Earn Well Financial Stability Initiative
Help Low-Income, Working Families Get More from Their Tax Returns
You can help low-income, working families get more out of their tax returns by volunteering to provide free IRS-supported income tax assistance. You'll get free training as an income tax preparer, or you can volunteer to do something else.
You'll be part of the volunteer team at one of the free tax preparation centers funded by United Way and operated by Catholic Charities from January 28 through April 17.
The centers enable families who make less than $50,000 a year to get their taxes done for free and help them claim all available tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). They are part of United Way's "Earn Well" initiative to help more low-income working families in Tarrant County become financially stable.
Watch how volunteers make a difference (video).
Sign up here to register for volunteer training.
Volunteer Jobs
- Child Watch: Supervise children whose parents are on-site receiving assistance with their tax return.
- Intake Specialist: Greet clients and provide them with appropriate forms and information, verify required documentation and inquire about a client’s interest in other benefit programs.
- Tax Preparer: Assist in preparation of current year tax return and answer tax-related questions.
- Quality Reviewer: Review tax returns for accuracy and completeness and make corrections as necessary.
- Benefits Specialist: Assess clients’ need for additional services and help them enroll for those services.
- Interpreter: Assist in language translation.
Many households don’t know the government offers Earned Income Tax Credits and other benefits such as child and education tax credits to provide extra cash for families struggling to make ends meet. Other people don’t know how to go about claiming them.
EITC dollars claimed through the free tax preparation centers increased from $894,000 in 2010 to $1.77 million last year. Besides providing extra money for families, EITC dollars boost the local economy as they circulate through the community.
Our Vision
Tarrant County will be a place where children, individuals and families thrive, where neighbors care for each other and where people willingly share the responsibility of ensuring a safe and healthy community for all.
Our Mission
To improve lives across our diverse communities by:
- Prioritizing needs in education, income and health
- Forming innovative and effective partnerships with other organizations
- Strategically raising and investing resources to make lasting change
Our Diversity Statement
United Way of Tarrant County values and seeks diversity by respecting the knowledge, abilities and experience of all individuals. Our commitment is to support an inclusive environment reflecting our United Way communities and accomplishing our mission.
