Indiana Association of United Ways Logo 
Policy Update, August 7, 2015 
Thank you for your interest and support. The Indiana Association of United Ways usually provides its Policy Update on "odd Fridays" (1st, 3rd and 5th Fridays). Contact us if you have any questions or comments about content (past, present or desired for the future).

Pull out your calendar. Usually, we mark hot action items with a RED icon. This issue is so full of upcoming learning opportunities about important program and policy connections that every one could be marked in red!
Health Priority Area - Take Action
HIV and Substance Abuse: the impact on children and families
CCI Logo The Children's Coalition of Indiana is offering a summer brownbag lunch session about HIV and Substance Abuse on Friday, August 14, 11:30am-1:30pmET, in Indianapolis. A dynamite expert panel will discuss the impact of HIV and substance abuse on children and families. Download the CCI education session flyer. Register online.
Income Priority Area
Credit-building training on 9/10
Good personal financial credit is critical to the ability to build assets for a more stable future. Why? Good credit:
  • Smooths income and buffers shocks in job interruptions and with unexpected expenses. 
  • Increases access and options in what and how much we pay for credit; how we store and manage money; how we get around; where we live; and the cost of needs and wants. 
  • Increases cash flow and savings by providing lower interest rates for car and home loans.
  • Increases assets and opportunities, as lenders and employers require credit checks, i.e., 47% of all employers conduct credit checks on job applicants.
The full-day training will be offered on Thursday, September 10. Register online. Space is limited.
At the Statehouse
StateCapitolDayLegislative Study Committee topics and first dates
The interim study committees of the Indiana General Assembly have been announced with first committee dates. Check calendar. Of interest to our readers are:
At the Statehouse - Take Action
Register for ICHS Annual Meeting
With an eye toward the Indiana Bicentennial, a panel with members of each of the legislative caucuses will offer their perspectives on the
future of human services at the annual meeting for the Indiana Coalition for Human Services.
How will programs and services for children, adults, people with disabilities and seniors evolve in the next 2, 25 or 100 years?

Register online for the ICHS Annual meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 27, at the Indiana State Library. Download ICHS Annual Meeting flier.
Charitable Sector Priority Area
Join new campaign: Nonprofit Votes Count
The Voting Rights Act was signed 50 years ago, and our voter participation rate in Indiana was the worst in the country in the 2014 elections. Nonprofits can play a critical role in increasing informed voter participation by:
  • encouraging nonprofit staff and volunteers to register to vote;
  • helping with voter registration drives;
  • enabling civic participation through volunteerism, as volunteers are more likely to vote; and 
  • educating people about their missions to inspire passion for improving programs and policies.
Nonprofit Votes Count is a new campaign to help nonprofits harness the power of the 1.5 million nonprofits in the country. Join the campaign. Two webinars are available next week: Strategies to Register Your Staff to Vote on 8/11 and Celebrate National Voter Registration Day! on 8/13. 
Charitable Sector Priority Area
Monday, August 10, is the deadline to nominate volunteers
Nominate a volunteer for the Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence in one of the following categories:
  • Faith-based Volunteer
  • Lifetime Achievement
  • Corporate Service
  • Youth Volunteer
  • National Service
  • Exemplary Service-Learning
  • Volunteerism
  • Exemplary Volunteer Program

Deadline is Monday, August 10, and a special ceremony will be held at the Statehouse in October. Learn more here.
Income Priority Area - Take Action
Tell your member of Congress about the value of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit in your community
As members of Congress return home for the August recess, you may have the opportunity to share a 2-minute story about the value of Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and Child Tax Credits (CTC) to working families in your community. Help explain how tax credits for working families are:

Ask Congress to save the current version of the EITC and CTC by making key provisions permanent before they expire in 2017. Should the key provisions expire, some 50 million Americans, including 25 million children, would lose part or all of their Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Tax Credit, and 16 million Americans would fall into, or deeper into, poverty. In Indiana, that translates to 256,000 families with 485,000 children affected. See one-pager .
Income Priority Area
Tax Amnesty Program coming
The Indiana Department of Revenue
released the details for the Tax Amnesty Program this fall. About 250,000 individual and corporate taxpayers owe an estimated $545 million.

Indiana's Tax Amnesty program allows taxpayers who owe for tax years 2012 or prior pay their tax liability without penalties, interest and collection fees. Payment plans are possible; stipulations apply.  

Please consider providing this fact sheet to case managers and financial assistance staff. Or post this flyer. Learn more online. Consider attending one of the regional meetings. 
At the Statehouse
IaUW Public Policy
IaUW is a nonpartisan organization that works to advance policy principles and compromise solutions for the common good. We focus on policies that are aligned with the impact work in local communities conducted by our 61 United Ways and United Funds.
  • Education, so that children are prepared for and succeed in school;
  • Income/Financial Stability, so that individuals and families may achieve and sustain financial stability;
  • Health, so that individuals may access quality healthcare; and 
  • Strong Communities, where a statewide 2-1-1 network and a strong charitable sector help communities thrive.
Our policy priorities are developed and guided by our Public Policy Committee and our IaUW members, based on their work in Hoosier communities. 

Review our public policy documents created during the 2015 session of the Indiana General Assembly, including fact sheets, testimony and bill summaries. See our quick summary based on IaUW priorities.
Frequently Requested Links / Documents
  
iauw.org - Learn about the Indiana Association of United Ways, current trainings and conferences and the ways we support local United Ways/Funds, partners and communities.

IaUW Policy / Advocacy info - Review and download IaUW Policy Priorities, Third House calendar, bill lists, fact sheets, talking points and testimony.
  
Advocacy Action Center - Contact your member of Congress or State Legislator, provided through our partnership with United Way Worldwide.

IaUW Policy Update Archive - Read prior issues, special articles and key documents produced by IaUW related to public policy and advocacy.

Community Report Card - Check out key indicators in Education, Income and Health for your neighborhood, county or region.

IN211.org - Search for human service information available through the referral database or by calling 2-1-1. Download reports about resources, needs, gaps and trends from Indiana 211 Partnership.
  
NRN Calendar - Register for high-quality and affordable training for nonprofit staff and volunteers by the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network.

Funding and Other Opportunities - Explore current requests for proposals, funding and recognition opportunities.

Indiana General Assembly
 - Check the hearing or floor schedule, watch a live or recorded hearing or floor session and look up your legislators. 

Library of Congress
 - Look up bills introduced in Congress. Note that the THOMAS site will be maintained through 2014 and fully replaced by Congress.gov.

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