As a child, I had to face the reality that life cost more money than my family had. No matter how hard my mom tried to make a dollar stretch, we were still relegated to homelessness because we couldn’t afford basic necessities. Despite these hardships, I knew two things – that my mom loved me, and that she was trying the best she could with what she had, with the skills and resources she had at her disposal.
Working with LIFT is healing in a lot of ways, one of which is that we recognize that our moms, dads, and caregivers can use some more support to make the dreams for their children and their families a reality. We have held hundreds of 1:1 conversations with families, helping them leverage their own inherent gifts to go to school, decrease their debt, increase their savings or start that business.
It truly pays to LIFT, both metaphorically and literally, I am so excited to announce that LIFT’s Family Goal Fund has issued over $1 million to over 1,400 families! As part of our celebration of this milestone, we’re proud to release our newest Family Goal Fund Brief —Empowering Families Through Investment. Since the very beginning, LIFT has recognized that parents know what they need most to succeed but often don’t have the luxury of investing in themselves. Our solution is giving unrestricted cash payments directly to parents through The Family Goal Fund.
Regardless of how parents ultimately spend their Goal Fund, the intention is the same—to reduce stress from the churn of daily expenses, help them stay on track, and empower them to make real progress towards their dreams and aspirations.
After five years of implementing the Family Goal Fund, one thing has become abundantly clear: Cash+Coaching WORKS. Parents make progress when you invest in them.
Reaching this milestone is a big deal, but this work is only just beginning. In 2018 we took the Goal Fund from Pilot to Program — now it’s time we take it to Policy.
It’s clear that LIFT parents have the agency and expertise to chart their own successful paths forward, and cash accelerates that journey. The future of the social safety net is in constant debate—governments and those with decision-making power must use this evidence to design a better, more family-centered system.
As we step into the new year, let’s seize the opportunities to support, uplift, and inspire more families, let’s advocate for policies grounded in this evidence — policies that prioritize and uplift families. Together, let’s champion a future where every family knows that we recognize their inherent talent, love for their children, and deep desire to create an extraordinary life.
With love gratitude and excitement for the journey ahead,
