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EITC Funders Network eNewsletter
Issue 39 I June 2018
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Dear EITC Funders Network,
As you may know, under a newly proposed federal regulation,
immigrants seeking to enter the U.S. (often to reunify with family members) or seeking their lawful permanent resident status could be denied if family members, including U.S. citizen children, receive a broad range of public benefits for which they are eligible under federal law.
These new
"public charge" rules
are not yet final and may shift before being officially proposed for public comment. However, if implemented, the potential impact on many low-income immigrant families and their children could be devastating, and it is essential that advocates and funders are aware and prepared to respond.
Some background: The proposed rule is based on century-old immigration policy that requires immigrants seeking legal status to prove they will not be a "public charge" by becoming dependent on the government for support. Some groups of immigrants - for example, refugees and asylees - are not subject to the "public charge" determinations, but most seeking admission to the U.S. or applying for lawful permanent residency would be affected by the new regulation. Under current law, only two types of public benefits can be considered during a "public charge" assessment - cash assistance and institutionalization for long-term care. Under the proposed rule, however, DHS/USCIS would be allowed to
consider a much broader array of services and benefits including the EITC
, health programs like CHIP and ACA marketplace credits, nutrition programs like SNAP and WIC, and housing assistance.
Over the last few years, the EITC Funders Network been partnering with
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrant and Refugees (GCIR)
on issues at the intersection of tax credit access and immigration status, and we have been monitoring the recent developments in this space. Navigating the tax code as an immigrant is already a difficult process.
Immigrant
tax issues in 2018
include the ITIN renewal process, uncertainty over DACA, and child tax credit restrictions for immigrant children. And now this "public charge" proposal would penalize legal immigrants for claiming the EITC.
In this month's "Interview with a Funder," we asked Laura Speer about the reasons why The Annie E. Casey Foundation is engaged in the 'public charge' issue, the Foundation's plans to submit comments, and other ways funders can support immigrant families and children. Laura has generously offered to be a resource for funders considering submitting public comment. And we, at the EITC Funders Network, will continue to monitor the proposed rule and other threats to the well-being of immigrant families and children.
Sincerely,
Ami Nagle, Coordinator
EITC Funders Network
919-493-4393
ami@eitcfunders.org
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- Laura Speer, Associate Director, Policy Reform and Advocacy at The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Are you working in partnership with a public sector partner on free tax preparation services and EITC outreach? Would you be interested in joining us for a strategy session on how funders are thinking about this work?
Click here to tell us more
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 Interview with a Funder
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Laura Speer, Associate Director, Policy Reform and Advocacy
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
We recently spoke with Laura Speer, Associate Director of Policy Reform and Advocacy at The Annie E. Casey Foundation about the proposed
"public charge" rules
; why foundations should pay attention to this rulemaking process; and how funders can support immigrant families and children in a shifting policy landscape.
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News from the Field / Research News
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EITC POLICY
Enacting and Expanding State EITCs to Advance Equity
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JustSouth Index Map
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The Jesuit Social Research Institute at Loyola University has released its
second annual JustSouth Index
examining three dimensions of social justice and equity across all 50 states: poverty, racial disparity, and immigrant exclusion. The report finds that states in the Gulf South - Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas - continue to rank at the bottom of the list across nine indicators representing the distribution of wealth, opportunity and privilege. The authors of the report name state EITCs as a potential solution, in addition to increasing wages and assistance programs, in raising families out of poverty. Louisiana is currently the only Gulf State with a state EITC, the authors note, but state EITC programs "generally have bipartisan support, are easy to administer, and nearly every dollar a state spends on its EITC program goes to working families who need help." Download the full report or access the Indicators Map for all 50 states.
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OUTREACH & FREE TAX PREP:
Free Tax Prep in Health Clinics Shows Promising Results
Building on the research showing that EITC receipt is associated with improved child health, a
new study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics evaluated the financial impact, assessed use, and accuracy of free tax preparation services in clinics serving low-income families in Boston. The
StreedCred program. provides free tax preparation to families in a trusted setting, their pediatrician's office, returning over $1.6 million to over 700 families during the 2016 and 2017 tax seasons. The study showed that StreetCred was associated with both increased tax filing rates and knowledge of the EITC. The researchers noted that free tax services in urban clinics are " a promising, feasible financial intervention to increase tax filing and refunds, save fees, and link clients to the EITC."
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BENEFITS ACCESS:
When Student Borrowers Lose Tax Refunds and the EITC
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From NCLC, "Voices of Despair"
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A new report from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) -
Voices of Despair: Student Borrowers Trapped in Poverty When the Government Seizes their Earned Income Tax Credit - examines the consequences of the legal process of the federal government seizing tax refunds and EITC payments from tax payers who have defaulted on student loans. The report shares borrowers' stories and lifts up some of the common themes from those whose tax refunds were confiscated. Borrowers, for instance, reported that losing their tax refund impacted their ability to pay rent and utilities and to pay for necessities for themselves and their children.
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FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT:
CFBP Seeks Comments on Financial Education Programs
An important part of the mission of the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is to enhance financial education and capability, protecting consumers in the financial marketplace from childhood to retirement by arming them with information and tools to navigate consumer and financial choices. The agency is currently seeking comments to help the Bureau assess the effectiveness and efficiency of its consumer financial education programs.
Submit a formal comment by July 9, 2018.
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Upcoming Network and Sister Affinity Group Events
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SAVE THE DATE
Advancing Racial and Gender Equity Through the Tax Code -
Tax Credits and Beyond
A Funder Convening at the 2018 Prosperity Summit
September 6, 2018 * 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745
How do tax policies and related programs intersect with racial, gender, and immigrant justice? How are states and localities building on tax credit successes and responding to the urgency of the tax changes brought on by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act? How can philanthropy - funders focused on equity and those focused on economic mobility - work together to promote more inclusive and equitable tax policies that help build prosperity for all?
