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Thriving Together: Meaningful Work & Wealth
"The widening racial wealth divide will keep the American dream out of reach for far too many, and for generations to come. Yet, I am hopeful. Because I know that what unites us is greater than what divides us."

Gary L. Cunningham, President & CEO, Prosperity Now
Thriving Together: Meaningful Work & Wealth
Vital conditions shape the exposures, choices, opportunities, and adversities that we each encounter throughout our lives. This issue of the WIN Digest highlights the next vital condition in our Thriving Together series: Meaningful Work & Wealth.

Personal, family, and community wealth provides the means for healthy, secure lives. That includes good-paying, fulfilling jobs and careers, and financial security that extends across the life span. People are happy when their work is productive and rewarding. Beyond the importance of earning a paycheck, meaningful work lifts up entire families and communities. Wealth shapes living standards not only for people today, but also for future generations. Being able to afford assets, like a home or a computer, allows people to participate more fully in work, school, and community life.

Wealth and work status, however, are shaped by conditions outside an individual’s control and far too many Americans lack economic opportunity. Changes in the employment landscape, such as the rise of gig work and decline in union membership, have had an impact on overall job quality in America. Many employees face stagnating wages, decreased purchasing power, and fewer employer provided benefits.

Poverty and financial insecurity lead to toxic stress, chronic disease, and other poor mental and physical health outcomes. The health and financial crises caused by COVID-19 are devastating Communities of Color and other vulnerable populations. Economic insecurity, by nearly every conceivable metric, has risen for individuals, households, businesses, and governments.

By taking a cradle-to-grave financial security approach and conducting a racial equity analysis on all proposed solutions, we can help ensure that wealth is built to support multiple generations and a prosperous future for all.

Learn more about meaningful work and wealth from Thriving Together contributor Prosperity Now.

Connect and share ideas at Thriving.US.
"Prosperity for Everyone"

Prosperity for everyone
For every race and creed
This earth with its abundance
Has everything we need

So let us treat earth lovingly
And every person too
Let’s think about the ripples
That flow from what we do

Our views - they may be different
But still we share this place
On the surface of our planet
Amidst light-years of space

Prosperity for everyone
Please heed this clarion call
With work and love
We can create
Prosperity for All

Christopher Westra, "Prosperity for Everyone"
Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
THRIVING TOGETHER: CHANGING COURSE
Explore the Meaningful Work & Wealth Changing Course Chapter and Deep Dive to learn more about this vital condition.
Changing Course
Deep Dive
COMMUNITY COMMONS: THRIVING TOGETHER COLLECTION
How COVID-19 Is Deepening Inequalities in the US

This blog post from Prosperity Now explores the differences between groups in health and financial outcomes for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The African American Financial Capability Initiative: An Implementation Blueprint

The African American Financial Capability Initiative: An Implementation Blueprint from Prosperity Now was developed to advance funders, practitioners and community members’ understanding of the causes, consequences and remedies to African American financial insecurity.
IN THE NEWS
Big Ideas for Small Businesses
by Big Ideas for Small Businesses

This report provides a five-step roadmap towards a more inclusive, dynamic, and productive small-business sector. The authors break down the five steps into ten major policy recommendations with detailed policy proposals. While the federal government must take the lead for many of our recommendations, we also suggest how it can galvanize the full energy of public, private and civic institutions at the local, metropolitan and state level.
Poll finds broad, multi-racial support for policies to transform policing, economic inequities
by Prosperity Now

Majorities of Americans across racial and ethnic backgrounds support meaningful changes to policing, including requiring officers to live in the communities they police and involving community-resource workers in certain emergency calls, a new national poll found.
JPMorgan Chase and Prosperity Now Advance their Commitment to Address Racial Wealth Inequality During COVID-19 Pandemic
by Prosperity Now

Prosperity Now and JPMorgan Chase announced a $3 million commitment to partner with nonprofit leaders of color as they tackle social, economic, and political barriers that contribute to growing racial wealth inequality.
Insight Spotlight Series: What are We Learning Alongside Stewards of Equitable Health and Well-Being?
by Jane Erickson

In this first blog in the series, ReThink Health shares a bit about what guides their learning across three ongoing projects: Portfolio Design for Healthier Regions, Hospital Systems in Transition, and Amplifying Stewardship Together--along with key themes that are beginning to emerge.
Photo by Anna Earl on Unsplash
Wellbeing Economy Alliance

The Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) has developed a short policy paper on rebuilding to a wellbeing economy in the US. A large motivation for developing this policy paper is to connect and strengthen collaboration amongst the various organizations and initiatives that are working to build a more just and sustainable economy in the US. If you are willing to support building a wellbeing economy in the US please include your Name, Organization, Logo and a Link to your US recovery and/or policy initiatives in the google sheet

For an advance copy of the paper, contact Amanda Janoo, Knowledge & Policy Lead, WEALL at amanda@wellbeingeconomy.org
Thriving Together: Paula Morgen: Investment Portfolio
“We know now that we need to invest in some more of the urgent services. We know that the nonprofits in our community have greater demands and less dollars coming in.”

