C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation

The First Annual Best Practices Awards
For Innovative, Collaborative, Supportive Programs
The Institute For Public Affairs at the University of Illinois at Springfield

The Institute For Public Affairs at UIS and the Illinois Community Action Association has recognized the C.E.F.S. Income Management Program with a Best Practices Award as an important collaborative effort between staff, volunteers and state and local agencies which has been demonstrated as effetive and which could be replicated in other areas.

C.E.F.S. operates the program in our seven-county service area. It seeks to develop effective financial management skills so that families learn to make the most of their own resources. This is accomplished by providing families with assistance in completing household budgets, counseling and assistance with income tax filing and the earned income tax credit, and counseling and assistance with senior citizen circuit breaker, pharmaceutical assistance and tax relief forms. C.E.F.S. staff provides training and support to volunteers as they work at outreach offices in each county.

The Income Management Program met our goals for the year, serving over 3,000 clients. Services provided to these clients included preparation of over 1,000 federal and state income tax returns with over thirty-six percent having earned income tax credits. In addition, assistance to the elderly included over 1,000 families receiving assistance with circuit breakers and of these over one-half receiving prescription cards. The program cost an average of only $18.85 per client.

C.E.F.S. documented the delivery process required to provide services in the program. The description includes how the requisite collaboration with volunteers and other organizations is accomplished. This process could be implemented to improve family self-sufficiency by other organizations that have a similar philosophy as C.E.F.S.

Congratulations to the staff, volunteers and organizations involved in implementing this innovative program!

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