Wayne County Asset Building Coalition

A Volunteer Asset Building Organization

Running a free tax and asset building organization is hard even with full-time, paid staff members. Detroit’s Wayne County Asset Building Coalition (WCABC) has managed to run a large and successful tax and financial program for the last 8 years without a single paid staff person or even permanent office space. WCABC’s programs depend completely upon volunteer staff and donated resources.

A County-Wide Effort

Wayne County Asset Building Coalition is truly a county-wide effort. Wayne County Asset Building Coalition (WCABC) was first formed in 2001 as the Greater Detroit Community Tax and Financial Education Coalition. WCABC was one of 18 coalitions in Michigan formed with the help of Michigan’s Governor, Jennifer Granholm, and a $5,000 mini-grant. Governor Granholm was approached by the IRS with the idea of forming coalitions in Michigan as a good service delivery model for free tax assistance. Governor Granholm worked with Lt. Governor Cherry, the Michigan Department of Human Services, and the IRS to help develop WCABC.

Downtown Detroit.

WCABC is now made up of 15 committed individuals who either volunteer their own time, or have their time donated by their employers. In addition to donating staff time, many organizations, corporations, and government agencies donate space and resources to help run the coalition. WCABC is co-chaired by Rebecca Carlice-DeLoof and Connie Austin-Gentris. Rebecca’s time is donated by the Michigan Department of Human Services. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Detroit Branch also donates the time of a staff member. In addition, they cover the costs of printed materials for WCABC. The Wayne County Michigan State University Extension donates space for WCABC’s monthly meetings. Several area churches, credit unions, local Weed and Seeds, and banks provide space for events and tax sites. The Wayne Metro Community Action Agency provides space, computers and volunteers, and the IRS helps to train tax volunteers.

WCABC’s Three-Pronged Approach

WCABC feels that in order to really improve the financial well-being of a client, you need to reach them in three ways: 1) educate them about financial literacy; 2) help them build assets; and 3) provide opportunities to help them keep more of their own money. To help clients keep more of their money, WCABC provides free tax preparation services for low-income taxpayers, and they also use the tax sites to connect clients to other money-saving opportunities.

VITA Program

With the help of partner organizations and donated space, WCABC has run a very successful Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program since 2001. This year, WCABC will have 12 permanent tax sites and an additional 10 mobile or temporary sites. This represents amazing growth over the 3 sites they had when they started back in 2001. WCABC finds that their mobile and temporary sites are always the most popular. Organizations and corporations enjoy hosting a tax site for one day, and the people in the area like the convenience of having mobile tax sites visit their neighborhoods.

Meeting a Growing Need

Each year they have operated, WCABC has steadily added a few more tax sites. Rebecca Carlice-DeLoof predicts that this growth trend will continue well into the future. Despite all of the work put in by WCABC’s volunteers, the need in the area continues to grow as the economy declines.

Rebecca believes that, in addition to preparing clients’ taxes, it is important that WCABC use the tax sites to connect their clients to other services available in the community. Free tax preparation helps taxpayers to keep their own money – one of the three prongs of WCABC’s service approach – but WCABC feels that it is important to look for additional ways to help them keep even more of their money. Ms. Carlice-DeLoof says, “If you don’t have to spend it, that helps you keep it.”

Linking Clients to Other Community Services

To achieve this goal, WCABC invites other organizations who provide community services to come to their tax sites and reach out to their clients. Angel Food Ministries often tables at WCABC’s tax sites. They can provide clients with a week’s worth of nutritious food that will feed a family of four for a mere $30 – much less than that family would spend at a grocery store. The Wayne County Foreclosure Department also tables at WCABC tax sites. Foreclosure counselors are there to talk to tax clients who are in danger of losing their homes. These counselors can work with the bank to help mitigate the foreclosure and renegotiate mortgages.

The local Taxpayer Advocate also comes to many events, and helps taxpayers navigate problems they have had with their taxes. In addition, if a taxpayer is in default on a loan or their mortgage, but they have a tax refund on the way, the Taxpayer Advocate will call the bank or the holder of the loan to try and negotiate a grace period for repayment, based upon the anticipated refund.

Client Story: Rethinking Debt Repayment

The Taxpayer Advocate has been an important partner for WCABC. Many clients have no idea of the services offered by the Taxpayer Advocate. It is a relief for many to find out that someone is there to work on their behalf.

Robert was afraid to file his taxes, because he owed back child support, and knew that the government would requisition his tax refund. He felt there was no point in filing if he would not see the money. The Taxpayer Advocate changed his mind. She explained that Robert could view filing his taxes as a way to pay back that debt. As long as he kept up with his current payments, the amount he owed would be reduced each year by his tax refund, until he no longer had child support debt. By keeping current on his payments, and working to repay his debt, he could also avoid arrest and prosecution.

Robert’s heart and mind were changed. He agreed to file his taxes, and to keep doing so each year until his debt is repaid. Not only does Robert benefit, but his children benefit as well. This is a win-win situation for all involved.

Looking to the Future

Rebecca Carlice-DeLoof is proud of the work that Wayne County Asset Building Coalition has been able to do in the last 8 years on a shoestring budget with volunteer staff. It has been hard to find the space and the volunteers, but the reward has been worth the challenge. Ms. Carlice-DeLoof is hopeful about the future. She feels that, with a committed community and strong partners, WCABC will continue to grow and to increase the amount of clients they are able to serve. With the current economic climate, the services of WCABC will be more needed than ever.