Join the EITC Funders Network, the Asset Funders Network (AFN), Closing the Women's Wealth Gap Initiative, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), Grantmakers Income Security Taskforce (GIST), and the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) at the 2018 Prosperity Summit
for a unique funders-only opportunity to explore the linkages between the tax code and racial and gender equity. This invitation-only briefing will contextualize state and federal tax policy shifts, provide lessons learned from the field, and foster the opportunity for peer-to-peer learning, collaboration, and action planning.
Prosperity Summit conference registration is not required for this funder meeting, but we encourage you to take a look at the full
Prosperity Summit agenda.
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More details on the funder meeting coming soon.
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GCIR Co-Sponsored Webinar:
Guide to the New 'Public Charge' Rules: What is Public Charge and How Can Organizations and Funders Respond to Support Family and Child Well-Being?
April 19, 2018
A young mother who receives food through WIC. An ailing grandfather who gets government support to pay his heating bill. A couple whose children receive vital medical care via the Affordable Care Act. These are just a few of the countless foreign-born individuals who, under a newly proposed federal regulation that expands the definition of 'public charge,' could be blocked from obtaining a visa or permanent residency status due to accessing programs that support the health and well-being of their families.
This policy change, which is currently under review by the Office for Management and Budget, aims to curtail family immigration by punishing low-income families for participating in health and social services for which their children are eligible. If enacted, families would be forced to choose between fundamental needs, like food and health care, and their future in this country.
April's edition of GCIR's
Monthly Immigration Policy Calls provided an in-depth review of this regulation, explored the meaning of 'public charge,' and highlighted how a campaign, "
Protecting Immigrant Families, Advancing Our Future," is uniting a cross-sector of key national, state, and local level organizations to protect and defend access to health care, nutrition programs, public services, and economic supports for immigrants and their families.
Co-sponsors:
Children, Youth & Family Funders Roundtable, Colorado Association of Funders, Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, EITC Funders Network, Forefront, Funders' Committee for Civic Participation, Funders for LGBTQ Issues, Grantmakers Income Security Taskforce, Grantmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington, Hispanics in Philanthropy, Human Rights Funders Network, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Neighborhood Funders Group, Northern California Grantmakers, Peace and Security Funders Group, Philanthropy New York, San Diego Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers, United Philanthropy Forum
Asset Funders Network Co-Sponsored Webinar:
Moving Beyond Financial Education: A Grantmaker's Guide to Investing in Impactful Financial Capability Programs
April 11th, 2018
Click here for webinar materials and accompanying report
For decades, we believed in Francis Bacon's declaration that "knowledge is power" when it comes to increasing financial health. Now we have ample evidence that financial education alone is not powerful enough to change behavior. So, what works?
On April 11th, the Asset Funders Network, along with MetLife Foundation and Common Cents Lab, hosted a one-hour webinar,
Moving Beyond Financial Education: A Grantmaker's Guide to Investing in Impactful Financial Capability Programs to learn how to identify, assess, and invest in interventions that are designed intentionally to shift financial behaviors using behavioral economics principles.
Asset Funders Network and GCIR Webinar:
Advancing Economic Opportunity for Immigrants and Refugees
March 21st, 2018
Across the country, immigrants and refugees serve as a catalyst for community revitalization and an engine of economic growth. While newcomers possess an entrepreneurial spirit, they often have limited access to asset building products and services, and many first and second-generation Americans struggle to achieve long-term financial stability.
Asset Funders Network (AFN) and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) presented a one-hour webinar,
Advancing Economic Opportunity for Immigrants and Refugees, on March 21, 2018 with Dr. Manuel Pastor, Director of University of Southern California's Program for Environmental and Regional Equity and the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. Dr. Pastor shared key findings from research commissioned by AFN and GCIR, and two experts from the field shared lessons and best practices emerging from their work at this critical intersection.
EITC Funders Network Webinar:
Tax Credits after Federal Tax Reform: What's Ahead for the Federal EITC and State Tax Credits
March 8th, 2018
On March 8th, 2018, the EITC Funders Network hosted our annual policy webinar focusing on last year's progress in the states, novel state approaches to creating more access to the EITC, and what's ahead for the federal and state tax credits in the wake of changes to the federal tax code.
The webinar provided an overview of current EITC policy pushes, background on last year's innovative campaigns to expand access in Oregon and Massachusetts, and information about what's ahead for the federal and state tax credits in 2018.
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An Invitation to Participate in a Strategy Conversation on Public-Private Collaborations
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Are you collaborating with your city, county or state on EITC outreach or VITA programs? Would you like to talk with other funders working with public sector partners?
Around the country, states and localities are strategically investing in EITC outreach efforts and in the support and expansion of free tax preparation services. Similar to the multiple forms this public support can take, philanthropy's contribution to and role within these efforts varies. Factors such as capacity, geography, and the particular needs of local or state campaigns all play a role in the funder's approaches to public-philanthropic collaborations.
We want to hear from you! Are you working in partnership with a public sector partner on free tax preparation services and EITC outreach? Would you be interested in joining us for a strategy session on how funders are thinking about this work?
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About the EITC Funders Network
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The EITC Funders Network brings together funders interested in the Earned Income Tax Credit, free- and low-cost tax preparation, and asset building. The Network seeks to increase awareness of EITC-related projects, foster collaboration, share information about the current status of EITC-related work, and help shape the future of the field.
The EITC Funders Network is generously funded by:
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Entergy
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Anonymous
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