Scaling Up IDAs

Overview
Funded primarily by government sources, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are matched savings accounts designed to help low-income and low-wealth individuals save regularly and acquire assets. IDA participants’ savings and match funds are restricted to investments in assets such as a first-time home, a small business, and post-secondary education. Administered by nonprofit organizations or public entities, IDAs are accompanied by programmatic components including financial education, asset-specific education, case management, and financial counseling.

In partnership with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Insight Center has conducted research and held a series of convenings to document the promising practices and challenges of operating larger (500+ accounts) IDA programs. The purpose of this body of work is to share and document the strategies, innovations, and challenges of operating large-site IDA programs so that new and smaller programs can learn from these pioneers. Ultimately, the hope is to grow this field so that all people in the United States can have the opportunity to save and acquire assets for themselves, their families, and future generations.

Publications
As part of this effort, we developed the following four reports, which we are disseminating in the field:

Moving to Scale: Offering IDAs Through Large-Site Models, PDF, 13MB
A case study that describes five large-site models and analyzes the lessons learned and promising practices of each of these collaboratives.

Market Segmentation in IDA Programs:  Practice and Research, PDF, 42MB
Explores market segmentation as an innovative technique to help bring IDAs to more people, more effectively. It addresses how to segment the IDA market and applies research lessons on institutional and individual factors that influence savings. 

Developing a Standard Savings Product for IDA Growth, PDF, 34MB
Explores the creation of a standard, universal, and progressive savings product that promotes asset building and includes people with low incomes.

Large-Scale IDA Programs:  Pioneering the Next Level of Expansion, PDF, 2.4 MB
Shorter, stand-alone document that summarizes the three papers listed above. 

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