In celebration of the Corporation For Enterprise Development's (now known simply as cfed) 25th Anniversary, for the first time five organizations or individuals were honored with the prestigious distinction of Asset Innovators. The awards were bestowed upon pioneers who have shaped the field of asset development and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).

The World Institute on Disability's Access to Assets Program was the final recipient among the five illustrious award winners at a luncheon held at the annual CFED IDA Learning Conference New Orleans, LA on September 22, 2004. New CFED president Andrea Levere introduced Kathy Martinez, WID Deputy Director, who accepted the award. Here are some excepts from her acceptance speech:

It is estimated that 20% of the U.S. population has some type of disability. Even after all the ramps, Braille on elevators, and telephones with amplifiers, people with disabilities remain on the margins of the margins, the poorest of the poor…especially if you are a woman or person of color. Our remaining barriers are largely invisible: low expectations, myths, stereotypes, and lack of information. The public understanding of the concept of disability is still confused with illness, dependency, and inadequacy. On behalf of our disabled brothers and sisters who dare to get off benefits, who dare to escape the cycle of poverty and are determined to become financially literate, build assets, and enjoy economic prosperity, we accept this award.

Dede Leydorf, our former Project Manager, worked tirelessly to build bridges between asset building and disability communities. It was largely through her dedication and hard work that we have received this award. With your support, confidence, we will all work together to build even stronger bridges so that more people with disabilities can reach and attain financial security, contribute to our communities and participate in the American Dream

Among the other recipients were:

• Center for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University, the leading academic center of theory and research on asset building, i.e., strategies that promote saving and investment (in contrast to income and consumption). CSD's founding director, Dr. Michael Sherraden, introduced as concept of asset building for people of low incomes with his seminal book "Assets and the Poor: A New American Welfare Policy" in 1991.

• Ray Boshara serves as current Director of the New America Foundation's Asset Building Program and was previously the Policy Director at CFED. He is widely published in the field of asset building and has testified before Congress, advised both the Bush and Clinton Administrations, as well as leaders in Europe, on asset building policies.

• Community Action Project of Tulsa County (CAP), lead by Executive Director Steven Dow, operates one of the country's largest single-site Individual Development Account programs through the CFED-sponsored American Dream Demonstration. CAP is active in a wide range of issues affecting low-income and continues to push the boundaries with innovative new technologies and advocacy work.

• Center for Venture Philanthropy's Assets for All Alliance is a collaborative that includes nonprofits working with low-income individuals, Lenders for Community Development, Citibank, and a host of funding partners. The Alliance is committed to the documentation and dissemination of its effective practices. A cornerstore of that sharing is the IDA Collaboratives Toolkit, which provides many practical tools for building and maintaining a successful IDA program.

With over 800 attendees, this year's conference was the largest in history. The enthusiasm and atmosphere of hope for the expansion of the field of asset building was readily evident. The three days were marked with inspirational and challenging speeches at the Plenary sessions, great Cajun/Creole food and music at nightly receptions, and insightfully, diverse workshops and time-to-talk sessions during the day. From those new to the concepts and programs of asset building to stalwart veterans, every participant left New Orleans with a new or renewed commitment to fighting poverty in the United States.