The B.E.S.T. Project of the United Way of Big Bend

Since its inception in 2004, the United Way of the Big Bend’s financial empowerment program, the B.E.S.T. Project (Believe, Earn, Save, Thrive), has been working to help its community members capture their unclaimed EITCs.  In the 2005 filing year, the B.E.S.T. VITA sites nearly tripled their clientele outreach to 610 individuals, including low-to-moderate-income families and students.

Tallahassee Mayor John Marks and program partners thank B.E.S.T. VITA volunteers

B.E.S.T.’s mission to boost the financial literacy and well-being of its local residents through free education and trainings on credit ratings, home ownerships.  In addition, the program targets predatory lending and tax practices that prey on low-income individuals and families.  B.E.S.T. provides individuals the opportunity to ask for financial literacy advice from local financial institutions, thus empowering its local residents to envision improved financial health and independence.  Along with its free tax services, B.E.S.T. helps its clientele build assets so that they may purchase homes for the first time, send their children to college, or invest in their own small businesses.

Set in Florida’s capitol, this Tallahassee VITA site draws upon the nearby state and educational institutions for its numerous partnerships and volunteers, such as

• 2-1-1 Big Bend
• Capital Area Community Action Agency
• City of Tallahassee
• Internal Revenue Service
• Florida A & M University
• Florida State University
• Knight Foundation
• Legal Services of North Florida
• National Association of Black Accountants Tallahassee Chapter
• Tallahassee Community College
• United Way of the Big Bend
• Workforce Plus.

Ken Armstrong speaks about free tax services

Vice President of Community Development Susan Dunlap acknowledges that volunteers, in addition to its primary funders such as the Knight Foundation, are at the heart of the VITA program.   “We are fortunate to have two major universities (Florida A &M University and Florida State University) and an acclaimed community college (Tallahassee Community College) in Tallahassee and we get most of our volunteers through these educational institutions,” said Dunlap.  These volunteers dedicate themselves to hours of training and IRS certification to best serve their community members.

When it comes to funding, Dunlap says, “We don’t have many major corporations to assist with donations of funds and in-kind assistance/goods, so we rely heavily on our community partners.”

In addition to its mobile sites in Leon, Madison, and Taylor Counties, B.E.S.T. serves its constituent through stationary sites located in Leon County, Wakulla County, Liberty County, Jefferson County ,and Franklin County.

According to the IRS, the Tallahassee-based program tax-preparation volunteers helped their target clients Ken Armstrongreceive $515,148 in total refunds, $218,859 of which derived from the EITC.  Within just one year, the program increased total refunds issued by $319,799 and the EITC by $161,750.  With this money back in the hands of its residents, B.E.S.T. foresees a process of local economic reinvestment in the communities that it serves.

Ken Armstrong speaks about free tax services

With the rapidly growing success of the tax assistance program, Dunlap hopes to widen B.E.S.T.’s scope to encompass other asset building strategies.  “We are eager to add a banking component to our VITA program and to implement a financial education course and an IDA program to B.E.S.T., “said Dunlap.

Because of the B.E.S.T. Program’s VITA initiative, a single mother was able to claim the EITC for the first time and file amended returns for the prior years through VITA.  With this substantial refund, she was able to move out of her apartment and put a down payment on a house for her and her children.

Story by Flora Lerenman, photos from B.E.S.T.