Too often the foundations working on equity and the foundations working on policy are not in the same rooms sharing analyses and strategies.
In 2019 EOF and the EITC Funders Network launched a discussion group on equity, tax policy and community engagement to provide a platform for funders to share strategies, questions and learnings. Building off the connections and learnings of this working group, and with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, we began to explore additional opportunities to support the connection of economic policy and engagement funders. This resulted in a series of activities including:
- A landscape analysis in of key civic engagement funders, donor tables, and grassroots networks funding strategies around building an equitable economy;
- A conversation for Florida funders to begin to connect the dots across their work to improve economic security and discuss strategies for building more impactful partnerships; and
- The commission of two case studies on successful EITC campaigns in New Mexico and Washington and an infographic on how policy and grassroots funders can come together to build ecosystems that advance economic opportunity.
Additional conversations in Florida and other select states are antcipated in 2022.
September 2021 Webinar for Florida Funders
EOF, the EITC Funders Network and Florida Philanthropic Network hosted a conversation with Florida funder colleagues in September 2021 to explore strategies to connect policy advocacy and grassroots engagement to create ecosystems of change. In this session, we began to connect the dots across our philanthropic work to improve economic security through advancing tax credits for workers and discuss strategies for building more impactful partnerships.
Case Studies
Two case studies were commissioned by the EITC Pooled Fund to examine how partnerships between grassroots and policy funders bolstered successful Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) campaigns in New Mexico and Washington state. Since 2012, the EITC Pooled Fund—which seeks to improve efforts to protect, expand, and create new state and federal EITCs, Child Tax Credits, and other tax credits—has periodically funded New Mexico’s campaign to improve the credit.
New Mexico
Washington
Infographic
We created this infographic to help funders identify the various strategies that help build and strengthen a flexible and robust ecosystem for economic security policy change, including tax credits. Questions listed at the bottom of the infographic are intended to help you consider how your funding connects to other funders’ strategies as you work collaboratively to align and build strength.
