Abundant Assets Alliance combines the resources of YMCA of the USA, YMCA Canada, and Search Institute -- three distinguished organizations with proven success in building strong kids, families, and communities. The alliance seeks to strengthen the capacity of YMCAs and the communities they serve to provide young people with the support and experiences they need to become healthy, caring and competent adults. Harnessing the power of extensive research on developmental assets -- the essential building blocks for human development -- the alliance partners have developed a holistic, systematic approach to improving young peoples' lives that involves the entire community.

YMCAs are collectively the largest not-for-profit community service organization in the United States. They are uniquely positioned to provide all young people with access to the developmental assets they need to succeed. These assets clearly demonstrate the important role families, schools, congregations, neighborhoods, youth organizations, and other community members play in shaping young people's lives. Hence, the alliance endeavors to form partnerships among national corporate and not-for-profit partners dedicated to strengthening the capacity of YMCAs and the people and communities they serve.
The Abundant Assets Alliance has three, broad, long-term goals:

1. To support the transformation of YMCAs into asset-rich resources by surrounding the children and teens within their sphere of influence with developmental assets. In an asset-rich Y, all staff and volunteers are trained and well-versed in assets, all youth programs are measured against the asset base, and all adult members are encouraged and empowered to act with care toward every child they encounter.

2. To better equip YMCAs in the role of catalysts and partners for community transformation. Having taken the first, essential step of becoming an asset-rich environment, YMCAs can then extend their scope to other groups in its community -- schools, places of worship, businesses, other not-for-profits -- creating a nurturing network through which all children and teens in the community can experience developmental assets. An example might be creating a communitywide plan for youth asset development.

3. To join with other organizations across the United States to influence social norms and policies for youth. By sharing emerging knowledge with other people, institutions and systems, YMCAs can contribute to the ultimate vision of a society where all young people have access to the developmental assets they need to thrive. Examples include lobbying government leaders to create laws and regulations that promote developmental assets and encouraging businesses to adopt work/life policies that are asset friendly.

To learn more about the Abundant Assets Alliance, visit www.abundantassets.org, or click on the link below.