Columbus, Ohio – Governor Ted Strickland, together with The George Gund Foundation and the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, today launched an effort to enhance and expand the Ohio Benefit Bank, a web-enabled, counselor-assisted program that helps low- and moderate-income Ohioans identify available benefits while filing their taxes.
A $150,000 grant from The George Gund Foundation will help the Ohio Benefit Bank expand its mission of allowing low- and moderate-income Ohioans to electronically file their income taxes while gaining access to credits and benefits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, food stamps, child care subsidies, home energy assistance and children’s health insurance at the same time.
Many Ohioans who are eligible for these services do not take advantage of the benefits. Currently, nearly $1.5 billion in credits and benefits are not claimed each year in Ohio. Federal money accounts for 77 percent of these unclaimed funds.
The Gund Foundation grant will fund the training of Benefit Bank counselors and the establishment of 50 additional Benefit Bank sites in Greater Cleveland. Cuyahoga County currently has 11 Benefit Bank locations.
“The Gund Foundation’s grant is an excellent opportunity to expand Benefit Bank services to people throughout Ohio,” Strickland said. “This outreach will make Ohioans in need more aware of where they can turn for help.”
The Ohio Benefit Bank, in a partnership with the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and faith-based and community organizations and public agencies across the state, operates more than 200 Benefit Bank sites in Ohio.
A Benefit Bank counselor works with individuals in breaking down barriers and providing the support and information needed to determine eligibility and complete applications for services.
The Benefit Bank’s success is grounded in a high return on investment. In the past year, the Ohio Benefit Bank has assisted clients from low- and moderate-incomes in claiming more than $4.5 million in credits and benefits. Nationally, Benefit Bank sites return an average of more than $500,000 in credits and benefits per site. In turn, clients move out of poverty into self-sufficiency and generate economic activity in their communities as a result of their increased resources.