Arthur Blank Family Foundation

ATLANTA, January 29, 2007 - The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation today announced it is significantly expanding an innovative program called EarnBenefits that helps working poor families easily access federal, state and local benefits through a combination of online tools and counseling. The Foundation said a new partnership with the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency, which administers employment and job training programs for the City of Atlanta, will help an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 individuals get screened for benefits in 2007.

EarnBenefits is a web-based program that helps the working poor receive much-needed benefits such as health insurance, homeownership savings programs, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Often, working families don't know they're already eligible for these benefits or have difficulty navigating the complicated application process. EarnBenefits gives them a single source for easy access and screening. Online software helps determine which government benefits best apply to each family, while counselors guide the family through the process of applying for and receiving benefits.

EarnBenefits is supported in Atlanta by the Blank Family Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which co-funded a pilot over the past year that saw nearly 400 families receive a combined total of nearly $400,000 in added benefits Many families took advantage of free income tax preparation services, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and child tax credits, and several were able to apply for other benefits such as PeachCare and subsidized child care. For example:

One single mother of two received $4,624 for her tax return, $4,400 of which came from EITC. She also found she qualified for $245 in food stamps each month.
Another single mother with four children has an annual salary of $10,500, and after EarnBenefits screening learned she was eligible for $344 in food stamps a month. She also received $5021 for her tax return, with $4,400 from EITC.

EarnBenefits operates out of several partner organizations - United Way of Atlanta, Sheltering Arms, the Center for Working Families and two branches of the YMCA. New funding from the Blank Foundation will allow Sheltering Arms and the YMCA to expand the program in 2007. To date, the Blank Family Foundation has invested more than $400,000 in EarnBenefits in Atlanta. "Americans tend to assume that if someone has a job they are making enough money to get by," said Penelope McPhee, president of the Blank Family Foundation. "Our research tells us that is not the case. We hope to make a difference in the lives of families who are trying to make ends meet and do what's right for their children. The more families we can reach, the more we can move toward financial stability."

Research shows that in families where parents are holding steady jobs and building assets, there are better outcomes for both young children and their parents. Eighteen percent of Georgia's children live in poor families. With rising energy costs and increasing inflation, many working poor families in Atlanta are struggling to make ends meet.

"Better outcomes for Atlanta's children is what EarnBenefits is all about," said Gail Hayes, Atlanta civic site manager for the Casey Foundation. "We hope to expand the program to children all over the metro Atlanta area and beyond, but we will need help from both a funding and an implementation standpoint to make that happen."

The EarnBenefits technology was created by Seedco (the Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation), a national nonprofit operating intermediary, whose goal is to help low-income workers achieve economic access, security, and mobility.

About the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Formed in 1995, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is focused on enhancing education, preserving greenspace, sustaining the arts and sparking collaboration among its nonprofit partners, primarily in Atlanta. Arthur M. Blank is owner & CEO of the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Force. He co-founded The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001. Through his generosity, the foundation, along with Blank and his wife's personal giving, has granted more than $220 million to various charitable organizations.

About the Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization dedicated to helping build better futures for children in the United States. The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families. For more information, visit www.aecf.org.

About Seedco
Founded in 1987, Seedco (the Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation) is a national nonprofit operating intermediary that creates economic access, security, and mobility for low-income workers and their families by engaging with community organizations and other local partners to create innovative model programs at scale.