Project for Pride in Living

Partnership

Developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Center for Working Families (CWF)- Minneapolis is a new framework for neighborhood service delivery to help low-income families increase their earnings and income, reduce their financial transaction costs, and generate new wealth for themselves and their communities through personalized goal plans. The Minneapolis CWF provides access to bundled services around employment/career coaching, income and work supports, and financial coaching/asset building.

Supported by Twin Cities LISC and Payne Lake Community Partners, the Minneapolis CWF operates under a partnership model, drawing upon the strengths and resources of five local nonprofits:

• Project for Pride in Living- the administering agency
• City County Federal Credit Union
• Centro Cultural Chicano
• Emerge
• Hope Community

Membership

In keeping with the Center for Working Famiiles motto, we want people to “Earn It, Keep It and Grow It.” Anyone particpating with Minneapolis CWF is considered valued member.

Members maintain stable, regular employment but earning low wages; they are referred by a partner agency staff person.

The Minneapolis CWF requires all members to meet one-on-one with both the Member Coordinator and Financial Coach to create personal asset building goals and work with the individuals to achieve those goals.

This approach helps ensure members access a full range of essential economic supports, rather than select only one service tract. The Member Coordinator and Financial Coach work closely to coordinate scheduling and stay apprised of member progress in building self-sufficiency, stabilizing their finances, and moving ahead.

Coaching

The Minneapolis CWF utilizes a coaching approach when working with members. A coaching model centers on changing behaviors over time based on an ongoing relationship between the coach and the member. The coach has expertise in process and content, but changes in behavior are left for the member to practice and incorporate into his or her life. Additionally, a coaching model focuses on setting and achieving long-term goals. Members are invited to create a plan for themselves to improve their conditions in a way that the solution is solely theirs. This approach is very different from case management in that regard. Minneapolis CWF staff will be attending a two-day intensive training on coaching tools to strengthen coaching skills.

Beliefs and Guiding Principles

We believe that:

• Individuals have strengths that can be supported and encouraged.
• A better job and connections to financial tools are critical to the ability to reach self-sufficiency and financial stability.
• Relationships between members and community agencies are important.

In its design and implementation, the Center for Working Families will:

• Provide an environment where members feel valued, respected and trusted.
• Focus and build on already existing strengths in each individual while working together on setting and accomplishing goals.
• Create opportunities for families to gain education and advancement regarding financial and work related issues.
• Be a community where members and staff mutually build upon the existing framework of the Center for Working Families.
• Connect and build community by strengthening the relationship between members and community agencies.

The Minneapolis CWF acknowledges that the members hold the keys to their own successes. Consequently, we believe it’s important to always keep the focus on member needs as we further develop programming.