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MISSION

Building community to end poverty through intentional friendships, personal transformation, and systemic change led by the people closest to the challenge.

VISION

All individuals live in equitable, thriving communities where poverty no longer exists.

“Circles is one of the best models for long-term poverty reduction I have ever encountered. It sets up a new dynamic that puts the families who want to become economically stable in the driver’s seat rather than being viewed as clients choosing predetermined options. All involved create a community conversation to reduce poverty regionally.”

— Lynette Fields (Executive Director of Poverty Solutions Group)

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Circles  USA Annual Impact Reports

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“In 2023, we strengthened our offerings and tools to support our chapters wherever they are in their journey, whether just launching, serving their first cohort of Circle Leaders, supporting multiple cohorts, or even expanding into multiple locations.  So this has been a year of deepening and expanding Circles, not only in what we do as a successful anti-poverty initiative but in understanding who we are and what we really do. Circles USA is a teaching organization offering the model, the messaging, the coaching, and the support for the community of practice to do the work.  2023 has given us great clarity around what’s ours to do and what’s next for Circles USA.”

— Kamatara Johnson

(Circles USA Executive Director)

Circles reports chapter results at individual and community levels. Participants steadily grow skills and income, decrease dependence on public assistance, and expande resources and support networks. At the community and national levels, Circles USA connects diverse peoples across class lines and ideology, changes attitudes about poverty, and contributes to policy change.

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​Circles USA collects participants’ survey data prior to the start of the initiative, after training, and then every six months during the initiative. Longitudinal data is collected at 24, 36, and 48 months.​

Case Studies

Denny, Justin, Brian Garvey, Lenie Nguyen, and Abia Sebaka. “Poverty Reduction and Determinants of Health.”

Journal of Poverty, January 13, 2024, 1–14.

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Public health professional students at the University of Western Australia (UWA) Sebaka and Nguyen, along with UWA Associate Professor Denny, analyzed multiple years of Circles USA data and found significant income growth for participants. The UWA research team, along with Garvey (an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University), synthesized this data into a new resource for academic and independent sector workers in poverty alleviation.

Office of Family Assistance Brief:

“Social Capital Initiatives

To Achieve Employment Goals”​

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In 2019, Circles USA was featured as an innovative strategy for TANF programs in a brief from the Administration For Children & Families’ Office of Family Assistance This brief was part of the Office of Family Assistance’s Emerging Practice Series,  highlighting how TANF agencies and their partners are helping low-income individuals gain and sustain meaningful employment.

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