Approach
What even is “Generational Wealth”? From the beginning, we found that it meant something different to everyone. So we gathered local community and organization leaders to create a clear definition and to think through what it means for a program to truly be a “Generational Wealth” program. Participants also helped us determine what questions would be most impactful to ask during our research and what metrics the City should track.
Research
Between June and September 2022, we conducted 27 interviews across 15 City departments. Using what we learned from community, we created an interview guide and research questions that allowed us to standardize cross-departmental information but also be flexible in conversations.
Outcomes
We wound up with a deep understanding of how wealth-building programs work, their challenges and achievements, and the obstacles and benefits program participants experience. Based on our criteria co-created with community, the City of Seattle can now confidently say it is investing in 23 BIPOC generational wealth programs across 8 departments. More importantly, Seattle is now equipped to approach this effort in new and more effective ways. TVA is continuing this work in 2023, co-creating a system for both the City and CBOs to track impact and shift their strategies based on community needs.