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PRESIDENT'S REPORT
By Kaye Schmitz
 | | Kaye Schmitz |
Dear FPP Members,
Wow!! Have you ever seen such a busy time? I know this season is busy every year, but this year it feels like there's even more going on than normal.
For example, the FPP was not able to hold its annual Florida Prosperity Caucus this year with Representative Alan Williams in the lead-in fact we found out that due to the transition of the new elected officials, seven other caucuses got cancelled in addition to ours-so we scheduled a Tallahassee Legislative Day-"Impression During Session," held on March 23. What a day!! Alan Williams hosted the FPP in his office and came in and spoke with everyone. Then Ted Granger gave the group the "Do's and Don'ts" for calling on legislators and turned us loose! Once we finished our legislative calls, we met with Tami Torres, the Deputy Florida CFO in Jeff Atwater's office, and four of her staff. Bill Mills and I were even asked to record some sound bytes for CFO Atwater's podcast.
The best part about the day was that a number of other Florida organizations, some of which are also FPP members, were in Tallahassee at the same time, making calls on their Senators and Representatives and meeting with other elected officials-just like we were. The two hundred plus folks from "Broward Days" even had a lunchtime session with the Governor! Way to go, Evan Goldman and Sandra Bernard-Bastien.
In addition, Catalyst Miami, formerly the Human Services Coalition, held a "Rally in Tally" and had two days of activities set up for them. The Florida Asset Building Coalition held a "Capitol Hill Day" that included a gathering with the Florida Black Caucus. In addition, I ran into groups from "Volusia Days," an advertising group from the Panhandle, and a number of groups advocating for people with disabilities. It was a very exciting time in Tallahassee and our time there was well spent.
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Part of the FPP Delegation in Tallahassee. The people in the picture are, from left, Ted Granger, Tom Diemer, Barbara Travis, Kaye Schmitz, Carla Williams of Representative Alan Williams' office, Bill Mills, Rob Sansome, and Rose Mintern. |
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FPP Regional Meetings
Please make plans to join us at a Regional Meeting near you-or at one that happens to coincide with your travel schedule. We have some interesting sessions scheduled at the various meetings, for example:
- The Tallahassee meeting will feature Linda Brost from national Ways to Work and John Olsen from the FDIC, who will talk about the "Safe Accounts" program
- The Orlando meeting will feature Teecy Matthews from Volunteer USA Foundation with a presentation of the "What's on the Menu?" youth education program
- The Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood meeting will feature a presentation by Jeanette Valencia of "I Can! E-File"
Please see the "Save The Date" section in the sidebar of this newsletter for the dates, times, and RSVP information.
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Update for the 3rd Annual FPP Conference
Plans are going great for the Third Annual Statewide FPP Conference. Most of our speakers are confirmed and we had an overflow of workshop proposals! Thank you all so much. The registration website is now open and thanks to Fifth Third Bank, we have a number of registration scholarships available. There are a very limited number of them, so we are trying to use them for those organizations that simply won't be able to attend the conference without one. If your organization needs a scholarship, please get in touch with me early.
As we get closer to the conference, please remember to:
- Send pictures to me at kayedschmitz@bellsouth.net, by May 1, 2011, that highlight your events, staff, clients, awards-or anything you like. We will put all of the pictures we receive into a video collage for the conference.
- Shoot a very short video of your clients-5 minutes or under-that illustrates this year's conference theme, "Looking Up In a Down Economy." Then send us your videos by May 1, 2011. We will show them throughout the conference. Let your organization shine!
********** Thanks to those who have paid Membership Dues - Payable by April 29 Membership dues are coming in very well. Remember that paid up members will get discounts on FPP conference registration fees for each attendee in their organizations. Credit card payments are accepted on the FPP website, www.floridaprosperitypartnership.org, on the Membership page and if you need an invoice and/or a W-9 filled out, I will be happy to do that for you. Checks may be sent to: Florida Prosperity Partnership c/o Kaye Schmitz 180 Pinehurst Pointe Drive St. Augustine, FL 32092 Or, click here: 
Respectfully, 
Kaye D. Schmitz
President /CEO | |
FPP ADVOCACY
By Ted Granger and Evan Goldman
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Ted Granger, left and Evan Goldman |
FPP-members and representatives from the Children's Services Council of Broward County visited the Capitol as part of Broward Days, a coordinated advocacy effort for issues of local importance. The group was recognized from the Senate floor, conducted substantive meetings with Senate and House members and even "scored" face time with Governor Scott and House Speaker Designate Weatherford.
