The Ohio Benefit Bank News and Updates

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The Ohio Benefit Bank transforms communities. On June 23, 2011, we announced that our network had potentially returned more than $500 million in work supports and tax credits to Ohio’s communities. In September 2012, we surpassed the $750 million mark! Watch a video about how far we have come since launching in 2006.

A Study on the Impact of The Ohio Benefit Bank

The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University conducted a study on the impact of The Ohio Benefit Bank. We commissioned the study thanks to funding from The Columbus Foundation. The study found that more than 50 percent of OBB users surveyed would have been “unlikely” or “very unlikely” to apply for benefits without The Ohio Benefit Bank. The results also showed that 83 percent of OBB users surveyed experienced either “good” or “excellent” customer service from The Ohio Benefit Bank. Read the executive summary, or view the full report.

Tax Assistance Capacity Building Grants

This year, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks (home of The Ohio Benefit Bank) awarded Tax Assistance Capacity Building Grants to 43 organizations serving 58 counties in Ohio. Thank you to all of the organizations that applied throughout the state; the work you do in your communities is outstanding!

2013 Tax Clinic Kit Now Available

We are encouraging all of our tax sites to think about hosting a free tax clinic this year! Tax clinics are a great resource for working families because they usually occur on the weekend and offer a lot of appointment slots. Just think: if you hosted a tax clinic on a Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., you could offer five 1.5-hour appointment slots with a 30-minute lunch break for your volunteers. With five tax counselors, you could file taxes for 25 families in one day! Our tax clinic can help you plan, advertise, and carry out your successful tax clinic, large or small. Get started today!