Friday, April 19, 2024
4/19/2024
United Ways of California (UWCA) is the state association for 30 local United Ways, of which 17 run or support Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs in 33 counties and conduct culturally and linguistically competent outreach to help individuals and families claim the state and federal Earn Income Tax Credit (EITC) and reach financial stability. The EITC has the potential to significantly increase the household income for the poorest working families and reduce their risk factors for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Preventing ACEs has been shown to lower risk for depression, asthma, cancer, and diabetes, as well as reduce risky behaviors like smoking and heavy drinking. Preventing ACEs can improve educational and economic potential and stop ACEs from being spread to the next generation. Nationally, United Way organizations are the largest providers of VITA services, and we have been active for years in outreach and education around EITC. By leveraging the knowledge, experience, infrastructure, and "trusted messenger" status of our local United Way organizations and county-based partners, UWCA will conduct EITC outreach in communities across California, targeting those most at-risk for ACEs and within Opportunity Zones. UWCA's multi-sectorial subcontractor partners will integrate EITC outreach into already existing programs targeting these populations in collaboration with their own local, multi-sectorial networks involving schools, non-profits, county programs, and other trusted community partners. The innovation this project promises is to use our existing automated text messaging system, our website MyFreeTaxes.org, and the data provided by our subcontractor partners to track consumers' progress after receiving outreach from our subcontractor partners. By tracking consumers as they move through the system, conducting follow-up surveys, and randomized control-trial testing, we will determine which of our networks' long-used outreach strategies are most effective and cost-effective, and we will also learn how and when automated text messaging can help people to claim the EITC. Lessons learned from this project will inform the broader strategy of United Way organizations as we continue to be leaders in providing VITA and outreach around EITC and other tax credits. UWCA, as a major United Way state association, is well-positioned to share our findings with journals, policymakers, United Ways, and other nonprofit partners across the state and nationally. We have experience publishing and promoting reports --like our annual Real Cost Measure study, which regularly gets media coverage-- and we have experienced communications and advocacy staff ready to share our findings. Because our experienced network of partners, employees, website, and text system are already established and functioning, we will render the above-described services in a highly cost-effective and dependable manner. Our conservative estimate is that outreach funded by this project will result in 3,279 filers claiming EITC over three years, receiving a total of more than $7,649,207 in EITC credits. Our project will not only increase EITC claims and reduce longterm risk factors for the target population, it will create formalized and long-term changes in how multi-sectorial partners promoting EITC and VITA perform outreach collaboratively and take ACEs into account. The result will be sustained improvement of ACEs protective factors among the most vulnerable populations and a stronger, more effective, and more culturally sensitive program model for future outreach.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