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From left to right, Mariza Cobb, Derrick Roberts, Evan Goldman, Kirk A. Brown, Sandra Bernard-Bastien, Senator Chris Smith (D-Fort Lauderdale), Seth Hyman, Silvia Beebe, Ellie Schrot. |
While in Tallahassee, the FPP Delegation and some of the members from Broward Days advocated on the following legislative issues: Title Loans:
The FPP Board voted to oppose SB 990 by Sen. Mike Bennett (R-Bradenton) and HB 877 by Rep. Joe Gibbons (D-Sunny Isles Beach). If passed, these bills will allow lenders to charge up to 246% on title loans-more than eight times higher than permitted under today's law. The House bill didn't make it out of committee and Senator Bennett withdrew his bill. As of yet, neither has been considered by their first committees of reference.
Volunteer Protection:
The FPP Board voted to support SB 930 by Sen. Evelyn Lynn (R-Daytona Beach) and HB 647 by Rep. Charles McBurney (R-Jacksonville). The measure would clarify that Florida's volunteer protection act protects volunteers and their employers from liability even when employees volunteer during working hours and are receiving compensation from their employers. The Senate bill has passed the Children, Families and Elder Affairs and Judiciary Committees. It is now in the Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee. The House version was reported favorably by the Civil Justice Subcommittee and the Judiciary Committee.
Debt Buyers:
The FPP Board voted to support SB 1116 by Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon) and HB 1399 by Rep. Alan Williams (D-Tallahassee). If passed, these bills will institute reasonable, common-sense regulations on debt collection practices utilized by debt buyers, some of which employ unscrupulous practices in their attempts to secure payment. As of yet, neither has been considered it their first committees of reference. The FPP sister coalition, the Florida Asset Building Coalition, also went to Capitol Hill on March 24-25, 2011. Please see related article in Member News.
Respectfully,
Ted and Evan |
 | Bill Mills
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BANK ON FLORIDA
By Bill Mills Director of Strategic Initiatives 
| Bank On Florida is successfully progressing. Committees have been formed, and chairpersons selected, for Bank Product, Marketing, Communications, Financial Education, and Account Tracking/Measuring topics. These groups will convene soon, so if you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Bill Mills at Bill.Mills@BankOnFL.org or 407-797-6549 as soon as possible.
In addition, regional meetings have been held in the Big Bend and South Florida areas to start forming their own local Bank On programs. On April 20, there will be a Bank On session held in Orlando, one hour after the FPP regional meeting. For more information, check out www.BankOnFL.org. I hope to see you there!
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CONGRATULATIONS TO "OUR OWN" KAYE SCHMITZ
By Penny Zaphel Special Projects Coordinator
| Kaye Schmitz, President of FPP, was recently quoted in a Press Release from the Office of Jeff Atwater, CFO of Florida. He is promoting the Earned Income Credit and other projects that support low income families.
The following is a quote from Kaye that was featured in the article -
According to Kaye Schmitz, president of the Florida Prosperity Partnership (FPP), there are a number of studies that show taxpayers with incomes between $30,000 are $35,000 are unaware that they may qualify for the refund or they don't pursue a refund because they need help with filing for the tax credit. The FPP, a collaboration of more than 130 organizations statewide, help improve the financial stability of low-to-moderate-income Floridians.
"We are pleased to partner with CFO Atwater and use Florida Saves Week as an opportunity to connect eligible Floridians to free income tax preparation and to reach as many families as we possibly can," said Schmitz, whose partner organizations have prepared more than a half million free tax returns generating $500 million in refunds for Floridians.
The entire Press Release is available @ http://www.myfloridacfo.com/sitePages/newsroom/pressRelease.aspx?id=3808
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Successful Tri-County Fundraiser
for Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach
By Karla Gottlieb
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From left to right, David Nunes, Katie Beirne, Beatriz Hartman, Quincy Quintana |
On March 24, the Human Resources Association of Broward County (HRABC), the Human Resources of Palm Beach County (HRPBC), Staffing Management Association of South Florida (SMA), and with the support from the National Society of Human Resource managers (SHRM) hosted the first ever tri-county fundraising event at the Nova Southeastern University, Huizenga School of Business. More than 170 Human Resources professionals gathered for food, drink, and networking, but most importantly-to raise funds for the Prosperity Campaigns in the tri-county area. The Prosperity Campaigns were represented by Catalyst Miami, formerly the Human Services Coalition of Miami, Minority Development and Empowerment from Broward, and United Way of Palm Beach County. The event was a huge success with activities that included a raffle and a whole table of silent auction items, both designed to bring in additional dollars. Congratulations, Beatriz, and the Prosperity Campaigns of Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties! |
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FDIC's 2011 Chairman's Award for Excellence in Serving the Needs of Low- and Moderate-Income Consumers - Deadline Extended to April 7
By John Olsen
The nomination deadline for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chairman's Award for Excellence in Serving the Needs of Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) Consumers has been extended to April 7. The purpose of the award is to recognize and honor the work of individuals or small groups at FDIC-insured financial institutions who are instrumental in creating and promoting products or programs that meet the credit and deposit needs of LMI consumers. As many as six non-monetary awards will be presented to individuals that demonstrate excellence in providing economic products and programs for these consumers.
