How to Join Ways to Work

Local Ways to Work loan programs are administered exclusively through Ways to Work, Inc.’s sister organization, the Alliance for Children and Families, a nonprofit membership organization representing an impressive number of more than 350 family serving and economic empowerment organizations in the United States and Canada.

The Alliance for Children and Families provides services to nonprofit child and family serving and economic empowerment organizations. Motivated by a vision of a healthy society and strong communities, the Alliance for Children and Families works to strengthen America’s nonprofit sector. Any private, nonprofit human service organization providing services to children, families and communities is eligible for full Alliance membership. The Alliance’s membership includes both religiously affiliated and secular nonprofit organizations.

A Ways to Work loan program can be an important resource to a local community. A membership in the Alliance for Children and Families can provide a critical strategic advantage and opportunity for a nonprofit organization. Indeed, membership offers a nonprofit organization the Ultimate Agency Advantage.

As stated by Dan Magnuson, Executive Director – The Counseling Center of Milwaukee and an Alliance member, “The Alliance is a lifeline to the bigger picture and a practical resource for making it through the day-to-day demands of nonprofit human service life.”

The following is an overview of the key components necessary to develop and implement a Ways to Work program.

Identify Community Need
An analysis is conducted to determine the level of community need and to outline a local business plan for the Ways to Work program. The national office of Ways to Work, Inc. works in partnership with nonprofit organizations to determine the level of community need.

Clarify Organizational Readiness
Careful assessment of organizational capacity is a critical component to a successful program.
Key elements include:

• Management Capacity
• Program Funding
• Partnerships
• Community Resources

Program Implementation
The national office works in concert with nonprofits to develop, implement and oversee loan programs under the umbrella of the national office.

The following is an overview of the Program Operational Model.

Ways to Work, Inc. facilitates the replication of the loan program across the nation by helping Alliance for Children and Family member organizations establish loan offices. Additionally, Ways to Work, Inc. provides comprehensive (initial and on-going) oversight and support to loan offices.

Roles and Responsibilities

Loan Office

The Alliance member organization administers the local Ways to Work loan program.

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Administers the program using the national guidelines
• Responds to inquiries
• Distributes applications
• Conducts applicant interviews
• Obtains and verifies application documents
• Provides financial literacy training to applicants
• Develops and maintains a community-based, volunteer loan committee, which approves or denies credit requests
• Sends written notifications of approval or denial to applicants
• Coordinates loan closing and servicing efforts with national headquarters
• Provides ongoing client support
• Establishes and maintains a loss reserve

National Headquarters

Supports loan closing and servicing with these key components:

• Harland Financial Solutions, one of the leading providers of technology to U.S. financial institutions, provides loan documentation compliant with the lending laws of all 50 states.
• Metavante Corporation, one of the leaders of data management services and infrastructure for the global banking industry, provides data management and reporting systems.
• M&I Corporation, an account servicing, payment processing and documentation management contractor, is the behind the scenes servicing partner.
• Dedicated, experienced loan processing and portfolio management staff at the Ways to Work national office.
• Loans funded with Ways to Work capital.

Please contact the Business Development Coordinator toll free at (866) 252-7171 or bizdevelopment@waystowork.org to learn more about joining Ways to Work and the Alliance for Children and Families.