D2D Fund

BOSTON, June 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Doorways to Dreams (D2D) Fund, a financial innovation nonprofit organization in Boston, MA, has released its second adult financial literacy video game, Groove Nation. Part of a library of financial education games, D2D's second title focuses on budgeting, using a casual dance game to teach balancing expenses and savings. Read more.

We are proud to report the outstanding results of the Save to Win Pilot in our new report: Save to Win: 2009 Final Projects Results. The results of this unique demonstration only confirm our growing conviction that a well designed and implemented prize-linked program will have great appeal and result in increased savings.

We will be a hosting a webinar on Friday May 14th at 1pm EST to discuss the Save to Win Final Report. Click here to register for the webinar.

D2D's innovative savings incentive project, Save to Win, that allows savers to earn a chance at a grand prize with every $25 they save, awarded its first annual $100,000 jackpot in Lansing, MI today to Billie Smith.  Photo below. Read more...

SBWG members today on Capitol Hill urged federal lawmakers, in their current communications with constituents, to highlight the new option to buy U. S. Series I Savings Bonds at tax time using Form 1040.  Congressional Information Sheet and Congressional Action Ideas here.

Sandra Block, writing for the Money section of USA Today, thinks the new option to buy U.S. Series I Savings Bonds on the tax form is an easy way to make a sound investment.

The Charleston Gazette, in the home state of the Bureau of Public Debt (the agency that issues U. S. Savings Bonds), recently recommended the purchase of U. S. Savings Bonds at tax time.

Groove Nation, the second in a series of video games designed to help regular Americans improve their financial literacy in a fun and instructive way, will launch in early 2010. Get a taste of what’s to come.

Today the U. S. Treasury announced that Series I U.S. Savings Bonds will carry a rate of 3.36% for the period November 2009-May 2010.  Read more…

D2D will participate in a new Financial Literacy Center to be funded by a $3 million first-year grant from the Social Security Administration.  Read the press release...

The Save to Win prize-linked savings project now underway in eight Michigan credit unions is eight months old, and has been very successful so far, as our mid-term report describes.

Keith Malbrue, Chief Operating Officer, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, and Suzi Sosa, President and Founder of the MPOWER Foundation, have joined the D2D Board of Directors.

Mr. Malbrue brings to the Board a deep understanding of information technology and the credit union industry, as well as a keen appreciation of consumers’ financial service needs.   Ms. Sosa has extensive experience, both in the US and abroad, in using innovation to connect underserved consumers to empowering financial products and services.   D2D extends a warm welcome to both.

If you'd like to read the results of our Tax Season 2009 U.S. Savings Bond Pilot, please read our report Yes We Can: Inclusive Saving at Tax Time.

D2D is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for its fourth year of tax season U.S. Savings Bond pilot testing (for tax season 2010). The RFP has two components: 

1. A narrative (available here) which describes the project's objectives, VITA site participation requirements and D2D's responsibilities during the pilot.  It also includes key lessons that we have learned offering bonds to VITA clients in the past.
2. An application form to be completed by all respondents. The link below will take you to an online application; please read the instructions carefully before completing the application.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=BHawSczXqev8KsuPy9SCxg_3d_3d

The application is due September 21st, 2009 and the review process will be completed on or before October 8th, 2009. 

On September 5, President Obama announced that, beginning this coming 2010 tax season, all Americans will be able to purchase U.S. Savings Bonds with part of their tax refund when they file a tax return.  

IRS Form 8888 FAQ 

The President announced this and other savings initiatives in his weekly national address, the text of which is here.)  Advocating for this policy has been central to D2D’s work over the past few years.

More than 100 million American households will now have an easy, safe and credible savings option at the one moment each year when they are likely to receive a large lump-sum of cash.   Saving part of a tax refund will no longer require advance planning, having access to a commercial financial product, or remembering to bring a savings or IRA account number to a tax appointment.

Without question, this policy change was the direct result of many dedicated individuals and organizations working together to make their voices heard.   Community-based organizations, policy professionals, public officials and private foundations all played critical roles.   Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard and effectively to bring about this result.  You did it!

As thrilling as this new policy announcement is, much work remains to be done.  We must make sure millions of tax filers are aware of and embrace this new saving opportunity.  More long term, we would like to see incentives to support saving by lower-income workers.  To these ends, D2D will continue its tax time pilots this coming tax season (click here for our current RFP).

Please join in our excitement at this success for asset building policy, as well as for the impact that dedicated savings advocates can have when we work together!

The New York Times' Freakonomics blogger thinks D2D's Save to Win project is a smart way to gratify the lottery urge.  Read more...

The Wall Street Journal recently featured D2D's Save to Win program, describing it as "a cross between a certificate of deposit and a raffle ticket" and an attempt to "make saving feel more exciting than just a dull deposit into a bank account."  Eight Michigan credit unions are participating in the pilot.  Read more...