One Economy Corporation
Date Initiated: August 2001

Low-income communities often participate in economic systems that are isolated from the mainstream. With no checking accounts or equity-building assets, they often end up paying five dollars to cash a twenty-five dollar check, and borrow money at up to six hundred percent against future paychecks. These individuals are trapped in a cycle of perpetual poverty.

In an effort to end this cycle and under Markle's Domestic Digital Divide Initiative, Markle teamed up with One Economy, a national non-profit organization that uses affordable housing as a delivery system to provide low-income and low-literacy individuals with the information and tools they need in order to help them overcome economic and social divides. Using the area of online financial services as a model, Markle assisted One Economy in developing a scalable, comprehensive network of low-income housing landlords who provided at-home Internet access to their residents. The goal of this project was to encourage commercial interests to create products and services for underserved communities, by illustrating that providing necessary information, goods, and services to underserved areas can be good and profitable business.

Part of this endeavor enabled One Economy to develop their online financial services concept. Under this project, One Economy and Markle conducted a feasibility study with low-income residents in order to understand the types of services that are most needed, and subsequently drafted a plan for partnership development. The project worked to specifically help One Economy identify resources that can help underserved communities connect to key financial services that will allow them to save and manage their money and create financial literacy.