was formed in the fall of 2001 to employ strategies to help working families in Baltimore maximize their financial opportunities and resources. The campaign is the work of a coalition that includes foundations, nonprofits, community-based organizations, workforce development agencies, Baltimore City government, the Internal Revenue Service, and hundreds of volunteers. The campaign focuses on “making work pay” by leveraging the tax code as a gateway to financial services for working families.

The campaign:

• Conducts marketing and outreach about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other relevant tax credits for low-income workers
• Provides free volunteer income tax assistance (VITA)
• Connects clients to asset building resources, including financial literacy classes, one-on-one financial coaching, and mainstream banking opportunities
• Advocates for issues impacting working families

For the 2008 tax season, the Campaign prepared over 14,000 tax returns at 20 VITA sites, claiming more than $19 million in state and Federal tax refunds and saving families tens of thousands of dollars in tax preparation fees. Since 2001, the Campaign has helped City residents claim over $59 million in total federal refunds and over $26 million from the EITC!