EITC Funders Network eNewsletter
Issue 50| March 2021
A Note from the Coordinator
Dear EITC Funders Network,
As we all continue to work through the uncertainties, hurt & adjustments that come with life during a pandemic, 2021 has provided us with some reasons to hope! Vaccines in arms, re-openings and forward progress in tax policy are all underway.
 
Over the past year, the field has had several victories related to the expansion of State EITC across the country. Expansions have occurred in California, Colorado, and New Jersey. Expanding the EITC to ITIN filers is also now being considered by the Maryland legislature. In Illinois, a new outreach effort is underway to ensure more eligible families claim the EITC. It is clear, momentum is building across the country for access to and expansion of the EITC.
 
Here are some worthwhile reads on the expansion of the EITC:



    
This is our 50th edition of this newsletter! So much has happened in the world of EITC since we began sending it out. Stay tuned to our website and your email for more information about how this network will be supporting EITC awareness and access in rural communities. In the meantime, take a look at our new infographic to learn more about how EITC impacts rural families. Let us know if you have an interest in being a part of these conversations.
 
Thank you for your continued membership in the EITC FN and supporting work to expand access to the EITC across the country. We look forward to continued partnership with you.
 
Sincerely,
 
Ami & Deneisha
EITC Funders Network
Click the image or here to view a recording of the video

Our New Predatory Practices Page

Predatory Practices often take advantage of poor people and perpetuate cycles of poverty. We have launched a new page on our website to share information and resources.

Take a look at it here and share it widely. 

Interview with a Field Leader


The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF®) is devoted to developing a brighter future for millions of children at risk of poor educational, economic, social and health outcomes.
Leslie Moore
Senior Policy Associate

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has been a leader in the field for many years. They are currently unveiling a new body of work related to young adults and tax policy. We are thrilled that Leslie Moore has agreed to share more about this innovative approach to poverty reduction for this edition of Interview with a Funder.
What does the Annie E. Casey Foundation hope to accomplish with its new body of work related to youth and young adults? 

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is especially concerned about the millions of young people who struggle to succeed in school, find good jobs, achieve financial stability and meet their basic needs. In addition, youth of color, who make up nearly half of today’s young people, often face discriminatory policies, practices and institutions that can thwart their success. Investing in and advancing effective programs and policies to help young people can change the trajectory of their lives and prevent lifelong problems. The Foundation is leveraging its expertise and partners to support youth in forging their own paths — and identifying solutions that enable them to overcome the challenges they may encounter on the road to adulthood.

Over the next decade, the Foundation is dedicating at least half of its investments to improving the well-being and prospects of youth and young adults. Working together with young people, the Foundation seeks to ensure they have the family connections, relationships, communities and educational and employment opportunities they need and want to be able to Thrive by 25.


News, Research & Resources from the Field
NYT Opinion: What Canceling Student Debt Would Do for the Racial Wealth Gap

“One of the quickest ways that President Biden could begin to fulfill his promise to Black America, without needing to wait for Congress, is to cancel all federal student debt through executive action.”

Policy Brief: States Can Learn From Great Recession, Adopt Forward-Looking, Antiracist Policies
"State economies and communities thrive when public investment in the foundations of broad prosperity unlocks the potential of every person and when structural barriers erected by racism and discrimination are knocked down."

Policy Brief: State EITC Programs Provide Important Relief to Families
"This brief documents state reductions in poverty—both overall and for children specifically—in those places that have fully refundable EITC programs. Additionally, we perform analyses by population subgroups and also estimate the hypothetical reductions in poverty if states without an EITC adopted one."

Read the brief here
State & Local Innovations
More Help on the Way in California
Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a COVID-19 relief package that includes direct $600 payments to households claiming the state EITC in 2020 and to state ITIN filers who were unable to receive federal stimulus checks. Read more about the relief being provided here.


Bipartisan Approval in Iowa's State House
The Iowa State House recently approved a legislative package that tackles child care access and affordability in the state. The package includes doubling the income cap for the state CDCTC to $90,000. Learn more here.


Expansion Success in Maryland
Maryland’s refundable EITC will increase from 28 percent to 45 percent of the federal credit and 100 percent of the federal credit for filers without dependent children over the next three years. This expansion will make Maryland’s EITC the most generous in the country. Read more about this exciting news here!

In addition, the Maryland General Assembly has passed legislation to expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to taxpayers using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) and created a state Child Tax Credit for families earning $6,000 or less with a child with disabilities.


In Wisconsin's 2021-2023 Biennial Budget
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced that his 2021-23 biennial budget incorporates a major initiative to support care for children and elderly or disabled adults, including creating a state-level nonrefundable Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and (CDCTC) and investing over $200 million to create a Caregiving Tax Credit to help families cover child care and caregiving expenses. Learn more here.


Congratulations to all of the advocates who made these wins happen!
Upcoming Field Events & Announcements
EITC Campaign Fund Awards
$740,000 to Six States in 2021

The State EITC Campaign Fund has awarded $740,000 to organizations in six states to help create, defend, expand, or modernize state EITCs during the upcoming legislative season.

Awardees include:

Read more about this work here.


The Impact of the EITC on Health Outcomes Roadshow

The EITC has substantial, positive impacts on health outcomes. The EITC Funders Network is working to build connections between EITC and health funders.

Are you interested in learning more about how the EITC impacts health outcomes and the work of economic security and health funders to build strong outreach and engagement programs?

You can now request an EITC FN Roadshow. Invite your guests and let us put together a presentation for you! For more information, contact Ami Nagle at anagle@eitcfunders.org.
Economic Opportunity Funders Network is hosting their Annual Budget and Tax Briefing Series

"Public budgets are one of the most important policy instruments of our government. They are moral document that reflects our values and priorities through decisions on how to tax residents and businesses and spend these collective resources. These decisions impact what families have to spend on basic needs and invest in their future, define the size of the government and its role in the national economy, and affect the lives of all Americans."

EOF hosts an annual Budget and Tax Briefing to provide funders and philanthropic advisors with a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss why federal and state budget and tax work matters to national, state and local philanthropy. The first session Federal Policy, Budget and Revenue Outlook
takes place on April 8, 2021 from 1:00 – 2:15 PM ET.


Visit the EOF Annual Budget and Tax Briefing series page for more information.
About the EITC Funders Network
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 Piton Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation
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