RealSense Prosperity Campaign, Jacksonville

April 2005

On December 23, 2003 the Mayor of Jacksonville, Fla., announced the birth of the RealSense Prosperity Campaign led and managed by the United Way of Northern Florida.

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton addresses RealSense volunteers

This coalition of companies, agencies, and other organizations, focused on bringing a portion of the approximately $10 million in unclaimed Earned Income Tax Credits to Northeast Florida and the people who have earned them.

By early March in its second tax season the Campaign had already beaten last year’s total returns by 25 percent. Working closely with the IRS the Campaign has been able to create a network of pre-existing VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites as well as new tax preparation sites, 65 in all, under one managing body.

Previously, the sites combined returns from 2002 were under one-half million dollars but by the end of the 2003 tax season they had increased that number more then three fold, obtaining over $1.6 million in Earned Income Tax Credits for the residents of Northern Florida and the greater Jacksonville area. Kaye Schmitz, the Project Director at RealSense attributes this success to the for-profit and non-profit organizations of the area and nationally who helped fund the program, as well as the centralized management and its effectiveness in mapping out the area and placing income tax preparation sites where they were most needed.

In addition to free tax preparation, the Campaign supports financial literacy and asset building. At their sites they offer Money Smart packets to clients. Money Smart is a program designed by the FDIC that includes not only information on how to manage ones personal expenses, but also ways each individual can improve their credit ratings and acquire property.

Community outreach is also a key component of RealSense, which focuses its efforts on making itself visible to people who are being helped as well as the people that are capable of helping others escape their poor financial situations.

Targeting local businesses such as hospitals, chain grocery stores, and a large gas company whose employees range from minimum wage janitors to high income professionals, they have seemingly created an effective solution for solving the economic problems that confront individuals in their area. They educate low-income people on how to manage their finances more effectively so that their lives improve. They demonstrate to high-income people that the stronger individuals are financially, the better the local economy will be. It is in the self-interest of local businesses to fund programs that promote these ideas to low-income tax people because the end result will be a greater prosperity for all due to an increase in local spending. RealSense have over 60 partners and work closely not only with the Jacksonville’s Mayor’s office but the Chamber of Commerce and City Council as well.

“I’m hoping to double the numbers of last year’s refunds this time,” says Kaye Schmitz, who is just as optimistic about this year’s tax season as the ones to come. Last year they were able to provide Spanish speaking assistance to three of their four major tax sites, but she hopes that soon they with be able to deal with Spanish speaking filers at two-thirds of their locations. Schmitz explains that the remaining one-third does not require this type of service according to the demographics of the area.

Real Sense has been brainstorming ideas about mobile tax sites similar to meals on wheels that would be able to cater to those who were not capable of reaching the centers. In the not so distance future they also hope to incorporate touch screen filing systems at their tax sites so that one volunteer can prepare multiple returns which will enable centers to assist more clients.

Funding for the Campaign comes from major corporations such as Bank of America, Wachovia and Washington Mutual. Foundations such as the Ford, MacArthur, North Dade Medical and Edyth Bush also provide funding. The recent contribution of $10,000 to the Campaign by the National Community Tax Coalition and the U.S. Department of Administration for Children and Families has been used to support a radio advertising campaign capable of reaching over 100,000 people. The remaining portion of the money will be used to hold end of tax-season events for volunteers.

The RealSense Prosperity Campaign is a prime working example of a tax assistance program that already shows positive results in its sophomore year. The support for this group in the area is a testament to its importance and effectiveness which the Campaign hopes to see recreated throughout the country wherever new tax preparation and financial assistance programs are created.

 

Written by Liam Maier, a native of Sherman, Conn., who currently serves in Americorps*NCCC. After six weeks in Chicago with the Center for Economic Progress, Liam’s team moved to Denver to serve the remainder of their term with the U.S. Forest Service as firefighters.

Photo credits: RealSense volunteers by Aron of Head Shots Portrait Studio; Americorps*NCCC team by Liam Maier.