Sarah Norman, Director of Healthy Homes & Communities, NeighborWorks America
Leah Ettman, Senior Associate of Health & Wellness, National League of Cities

The winter holidays and the start of school are times when expenses can suddenly spike. Many low- to moderate-income families are unable to cover them, turning instead to expensive, predatory payday, auto-title or similar loans. Clearly, a safe alternative is needed.

The regular, thorough organizational assessments required of all nonprofits wanting to become and stay members of the NeighborWorks network is daunting. There is no denying it: The process requires significant staff time and is both demanding and rigorous. But it is a compelling point of differentiation for funders and policymakers, and many organizations have discovered a variety of internal benefits that have made them champions of the requirement.

Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most celebrated groundhog, scurried back into his tunnel Feb. 2. According to folklore, that means winter will continue for six more weeks—continuing a season that included a “bomb cyclone” that, in many areas, was the most frigid stretch of weather surrounding New Year’s in recorded history.

Access to broadband internet is fast becoming a predictor of whether you are on the “have” or “have not” side of the American wealth divide. If you can’t access high-speed internet regularly and don’t know how to take advantage of it, you probably won’t do as well in school, won’t know about good available jobs and won’t be able to get those jobs if you did.