This report is from MDRC and includes an evaluation of the Family Rewards cash transfer program in New York City, which began in 2007. The program offers cash rewards to specific family activities and outcomes to help families address immediate barriers but also to build human capital. Among the preliminary findings, researchers found that the program reduced current poverty and hardship, including hunger and some housing and health care hardships.

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal tax credit incentive that the Congress provides to private-sector businesses for hiring individuals from twelve target groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The main objective of this program is to enable the targeted employees to gradually move from economic dependency into self-sufficiency as they earn a steady income and become contributing taxpayers, while the participating employers are compensated by being able to reduce their federal income tax liability.

From the National Center for Children in Poverty, this report analyzes the effectiveness of America's work supports, such as earned income tax credits, public health insurance, child care assistance, and food stamps. For families, work supports can close the gap between low earnings and basic expenses, as working more does not always pay as families lose eligibility for critical supports.

Tax filing season is right around the corner. Outreach campaigns are underway, and some Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites across the nation will open their doors later this month. Attached is a sample article about EITC and free tax preparation for you to use in your next Grantee newsletter or weekly update.

The second Webinar in our EITC Series, this Webinar provided information on innovative EITC marketing and outreach strategies. Speakers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provided a comprehensive overview of marketing materials available through the IRS’s Stakeholder, Partnerships, Education and Communication Office. Additionally, speakers from Oregon offered information on how to successfully market an EITC campaign through strategic messaging for employees and consumers and how to conduct direct outreach through community events.

This documentary is from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and tells the stories of people who have struggled to overcome the effects of having a poor credit score or no credit history. Poor credit scores can affect the ability to obtain credit cards, loans, rent or lease a house or apartment, and obtain student loans. Around 70 million people have poor credit scores or no credit history, and experts estimate that a good credit rating will save the average borrower $250,000 in interest over a lifetime. The purpose of this documentary is to raise awareness on credit reports and scores to help policymakers and stakeholders support individuals who find themselves in such situations.

Widely praised for its success in supporting work and reducing poverty, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has grown to be one of the most successful and universally acclaimed provisions of U.S. domestic policy. In fact, several expansions in the late 1980s and early 1990s turned the EITC into the largest Federal aid program targeted to the working poor. Due to the potential impact of the EITC to support families in poverty, the Welfare Peer TA Network conducted a Webinar Series beginning January 6, 2010 on the EITC to give state agencies strategies for setting up a local or statewide coalition and to provide participants with strategies for improving outreach and marketing to and participation of TANF participants in the EITC program.

Twenty-five percent of eligible families do not claim the EITC refund, and outreach to eligible families could help to claim nearly $6,000 in EITC refunds. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has published a Money Talks Tax Credit Outreach Kit.

This article is from the Urban Institute, and authors review the role of assets in supporting families in times of crisis, such as job loss or health problems. Assets can be an important safety net to help maintain family wellbeing during such times. Researchers find that all families, regardless of income, experience material hardship after a negative event. However, asset-poor families experience more hardship than non-asset-poor families.

The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network (WPTA) offered technical assistance to the Georgia Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Asset-Building Planning Meeting with the primary purpose of bringing together EITC coalitions in the State of Georgia to talk about coming together with other organizations to form a cohesive statewide coalition of organizations and agencies. Welfare Peer TA brought together local EITC coalitions in the State of Georgia to brainstorm ideas about creating a statewide coalition, establishing a plan for the group, and developing initial plans for a broader meeting to be held in spring 2010 to kick-off the statewide group. The Coalition’s long term goal is to ultimately work together to implement initiatives in underserved areas.