by Heidi Goldberg

Registrations are still being accepted for an audioconference on bringing federal dollars into local communities through promotion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which will take place Thursday, Oct. 19 at 12:30 p.m. EDT.

This free, one-hour session, ?Strengthen Working Families and Local Economies: How to Mount a Successful EITC Outreach Campaign,? is part of an ongoing series sponsored by NLC?s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute).

The audioconference will show how municipal leaders can be instrumental in bringing much-needed federal dollars into the pockets of low-income residents and into the community by promoting the federal EITC. The EITC is a refundable tax benefit for low- to moderate-income workers that reduces their tax burden and provides relief for financially strapped individuals and families. The credit also boosts the local economy as most EITC recipients spend their refunds locally.

The audioconference will feature various ways that municipal officials can take action to expand residents? access to the EITC. These strategies include:

? Launching a citywide promotional campaign;

? Setting up free tax preparation sites for low-income tax filers; and

? Working with the local business community to promote the EITC to their employees.

Content and Speakers
To further explore these strategies, four speakers will share their hands-on experience designing municipal policies and programs to promote the EITC. The following speakers will take part in the session.

? Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando, Fla., will discuss how Orlando has formed a unique partnership with the local chamber of commerce to jointly coordinate the city?s EITC outreach campaign. He will explore the importance of linking the private sector with local EITC campaigns, and will also highlight the city?s new efforts to promote child care subsidies through the chamber as well.

? Councilmember Jim Ananich of Flint, Mich., will discuss how the City of Flint used the YEF Institute?s EITC tool kit to greatly expand their EITC outreach campaign to open several new volunteer tax preparation sites. He will explore the city?s decision to provide funding to the EITC campaign and his personal efforts to go door-to-door to city residents, educating them about the benefits of the EITC.

? Councilmember Patty O?Callaghan of West Lafayette, Ind., will highlight the multiple ways that elected officials in West Lafayette and Lafayette, Ind., have spread the word about the EITC within the community by working with churches, the media, social service providers, and by using other outreach strategies. She will also describe how the city has reached out to the Spanish-speaking population within the city.

? Margaret Bozik, assistant director for management planning and communications, Community and Economic Development Office, Burlington, Vt., will highlight the City of Burlington?s efforts to expand the use of free volunteer tax preparation sites by opening a site in City Hall. She will discuss Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss? partnership with Mayor Clement Bissonnette of nearby Winooski, Vt., to promote the use of these sites through a television ad campaign. She will also discuss other efforts the city has undertaken to ensure that residents find out about and receive the EITC.

How to Register
While the call is free, it is available to a limited number of participants. Advance registration is required by close of business on Tuesday, Oct. 17. A separate registration is needed for each phone line that will be used to listen to the call.

To register for the audioconference, send the participant?s name, title, organization, mailing address (including street name, city, state and Zip code), telephone number, fax number and e-mail address to iyef@nlc.org, or send a fax to (202) 626-3043. No telephone registrations can be accepted.

One day prior to the event, each registrant will receive an e-mail or fax message providing a toll-free, dial-in number to use in joining the audioconference.

Details: To ask questions, leave a detailed message on the information line at (202) 626-3014.

For more information on the Earned Income Tax Credit and outreach campaigns, see the YEF Institute?s EITC tool kit online at www.nlc.org/nlctoolkit/html/ or contact Heidi Goldberg at (202) 626-3069 or goldberg@nlc.org.