New Insights

New Insights is a quarterly newsletter from the Insight Center highlighting new program work, publications, upcoming webinars, staff news, additions to our website, and other noteworthy items we want to share with our colleagues.


Program News

Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative
While income is important to getting by, getting ahead and achieving the American dream of economic mobility and security requires assets such as savings, land, home and business ownership. In the U.S. today, families of color have only fifteen cents to every dollar owned by White families. Historically U.S public policy has played a significant role in creating and maintaining this gap. Closing it is not only essential to our democracy, it is essential to our economy. The Insight Center is leading an ambitious initiative that brings together scholars, practitioners, and public policy experts to develop strategies, policies, programs, and communications to bring about racial asset equity in one generation. Meizhu Lui, a renowned economic justice organizer has been hired to lead this initiative. To learn more about this important work click here. To view short video clips of some of the experts that are involved in this effort click here.

New Publications

Colorado Construction Sector Workforce Needs Study Colorado is in the midst of a twelve-year, $7.9 billion public transportation expansion project. But there aren't enough skilled construction workers to meet the demand. This study details how a sector-initiative can help solve the problem.

Wealth in Sight: A Strategy for Improving Assets for Delaware's Residents. This study uses a racial, ethnic, and gender lens to analyze the gap between what low-income residents in Delaware need to build savings and assets, the programs and policies that are currently in place to help them, and how to close the gap.


Communication News

New Insight Community
We've recently launched a new on-line tool, The Economic Power of Early Care and Education (ECE), a resource for leaders in ECE, economic development, business, and government to share information, solve problems, and continue to boost the economic power of ECE.

Tim Lohrentz, Project Director, Inclusive Business Initiative, is a featured contributor to a new online publication, US Women's Business Journal. Tim will discuss what is happening with state and local business development and procurement programs related to women’s business development, along with occasional stories from the San Francisco Bay area and around the country.

Recent Press Coverage
Jenny Chung, Attorney/Program Manager, delivered a statement on TV in support of updating the Federal Poverty Guidelines at a recent press conference sponsored by L.A. Councilmember Richard Alarcón.

Meizhu Lu, Director, Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative, interviewed by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and WBAI's Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report Labor Day Program.

NEW CED Attorney Listserv
We’ve recently launched a new listserv for Community Economic Development (CED) attorneys in California. The listserv provides a forum for CED attorneys to share resources, discuss projects, and learn about important changes in the laws and regulations affecting nonprofit organizations engaged in CED. To join, email jchung@insightcced.org.

IRS Form 990 Training
The IRS has made significant changes to IRS Form 990, beginning in the 2008 tax year (filed in 2009). The Public Interest Clearinghouse and the Insight Center offered an online training which detailed how to stay in compliance with the new forms. Click here to view the presentation.

Policy News

After years of advocacy by Insight Center, Wider Opportunities for Women, and other state and national leaders, Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced the Measuring American Poverty Act of 2008 (H.R. 6941). The bill would create a new “Modern Poverty Measure” using updated methodology and statistics to calculate a living standard threshold that more accurately reflects what it costs to make ends meet in today's economy (similar to our Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard). The Insight Center submitted testimony at a Congressional Ways and Means Committee hearing in support of this effort.


Planning for Our 40th Anniversary
Like most people approaching middle age, we find it hard to believe the Insight Center will soon be celebrating 40 years of developing innovative solutions that help people and communities become, and remain, economically secure. Plans are underway for a big celebration so stay tuned for more information.

New Video

Play our new organizational video.