PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) and Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation (Scattergood) today announced that they are seeking proposals from Philadelphia-based community organizations for grants to conduct grassroots outreach to maximize the number of households claiming the newly expanded federal Child Tax Credit.
The American Rescue Plan increased the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child for children over the age of six, and from $2,000 to $3,600 for children under the age of six. The IRS will pay half the total credit amount in advance monthly payments of $250 or $300 per child from July through December. Households can claim the other half in early 2022 when they file their 2021 income tax return, or the full amount if they did not receive monthly payments in 2021.
Mayor Kenney’s office estimates that if every eligible Philadelphian receives the credit, it could lift an estimated 75,000 Philadelphians out of poverty and cut deep child poverty in half. Many Philadelphia households are at risk of not receiving the Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments because they did not file taxes in 2019 or 2020 due to having little or no income. Recognizing this opportunity, the City has dedicated additional resources to reach families and help them sign-up for the payments.
“The Child Tax Credit has the potential to change tens of thousands of lives and radically reduce poverty in our city,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “To fulfill its transformational promise, we must all work together to ensure that every eligible family is signed up. The City looks forward to collaborating with community-based organizations and supporting their grassroots outreach with these new grants.”
“We know that one of the best ways to ensure that this relief reaches as many families as possible is to employ our trusted community messengers,” said Mitchell Little, Executive Director at CEO. “CEO is excited to team up with Scattergood because they have a strong track record of working with community partners to advance equity.”
“At Scattergood, we are working to recognize and challenge the historic and systemic inequalities that disadvantage and marginalize individuals, organizations, and communities. We look forward to working with CEO to aide trusted community organizations in assisting underserved neighborhoods through a hands-on, compassionate approach,” said Joe Pyle, MA, President of Scattergood.
Community organizations are invited to submit proposals on how they would educate the community about the credit, connect individuals to trusted organizations that can help them claim the credit for free, and/or help them access non-filer portals to claim the credit. Philadelphia-based organizations with 501 (c)(3) status, or a fiscal sponsor, that already serve marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.
For more information or to apply, organizations should visit https://www.scattergoodfoundation.org/projects/childtaxcredit. The deadline to submit proposals is November 1, 2021.
The goal is to fund 10 to 20 organizations for proposals of $5,000 to $20,000 each. Proposals for greater than $20,000 will be considered if they have the potential to make a significant impact on the number of Philadelphians reached.
“We strongly encourage applications from organizations whose staff, board, and/or volunteers include representation from the communities this project aims to reach,” Little added.
About the Child Tax Credit
The Child Tax Credit is a credit given to families with children. The American Rescue Plan increased the credit to $3,000 per child for children over the age of six and to $3,600 for children under the age of six, and allowed for advance monthly payments starting this past July. If you have not filed tax returns in the last two years or signed up to receive the federal stimulus payments, you can sign-up by completing the non-filer form or contacting Campaign for Working Families at 215-454-6483.
About the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO)
CEO provides leadership on issues of economic justice by advancing racial equity and inclusive growth to ensure that all Philadelphians can share in the city’s prosperous future. As the Community Action Agency (CAA) for the City of Philadelphia, CEO awards Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds to more than 20 programs that serve thousands of low-income residents each year. More information is available at www.phila.gov/ceo.
About the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation
The Scattergood Foundation believes major disruption is needed to build a stronger, more effective, compassionate, and inclusive society where behavioral health is central. We approach our work with humility and strive to share power responsibly while being unrelenting advocates for practices that advance equity for all. At the Foundation, we THINK, DO, and SUPPORT in order to shift the paradigm and practice for behavioral health, and recognize the unique spark and basic dignity in every human. Learn more by visiting www.scattergoodfoundation.org.