New report by Prosperity Now finds organizations across sectors are prepared to engage, while identifying the guidance, coordination, and capacity-building needed to help families benefit from emerging savings opportunities.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Prosperity Now today released “Next-Generation Savings Readiness Report: Field Readiness, Implementation Pathways, and Strategic Priorities for Child Savings Opportunities,” a national assessment examining how prepared community organizations, financial institutions, schools, public agencies, employers, and other stakeholders are to support emerging child and birth-based savings opportunities.

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Supported by Citi Foundation, the report draws on a national survey of more than 300 organizations across 45 states, focus groups with practitioners, and a broader landscape analysis to assess field readiness and identify the systems, partnerships, and investments needed to support successful implementation.

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"The organizations closest to families are already doing extraordinary work. They have built trusted relationships, developed deep expertise, and continue to serve their communities despite limited resources and a constantly changing landscape,” said Marisa Calderon, President and CEO of Prosperity Now. “This assessment shows that the foundation is already in place. The opportunity now is for funders, intermediaries, and implementation partners to work together to remove barriers, strengthen capacity, and help community partners connect more families with child savings opportunities.”

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“As new pathways for early-wealth building emerge, it is critical that American households have the tools and resources necessary to access these opportunities,” said Kristen Scheyder, Director of Programs, Citi Foundation. “This report offers clear, actionable insights that all of us working in the child savings landscape can draw from as we support low-income families in strengthening financial security and resilience for their children.”

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Key findings from the report include:  

• Existing infrastructure provides a strong foundation for implementation. Organizations across sectors already possess relevant experience in financial coaching, tax preparation, benefits access, family engagement, youth programming, and savings initiatives.

• Organizations are ready to engage, but readiness is uneven. While many respondents expressed confidence in their ability to adapt to new programs, operational preparedness varies significantly across organizations.

• Community-based organizations play a critical role in connecting families to opportunities. Trusted local institutions such as schools, financial coaches, tax preparation providers, and healthcare providers remain essential for helping families understand, access, and navigate new programs.

• Practical implementation support is needed. Organizations consistently identified clear guidance, training, technical assistance, implementation tools, and peer learning opportunities as priorities.

• Coordination will determine success. Participants emphasized that successful implementation will require stronger collaboration among community organizations, financial institutions, employers, schools, public agencies, philanthropies, and other stakeholders.

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Beyond assessing current readiness, the report provides an action agenda for stakeholders across sectors. The agenda translates the research findings into five practical priorities designed to strengthen implementation capacity, improve coordination, and help more families benefit from emerging child savings opportunities.

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The full report is available here.

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