Individuals or small groups of employees at FDIC-insured institutions who are responsible for developing or implementing products or programs may nominate themselves, be nominated by someone at their institution or by a third party, such as consumers or not-for-profit organizations with which the institution has partnered. The winners will be announced in the spring or summer of 2011.
Please visit the following Web site to view the nomination criteria and application information: http://www.fdic.gov/about/comein/lmiaward.html. |
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Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
is expanding!
By Dave Krepcho
 | | Dave Krepcho |
Each year, more than two million pounds of available food donations are turned away from Food Banks and other organizations due to lack of space. Today in Central Florida, hundreds of thousands of children, seniors, and families are experiencing hardship due to record unemployment, home foreclosures and the tightening of credit. And, the number one problem caused by the current economic situation is hunger. In 2010, nearly one in five people-more than 730,000-could not afford to buy enough food. More than 500 non-profit feeding partners in Second Harvest's service area continue to face historic demands for food. Even as the community's economic situation begins to improve, an enormous gap remains between those who need food and the amount of food available. The hunger relief system must expand to meet this need. It is estimated that to fully meet the demand, Second Harvest's annual distribution would have to double. SHFB's ability, however, to continue moving forward in its mission to alleviate hunger is now severely limited by current facilities and infrastructure. With the planned expansion, made possible by the investment and help of the community, Second Harvest will be able to provide a much larger and more efficient food delivery system to tens of thousands of people in need every week. Stay tuned for more progress. |
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The Children's Services Council of Broward County has issued an RFP
 The CSC has budgeted approximately $7.5 million for Family Strengthening programs under Service Goal 2.1. In FY 10/11, individual Family Strengthening contracts ranged from $200,000 to $1,500,000, averaging $629,000 per program.
The CSC has budgeted approximately $500,000 for Supporting MOMS programs under Service Goal 9.1. The maximum Supporting MOMS proposal submission request cannot exceed $250,000. Copies of the RFP with application, instructions, and forms will be available Monday, March 21, 2011. Copies can be downloaded electronically from the CSC website www.cscbroward.org under Document Downloads or picked up at the Children's Services Council office at 6600 West Commercial Blvd., Lauderhill, FL 33319. Completed applications are due at the Children's Services Council, 6600 West Commercial Boulevard, Lauderhill, FL 33319 on/before 12:00 noon DST on Friday, April 29, 2011. Questions should be directed to Karen Swartzbaugh, Chief Program Officer, at 954-377-1000 or e-mail kswartzbaugh@cscbroward.org. |
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Florida Asset Building Coalition Days on Capitol Hill March 24-25, 2011
By Karen Landry
FABC engaged diverse organizations and groups, individuals, community and faith-based, HBCUs and Colleges, professional and trade associations, economic development organizations, small business owners and entrepreneurs for a mini-conference and training to meet with legislators during the FABC Days on Capitol Hill, March 24-25. The overall goal of the meetings with legislators was to present the FABC policy framework and potential solutions, as well as to build constituency around our comprehensive asset building agenda.
Several meetings with Economic and Business Committee members were attended by teams and included meetings with Barbara Watson, Hazele Rogers, Mia Jones, Larcenia Bullard, Cynthis Stafford, Mack Barnard, and Senator Anthony Hill. Representatives and staff requested follow up in districts and with office. FABC participated in the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators - State of Black Florida Conference session on March 24th, where Karen Landry, Executive Director, was a panelist on Economic Development in Florida: "How do we ensure Communities of Color Get to Work".
