Since 1996, the Points of Light Foundaton & Volunteer Center National Network has worked to expand the understanding of the role volunteering plays in strengthening families and promoting family economic success. To further this goal, the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network is pleased to announce the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) & Asset Building Initiative, sponsored by Capital One Financial Corporation.

The EITC is the largest federal antipoverty program for working families and individuals in the United States. The purpose of the EITC & Asset Building Intiative is to fully maximize the capacity of the EITC as a poverty reduction tool and a basis for asset development for working families whose incomes fall below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, while simultaneously offering meaningful opportunities for volunteers to serve their communities.

This intiative addresses the important role that volunteers and Volunteer Centers play in maximizing the capacity of the EITC to serve as a tool for building self-sufficiency. Through a competitive grant process, 10 Volunteer Centers have been awarded grants to develop local programs and strategies to initiate, strengthen and expand local EITC and free tax preparation campaigns through the effective mobilization and management of more and better volunteers

Key anticipated project outcomes include:

• Increased recruitment and placement of volunteers serving in free tax preparation sites
• Improved volunteer management capacity of local community tax coalitions and partner agencies
• Improved management and training of volunteers serving in free tax preparation sites, leading to more tax returns filed, with more tax dollars returned to communities
• Increased participation in free tax preparation services and asset building opportunities and an increase in EITC dollars returned to local communities