Florida Prosperity Partnership

Composed of more than 140 organizational members throughout the state and the nation with a distribution list of almost 600 individuals, the Florida Prosperity Partnership is a member-driven organization with a united passion to improve the financial capability and prosperity of Florida’s vulnerable families using a holistic approach. Through the FPP’s extensive member network, they collaborate on innovative methods to leverage hard hit resources and achieve economies of scale.

The FPP works hard to provide tax-preparation in rural areas in Florida—especially along Florida’s panhandle. They also strive to attack hot-button issues such as lack of employment, lost jobs due to fall of real estate, tourism, building markets, lack of money management skills, and the high cost of housing.

The FPP is strengthening existing programs and promoting successful programs from other areas in addition to increasing our outreach and awareness efforts throughout the state by working through our member organizations to:

• Bring free income tax preparation to all low-to-moderate income Floridians (including Schedule C for small business owners) via counselors who use TaxWise, beehive, DeafTax.com, and other online programs

• Partner with financial institutions to deliver the message of the benefits of mainstream banking and rolling out the “Bank On” program throughout Florida

• Partner with “Ways to Work” national to bring this much needed reasonably priced automobile loan program to Florida communities to help people get and keep jobs

• Partner with elected officials to effect policy changes that benefit low income working Floridians

• Partner with funders, the FDIC, the University of Florida and other organizations with plans to bring a financial “Train the Trainer” program to Florida

Informally in operation since November 2008, FPP’s most successful program, Bank on Florida, held its first meeting December 2010 and by the end of December 2011, more than half of the 67 counties in Florida were involved in a local Bank On program in one way or another—this is arguably the FPP’s most successful program. Bank On helps facilitate fast start and capacity building for local initiatives.

In the future, FPP plans to partner with the University of Florida in order to create an online database, searchable at the county level that lists all free services throughout the state available to low-income Floridians. FPP appreciates how closely the NCTC works with the IRS and the U.S. Department of Treasury to effect changed they wouldn’t be able to achieve on their own.