Organization: San Diego Foundation
Type of Organization: Community Foundation
Geography: Place-based San Diego
Funding Category: Awareness & Outreach, Communications, Community Organizing and Infrastructure (Capacity-building)
Why is your organization funding tax systems work? San Diego Foundation envisions a just, equitable and resilient region and supporting our local tax system plays a key role in providing opportunities for our community to thrive. By helping families claim their full tax credits and refunds, we’re working to strengthen financial stability in our underserved neighborhoods and ensure everyone can access the tax benefits they’re entitled to. We know that many families in our region encounter many barriers to accessing tax assistance including financial, physical, cultural, and language among others. The work we support is aimed at removing those barriers so our families in most need can have the resources to pay for their basic needs like food and housing.
Can you share an example of your work in action? Our work in the local tax system in San Diego started in 2021 through aligned funding with The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Tax Equity Funders Network with the goal of increasing access to the expanded Child Tax Credit by leveraging the expertise of community health workers/promotoras as trusted messengers providing outreach, education and access for families.
Since then, our work has evolved into providing over 30 free, mobile, and community-based tax preparation events throughout the county, serving communities in more than 15 languages during the tax season. We’re able to accomplish this through our grantmaking partnerships with United Way of San Diego County who leads our local Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition, VITA volunteers, and local CBOs who host the mobile events onsite. Leveraging each other’s strengths, our efforts have led to over $3 million in tax refunds and credits back to community members.
Who can I contact to learn more? Please contact Allan Gamboa at [email protected]