Our free tax sites open the door to programs that empower people to improve their finances.  In addition to saving families hundreds of dollars on tax preparation, our sites connect low-income families with programs that can help them start saving, go back to school, get a good job, buy a first home or start a new business.”

- Kelly Batson, a director of United Way’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, which kicks off its 10th year in the Bay Area today.

The Earn It! Keep It! Save It! coalition provides free tax preparation at more than 200 Bay Area locations to households that earned less than $50,000 in 2011. To find a tax site, call 211 or visit www.EarnItKeepItSaveIt.org.

Last year, the program prepared taxes for nearly 60,000 families and helped bring back $63.8 million in tax refunds back into our community. That money gets spent locally, helping generate economic growth, jobs, and a stronger tax base.

Read the press release.

Sparkpoint le ofrece recursos comunitarios gratuitos para que su familia pueda crecer y prosperar.
(SparkPoint offers free community resources so that your family can grow and prosper.)

The financial well-being of the Bay Area nonprofit sector – and the clients it serves – continued to erode in 2010, according to United Way’s ninth annual Bay Area Nonprofit Pulse Survey. The survey of 232 Bay Area nonprofit organizations reveals that the recession’s lingering effects forced agencies to cut staff and services in order to survive.

When asked if they are observing signs of recovery among their clients, 53% stated that their clients are faring worse, compared to 45% in 2010.  Demand for services continues to surge, with 62% of nonprofits reporting an increase in demand last year. Of that group, 45% indicated they had to turn clients away, unable to meet the increased demand.

“The economic downturn has had a drastic effect on our organization,” said Tempi Priestly, CEO of Renaissance Parenting Success, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that works with at-risk youth.  “We have had to lay off people instead of hiring much needed staff to support our programs.  Our goal is to always provide the highest quality service, therefore, our staff is working extra hours without pay. These same employees have already undergone severe pay cuts.” 

Fifty-four percent of survey respondents indicated that revenues declined in 2010, with 38% stating their organizations’ revenue dropped by more than 10%. Straining under year-after-year drops in revenue, 33% of nonprofits are concerned their organizations may cease operations this year.

“The recession has severely compromised our community’s safety net,” said Anne Wilson, CEO of United Way of the Bay Area. “The Bay Area residents who were hit hardest by the recession will need months, even years to fully recover and get back on their feet.  To ensure local nonprofits can serve these mounting needs, it is so important for everyone to step up and support the nonprofits that serve our community.”

Read the full press release.

The next time you watch ABC-7 TV, keep an eye out for the new series of 10-second MAKE IT BE public service announcements (PSAs). 

MAKE IT BE is a movement of Bay Area citizens and organizations committed to building the vibrant communities we all want to live in.  Get started by declaring your vision for our community at www.makeitbe.org.

Click on the video below to see the “Green” PSA.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click below to view the other PSAs on YouTube:

• “Blue” PSA 
• “Orange” PSA

Summer is almost here!  Parents and caregivers can call 211 to obtain information about summer programs for kids throughout the Bay Area, including day camps, residential camps and therapeutic camps for children with disabilities or specific health conditions. 

211 can also connect parents and caregivers with information about youth employment and internship programs, volunteer opportunities, and child-care resources to keep children safe, busy and productive this summer.

Residents who can’t dial 211 can call 800-273-6222 to reach the 211 call center in their area.  For the hearing impaired, dial 415-808-4440 (TTY) or 711. 

Learn more about 211 at www.211BayArea.org.

Photo courtesy of Mike Baird via Creative Commons license.