Recognizing the historic impact the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) have had on reducing poverty in families across the country, community foundations are stepping up to ensure access and availability for years to come. Here’s how:
1) Helping Eligible Families Get Access to Tax Credits
EITC Funders Network has selected 24 community foundations to receive grants through the Community Outreach and Opportunity (CO-OP) Fund.
The CO-OP fund was established to support community foundations working to ensure that as many families as possible receive the full CTC and EITC benefits they are eligible for, as quickly and as easily as possible.
These community foundations will be working with community partners to connect to the hardest to reach families and communities in the regions they serve:
- ACT for Alexandria
- Albuquerque Community Foundation
- Central New York Community Foundation
- Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
- Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
- Community Foundation for Muskegon County
- Community Foundation for Northeast Florida
- Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
- Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
- Fairfield County’s Community Foundation
- Legacy Foundation
- Lincoln Community Foundation
- New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
- Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation
- Oregon Community Foundation
- Placer Community Foundation
- Southwest Initiative Foundation
- St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation
- The San Diego Foundation
- Whatcom Community Foundation
- Richmond Community Foundation
- The Chicago Community Trust
- The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia
- The Miami Foundation
The CO-OP Fund is generously supported by a number of charitable foundations including Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, the Rockefeller Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
2) Advocating for Tax Credit Expansion
Community foundations across the country are advocating for the expansion of the CTC and EITC, which are part of the pending federal budget reconciliation.
Hats off to the six community foundations that participate in the CFLeads Economic Mobility Action Network and led an effort to send a collective message to Congress emphasizing the importance of expanding the CTC and EITC:
- Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
- Foundation for Louisiana
- Greater Cincinnati Foundation
- The Chicago Community Trust
- The San Francisco Foundation
- Southwest Initiative Foundation
With a quick turnaround, these additional community foundations signed on to endorse this game-changing legislation:
- Arizona Community Foundation
- Black Belt Community Foundation
- Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque
- Community Foundation of Greater Flint
- Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
- Greater Milwaukee Foundation
- Oregon Community Foundation
- The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
To read the letter, click here.
Resources
This CTC/EITC resources page includes helpful toolkits and resources for philanthropy looking to engage their communities around these important tax credits. Plus, a new ITEP report shares state-by-state data on the EITC and young workers.
Get Involved
CFLeads is coordinating a group of community foundations that have come together to support federal legislation to expand these important tax credits. Please contact Leonard Brock at CFLeads if you’d like to join in on this collective advocacy!