FABC Policy Framework:
- Microenterprise Development
- Small Business Development and Job Creation
- 529 Reform and Child Savings Accounts
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Free Community Stabilization E-Learning Courses from NeighborWorks
Thanks to a generous grant from the FDIC, NeighborWorks is able to offer our community stabilization-related e-learning courses - a $195 value - free of charge until September 30, 2011. Choose from:
- AH295el Community Stabilization: An Introduction to REO Acquisition, Rehab, Disposition and Management
- AM121el Fundamentals of Asset Management
- HO260el Counseling Buyers of REO Properties
- HO265el Counseling Clients Seeking Rental Housing
- NR231el Stabilizing Neighborhoods in a Post-Foreclosure Environment
E-learning with NeighborWorks is a convenient, user-friendly way to build your skills and enhance your career. Courses generally take 3-4 hours to complete, and once you start a course, you can take it in manageable portions over a period of 60 days. The courses may count toward a professional certificate. Registration is easy - simply visit www.nw.org/onlinereg, select your course, and the tuition is $0!
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SAVE THE DATE FOR FPP EVENTS
(Click on date for more information)
- April 19, 2011 - FPP Meeting in Jacksonville, 9AM
- April 20, 2011 - FPP and Bank On Regional Meetings in Orlando, 9AM-FPP, 1PM-Bank On
- April 21, 2011 - FPP and Bank On Regional Meetings in Hollywood, 9AM-FPP, 1PM Bank On
- April 27, 2011 - FPP Regional Meeting in Ft. Myers, FL, 1PM
- June 1-3, 2011 - Third Annual FPP State Conference
SAVE THE DATE FOR MEMBER AGENCY EVENTS
April 20, 2011 - 4th Annual Empowerment Summit and Community Wide Event - 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Jacksonville Urban League, 903 West Union Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204. To RSVP, contact Clorinda Sanders at 904-366-6494 or c.sanders@jaxul.org.
May 18, 2011 - The Florida Income Fair. Conference will be held on the grounds of the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop, 3291 W. Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL. RSVP at www.thefif.org.
May 9-11. 2011 - 2011 Exploring Innovation: A Conference on Community Development Finance.
Conference will be held in Washington, DC. For information, contact Janet Hamer at janet.hamer@atl.frb.org.
April 28-29, 2011 - Federal Reserve Community Affairs Research Conference: The Changing Landscape of Community Development. Conference will be held in Washington, DC. For information, contact Janet Hamer at janet.hamer@atl.frb.org. |
The Florida Prosperity Partnership (FPP)
| The Florida Prosperity Partnership (FPP), was formally established in March 2009, evolving from a number of parallel and earlier efforts to create a statewide coalition dedicated to improving the financial stability and capability for low-to-moderate income Floridians.
FPP PURPOSE: To convene individuals and organizations with the desire to leverage their talent, resources, and passion to improve the prosperity of Florida's families.
FPP VISION: All Floridians have equal opportunities to attain financial stability.
FPP MISSION: Establish a statewide collaboration holistically focused on providing life-enhancing services to Floridians.
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FPP Executive Committee
Janet Hamer, Chair
Sr. Community Development Manager
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Daniella Levine, Vice-Chair President and CEO Catalyst Miami (Formerly Human Services Coalition)
Sandra Bernard-Bastien, Secretary Dir. Of Public Affairs/Org. Dev. Children's Services Council of Broward
Ted Granger, Treasurer President United Way of Florida Evan Goldman
CSC of Broward County George Owen
Regions Bank Maureen Quinlan
United Way of Marion County Mike Smith
TD Bank Board Members Erbi Blanco-True
Great Florida Bank
Amanda Clements
United Way of the Big Bend
Anika Coney
Hillsborough County
Sokoya Finch
Florida Family Network
Michael Gutter
University of Florida
Valerie Hendriex
Wachovia a Wells Fargo Company
Dorothy Inman-Johnson
Capital Area Community Action Agency
Iris Jones
BB&T Bank
Karen Landry
War on Poverty
Rosa Morgan
Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Kasha Owers
United Way of Palm Beach County
Felipe Pinzon
Hispanic Unity of Florida
Brittany Richards
Heart of Florida United Way
Michael Roush
National Disability Institute
Ellen Stoffer
United Way of Tampa Bay
Barbara Travis
Internal Revenue Service FPP Staff
Kaye Schmitz
President and CEO
Bill Mills
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Penny Zaphel
Coordinator of Special Projects |
FPP Funders
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To become a member of the FPP or submit articles for this newsletter, please contact Penny Zaphel at
floridaprosperitypartnership@gmail.com
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