While the progress of the IDA field to date has surprised even its most ardent supporters, its potential in the coming years is greater. We think this progress stems from two fundamental strengths: first, asset equity is an idea whose time has come; and second, individuals and institutions from all sectors of America have joined together to share their resources and knowledge and work creatively to develop an inclusive and mutually beneficial investment system. The lessons and information contained in this IDA Program Design Handbook are in large part drawn from the Down payments on the American Dream Policy Demonstration (the American Dream Demonstration, or ADD). ADD is the first large-scale test of the efficacy of IDAs as an anti-poverty/ economic independence tool.