— Paula Morgen, ThedaCare and Imagine Fox Cities
Unfinished Live: Economy & Justice

Is capitalism working for you? For all? Can we reimagine a better economy? With Unfinished partner, Aspen Ideas, this series explores these questions and this moment with CEOs, workers, activists, artists, small business owners and social innovators, alike.
FALL WIN WEEK: RESILIENCE, RENEWAL, AND RACIAL JUSTICE
Join us for WIN Week!

November 16th - November 20th

In this watershed moment in our nation’s history, we invite you to join us for a week of building:

“Resilience, Renewal, and Racial Justice”

From building civic muscle for racial justice beyond the ballot box with the Center for Popular Democracy to conversations with the Surgeon General about the role of business in civic renewal and just society to playing a simulation game based on the Springboard about equitably advance thriving, civic muscle and justice together in our communities post-COVID, we invite you to join as we reflect and play, renew ourselves, and build our resilience and civic muscle to advance racial justice, well-being, and equity across generations.
Share the news!
Sample Tweet:

Join @network_win from November 16th -November 20th, 2020 for “Resilience, Renewal and Racial Justice.” Register here at http://bit.ly/fallwinweek2020 (FREE!) Let's renew ourselves and build our civic muscle together to build intergenerational well-being and equity. #WIN4Equity 
WE WIN TOGETHER RACIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY


Members of the WE WIN Together Racial Justice Community answer “Why now?” and what being in this community means for them. Watch here.
SPRING REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
The WE WIN Racial Justice Community provides space for individuals, communities, organizations, and coalitions to learn from one another as part of our racial justice journey.

We have two learning groups, Groundbreakers and Pacesetters, with the option to join both!

Together, we reflect and gather insight for addressing racism in workplaces and throughout life.

Register today for our Spring Semester (February - June) for you or your organization to join this community in transforming from within and together.
BRIGHT SPOTS
Commons Good 100 Million Healthier Lives Shannon Welch and Tricia Zahn

Listen in as Shannon Welch and Tricia Zahn share their experiences using the Community of Solutions Framework to create a culture of health and well-being; building capacity for measuring progress; spreading and scaling proof points; and connecting technology and other supports to navigate to the things that work and adapt as needed.
Photo by Imagine Water Works
Hurricane Response Through Mutual Aid
Three groups using mutual aid as a tool for natural disaster response

As climate change continues to produce more intense hurricane seasons, many communities have stopped relying on federal money, which is slow to arrive, and started looking to their neighbors for hurricane relief. Here are three groups using mutual aid as a tool for natural disaster response.
A Better Option for the Gig Economy

Voters in California have now decided whether Uber drivers and other gig economy workers should be considered employees or contractors—a question that’s been debated and litigated for many years now.

I believe there is a better way to marry flexibility with a livable wage.
Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty
Photo by April Buffington

How building wealth in Black communities in Louisiana means going into business

The LaMottes are Black Americans who invested in their own education and later decided to focus on building family wealth, with a social impact and inclusivity in the community.

"We are not just checking a box, we're all in," Kim LaMotte said.
Honoring Veterans by Providing Job Opportunities

As we recognize and celebrate our veterans on this day, the manufacturing industry honors the veterans that have been part of its workforce for years. 

But more work needs to be done to encourage employers to hire nearly 200,000 people each year that transition from military to civilian life. 
 Photo by Stephanie Klepacki on Unsplash
TOOLS TO BUILD WELL BEING
Recalibrating for Caregivers:
Recognizing the Public Health Challenge

This paper considers what will be needed to make the kinds of system-level changes to improve the health, strength, and resiliency of informal family caregivers. It outlines the current state of affairs for caregivers and proposes what is needed to move forward, acknowledging that there is not much bold, disruptive thinking currently taking place around how to best support caregivers.
Racial Equity Impact Assessment Guide

Race Forward’s Racial Equity Impact Assessment (REIA) is a systematic examination of how different racial and ethnic groups will likely be affected by a proposed action or decision. The REIA can be a vital tool for preventing institutional racism and for identifying new options to remedy long-standing inequities.
The Exchange 2020: Unifying Leadership

The Exchange 2020 tackled pressing concerns of racial equity, the global pandemic, and the most severe recession in the United States since the Great Depression. We identified systemic solutions that can emerge from these challenges to create transformational change. Explore select videos from the conference.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
SoLD Alliance


11/13 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET

To engage SNAC members, SoLD Allies, and interested field leaders in a national discussion about how the science of learning and development can serve as a driver for antiracism and dismantling systemic inequity in education and youth-serving systems through practice and policy changes.
NOSORH


11/18 at 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET

Join the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health @NOSORH for a Twitter rural health chat on November 18 to celebrate National Rural Health Day and discuss the social factors that impact health in rural communities, including how to identify and address SDOH to improve quality of life and the overall health and well-being of rural residents.
National Civic League


11/23 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET

The 2021 All-America City Award Theme is Building Equitable and Resilient Communities. Previous winning communities and our jury foreperson, Angela Romans, will be presenting on the All-America City journey with tips for applying, the types of projects submitted and an update on the benefits of winning the award.
Policy and Tools Corner

  1. Prosperity Now- Workplace Financial Wellness
  2. Prosperity Now - Advocating for Financial Security in 2020
  3. SHRM -Designing and Managing Wellness Programs
  4. Community Commons - Community Wealth Building Tools: Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)
WIN Cooperatives