverty, and contribute to restoring the economic and social mobility America needs to rebuild a resilient middle class.

FII is building the scaffolding for a national Opportunity Platform with proven approaches that kick-start the mobility of low-income families in this country. At the heart of our efforts are strategies that increase the control and choice that low-income people hold in their lives and strategies that reinforce community and leverage initiative.

To develop and advance the Opportunity Platform we:

Incubate

FII develops and tests innovative tools to change the way our country makes resources, information, and support available to low-income families. Our approach respects the knowledge and insights of low-income people, puts them in the driver’s seat of their own change, and models how public and private investment of social and financial capital can respond to initiative, not just need. Learn more

Demonstrate

FII’s successful Demonstrations showcase the tremendous impact FII's approach can have in supporting family-led progress. In partnership with a sample of low-income families from multiple cities FII creates a context for families to work together with friends to determine their own direction and test the FII innovations. We are making innovative use of technology to make it easier for them to connect with friends and build new connections. Learn more

Communicate

Shattering stereotypes about low-income people and communities is essential if we are going to make room for more effective approaches that leverage their strength and initiative. FII counters misconceptions about low-income people with hard data, powerful stories, and compelling case studies to create a deep shift in how this country views and responds to low-income communities. We work with and target funders, organizations, financial institutions, and others in the public and private sector who can change the way resources are made available to low-income families. Learn more