Awe.  

That is the word that comes to mind when I look back at this past year at Prosperity Now.  

Coming back from 3+ months of parental leave (shout out to Prosperity Now’s workplace benefits and policies!), 2022 felt like my first full year at this incredible organization. And what we, with our partners and leaders in our movement, have accomplished is remarkable. Here are just the top 10 highlights, though we could’ve included 100 more!  

We engaged thought leaders to open discussions on how targeted universalism can help close the racial wealth gap. Together with Nonprofit Quarterly and experts, we called for strategic thinking to close the racial wealth divide and understood the need to go beyond equity. We explored how we achieve equity amid differences and honed in on lessons learned from universal banking in the Mississippi Delta. We highlighted ways to forge pathways towards Native financial sovereignty and took a whole person approach to wealth building for entrepreneurs of color. And finally, we reimagined a new normal and a new America with truly universal prosperity. 

We’ve been (and will keep!) pushing for Baby Bonds legislation across the country to ensure a brighter future for all. Together with the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School, we released a report on how states and cities should invest in our kids and by extension, our families and held a dynamic virtual event with a special message from Senator Cory Booker, all with the goal of engaging advocates and policymakers on how that investment gets us closer to racial economic justice. All of this culminated in a 2023-facing tool -- a comprehensive tool to help legislators design and include Baby Bonds legislation for their specific state and localities in their 2023 agenda.  

We published a TON of evidence and research that supported our charge to transform our economy into one that is just, fair, and free from structural racism. We shared lessons learned from supporting families in East LA with basic income to meet emergency needs due to COVID-19 -- outlining recommendations for agencies to continue this. We marked a MAJOR milestone with 1.2 million children and youth with Children’s Savings Accounts (CSA), and shared trends among CSA programs across the country. We explored job quality in Latinx & Black-owned small businesses to help inform small business practices and capacity-building support we offer to entrepreneurs of color. We called out the white supremacy that fuels exclusionary zoning practices designed to perpetuate the racial wealth gap. And we confronted how Black and Brown communities are most impacted by climate change yet are also excluded from innovation opportunities to combat it and to participate in the climate economy. 

We launched the #BuildBackforJustice Campaign to ensure all families can thrive. We hosted 3 days of action to declare: building back for justice means a future where all of us – whoever we are and however much money we have – can thrive, build wealth, and prosper. With this campaign, we continue to call for investments in the most basic resources for children and families – especially in BIPOC communities. That means making sure everyone has a roof over their head and the necessary supports to raise kids. And we’ll continue to demand Congress #BuildBackforJustice in 2023 and beyond! 

We held the 5th year of Camp Prosperity. We came back for another year of “summer camp” -- an annual 3-part virtual learning session aimed at local advocates, service providers, and practitioners interested in engaging in advocacy to strengthen financial security for the communities they serve. This year, we explored federal, state, & local advocacy in an election year, equipping advocates with the tools they need, and reimagined strategies for community-driven solutions. If you missed it this year, make sure to mark your calendars for Summer 2023!  

Two words: Prosperity. Summit. We held our biggest and boldest Summit yet, convening 1,200 changemakers for racial economic equity in Atlanta, GA. For three days, we brainstormed and planned the way forward for our movement, danced the night away in a historic and beautiful venue, and reaffirmed our shared commitment to racial economic justice for all.  

We made investments into Black wealth data as a major tool in the fight to close the racial wealth gap. With Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, we launched the Black Wealth Data Center – a resource that will equip researchers and advocates with the evidence they need to advocate for solutions that will remedy racial and economic injustice.   

Our big goal: 1 million BIPOC entrepreneurs. We partnered with Avanade to design a project aimed at disrupting the current system that disproportionately marginalizes Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and AAPI folks – all with the goal of generating sustainable, long-term wealth in communities of color. 

TikTok, the clock is ticking, and we need prosperity for all, NOW. We officially brought Prosperity Now to TikTok to engage a new generation of changemakers in our fight for an economy that works for all, and the occasional dance trend, of course.  

We’re turning the tax system right-side up by refunding BILLIONS of dollars to taxpayers. Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, we refunded $2.8 billion to clients – and through our advocacy work, have played a part in sustaining funding. The VITAL work of lifting up VITA continues!