IRS – Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication is Connect America Partner of the Year

(Washington, D.C.–August 5, 2005) — The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network presented the Connect America 2005 Partner of the Year Award to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication (SPEC) today at the Washington Convention Center, in conjunction with the 2005 National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service.

Richard Morgante, Commissioner of the Wage and Investment Division, accepted the award on behalf of the community based partnership model linking Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) outreach and free tax preparation to asset building strategies for low-income families. To date, more than 290 local EITC partnerships or coalitions have been developed. For filing season 2005, IRS partners filed over 2 million tax returns for this target population free of charge. Additionally, these efforts have provided millions of low-income families valuable information on refundable credits available to them through the tax code and have linked thousands of families to asset building opportunities.

SPEC's outreach programs are geared to help low-income, elderly, disabled, and limited English proficient individuals and families. SPEC develops free tax preparation services for these groups under the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs.

As a member of Connect America, IRS – SPEC program has collaborated with many Connect America Partners, including AARP Tax Aide, America's Second Harvest, Salvation Army and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

“We at the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network are excited that Connect America chose the IRS – SPEC program as this year's Partner of the Year,” said Robert K. Goodwin, president and CEO of the Foundation. “The Foundation has had an opportunity itself to collaborate with the IRS – SPEC program on connecting Volunteer Centers with local EITC programs and coalitions. We are also looking forward to collaborating on a new program of the Foundation's that will engage adults with disabilities, especially veterans, in service to address economic challenges faced by disabled adults, as well as the economic challenges facing individuals and families in low-income communities.”

Connect America's annual Partner of the Year Award , established in 2000, highlights the outstanding performance of Connect America National Partners and the Partner's success in employing the Connect America mission and vision to achieve their own organizational goals.

Connect America, a program of the Points of Light Foundation, is a network of diverse national organizations (businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies) working together to leverage volunteering and other resources to increase individual and collective impact on communities. Connect America has the capacity to reach all Americans through the local affiliates, chapters, members and volunteers of the more than 90 national partners. Shell has sponsored Connect America since its inception as the inaugural leadership company and continues its support through active involvement as a member of the Connect America Partner Council.

For more information about Connect America visit www.ConnectAmerica.org.

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The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization, supports and organizes the vital work of community volunteers who help solve serious social problems by bringing people and resources together. The Foundations bolds knowledge, skills, and programs for volunteers to succeed, and provides leadership to mobilize volunteers in thousands of local communities across the country. For more information, call 202-729-8000 or visit www.PointsofLight.org.