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$1.83 Million in Northwest Area Foundation Grants Bolster Green Jobs, Native Leadership, Asset Building and Public Policy Work

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (May 11, 2011) – Some low-income, working families are eligible for tax credit money from the Internal Revenue Service, but many aren’t aware of it.  Northwest Area Foundation awarded a grant so the two in 10 families that currently don’t claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) will collect that refund. Some may be eligible to receive up to $5,657 for tax year 2010 depending on family size. The Foundation’s grant of $125,000 to AccountAbility Minnesota (AAM) will support free tax preparation services in 2011 and 2012 to help connect struggling families to tax refunds, money that may boost personal assets above the poverty line. AAM also partners with banks and credit unions to offer financial services, like free savings accounts and low-cost prepaid debit cards, which are available to families regardless of their banking or credit history. These products are aimed at creating more savings, less debt and better credit.

This support to AAM is among 50 grants totaling $1.83 million the Foundation made between October 15, 2010 and March 31, 2011. The grants support efforts to increase wealth among people with low incomes, develop leadership skills, and to shape public policy. These efforts are critical to reducing poverty long term.

“The best path out of poverty is to increase household income, so families can get beyond the paycheck-to-paycheck struggle and start building long-term assets. We are investing in programs to create living wage jobs, increase financial security, support small businesses, and improve policies that are barriers to prosperity,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation.

Among the other grants are:

•Enterprise Cascadia (formerly ShoreBank Enterprise Cascadia) of Ilwaco, Wash. received $125,000 for the Community Power Works Community Power Works program in Seattle that offers energy-saving home improvements and creates living wage jobs in the budding green energy sector. Enterprise Cascadia will establish a lending pool to enable disadvantaged and start-up businesses to participate in weatherization contracts offered through the city of Seattle.
•CFED (Corporation for Enterprise Development) of Washington, D.C. received $250,000 for the Building Financial Assets in the Northwest project to promote small business development, provide business assistance, and advance policies that will help low-income businesses succeed.
•Native Americans in Philanthropy of Minneapolis, Minn. received $100,000 on behalf of the Native Youth Leadership Alliance to support the Tribal College Students Project, a program that develops student leaders with skills to initiate economic development in their Native communities.    
•Mountain States Group, Inc. of Boise, Idaho received $100,000 to establish and support the work of the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) in Idaho. The SFAI is committed to in-depth analysis that will inform the development of tax and budget policy, with a focus on the needs of low- and moderate-income families.

For a complete list of Northwest Area Foundation’s grants, visit www.nwaf.org/content/firstqgrants.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by people, organizations and communities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Foundation’s service region includes urban, rural and American Indian reservation communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, served these states. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.