Over 2.5 billion people worldwide are unbanked and lack access to formal savings opportunities. While they find informal ways to save, such as saving at home, these options are unreliable and insecure. Matched savings programs aim to address this by providing accessible, incentivized and commitment-based savings accounts with matching donor contributions. SaveTogether profiles existing successful matched savings programs and savers to promote these solutions and create opportunities for everyone to save and invest in their future. Early results show 380 members and $28,000 raised in matching funds to distribute to savers.

1. Beyond Credit: The Role of Savings in Microfinance Dylan Higgins dylan@savetogether.org Twitter: @SaveTogether Facebook: SaveTogetherOrg April 28, 2010

2. The World’s Unbanked Worldwide: 2.5 billion unbanked United States: 9 million unbanked Washington State: 103,000 Seattle: 52,000

4. Managing life’s risks – medical emergencies

5. Paying for life-cycle events – weddings, funerals

7. Susus

8. ROSCA (Rotating Savings and Credit Association)

9. ASCA (Accumulating Savings and Credit Association)

11. Matched Savings – How It Works Federal Monthly Deposits = Non-Federal Saver sign-up with CBO, establishes savings goal and asset target Donors make matching contributions (public and private) Saver invests in asset Total to Invest: $4,500 Saver’s Funds: $1,500 Matching Funds: $3,000

13. Ready to Scale – Nearly 20 years of operations. 500+ programs, over 73,000 accounts

14. Proven Success – program success, long-term savings, responsible asset purchases, behavior changes

17. Partnering with 6 matched savings programs, profiling 30 savers

18. 380+ members

19. $28,000 in matching funds raised and ready to be distributed to successful savers“I hope we'll be just as excited about helping people save as we are about helping people spend” – Sandy Stonesifer “I believe in a community that provides everyone with incentives and opportunities to save for the future” – Donna, SaveTogether donor

20. Beyond Credit: The Role of Savings in Microfinance Dylan Higgins dylan@savetogether.org Twitter: @SaveTogether Facebook: SaveTogetherOrg April 28, 2010