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Florida Prosperity Partnership
NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS
 

SAVE THE DATE  

FOR FPP EVENTS

 

NOV-DEC SCHEDULE:
Prosperity Town Hall Regional Meetings

November 17, 2014
Daytona Beach
11 am - 2:30 pm
United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties
Brought to you by Campaign for Working Families and United Way of Volusia / Flagler
New This Year!
December 2, 2014 Jacksonville
(Note New Date)
10:30 am - 2:30 pm
United Way of Northeast Florida
Brought to you by Real$ense and United Way of Northeast Florida
December 4, 2014
Southwest Florida (Fort Myers)
9 am - 12 pm
United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee
Brought to you by SunTrust Bank
December 5, 2014
Tampa
9 am - 12 pm Hillsborough Community College
Brought to you by SunTrust Bank and Hillsborough Community College
December 10, 2014
Tallahassee
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Capital City Bank
Brought to you by Capital City Bank
December 11, 2014
Pensacola
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm CT
Gulf Power
Brought to you by Gulf Power

 

SAVE THE DATE
May 27-29, 2015
2015 FPP Conference, at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando



SAVE THE DATE  

FOR MEMBER EVENTS

 

Special Needs Scholarship

Florida has created a new Personal Learning Scholarship Account (PLSA) to help parents individualize the educational plans for their children with special needs.




November 12, 2014
NDI NEEDS YOUR FEEDBACK
Take the survey no later than November 12, and you could win a $2,500 Grant

 
WEBINAR
November 20, 2014
Join MoveED for Goal 2025!
Time: 2-3 pm

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

November 30 - December 7, 2014

Goodwill Industries 8th Annual Festival of Trees

More Information 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 
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. 


EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

Janet Hamer, Chair 
TD Bank

George Owen, Vice-Chair 
George Owen Consulting, LLC

Deana Lewis, Secretary 
SunTrust Bank

Rob Sansome, Treasurer 
TrueWealth Ventures, Inc. 

Sandra Bernard-Bastien
Children's Services Council of Broward

Iris Jones 
BB&T Bank 

Felipe Pinzon 
Hispanic Unity of Florida
 
Maureen Quinlan 
Family Promise of Greater Orlando

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Mike Bell 
Florida Council on Economic Education 

Doug Brown 
Community Action Program Committee 

Kamalah Fletcher 
Catalyst Miami 

Dr. Michael Gutter 
University of Florida, IFAS 

Sharon Hackney 
Florida Blue Foundation 

Sherod Halliburton 
Manatee Community Federal Credit Union 

Mike Kennedy 
Harvest United Methodist Church 

Audrey Ljung 
Community Action Partnerships 

Roger Mercado 
Community Cooperative Ministries, Inc.  

Katie Metz 
National Disability Institute 

Rosa Morgan 
Community Assets, Inc. 

Joan Nelson 
Heart of Florida United Way 

Joyce Odongo 
Wells Fargo Bank 

Linda Rimmer 
Goodwill Industries of Central Florida  

Ron Sharpe 
United Way of Northwest Florida 
 
Alice Vickers 
Florida Alliance for Consumer Protection 
 
Jeff Winkler 
Real$ense, an Initiative of United Way of Northeast Florida

 

 

STAFF

 

Kaye D. Schmitz
President/CEO

 

Bill Mills
Vice President

Debbie Prescott
Director, Polk County

 

Penny Zaphel
Special Projects Coordinator

 

Emilie Pennington
Graphics Designer

 

Thrude Legg
Bookkeeper

 

 

THANK YOU

TO OUR FUNDERS

 



PRESIDENT'S REPORT
By Kaye Schmitz

Please Keep Using AMAZON SMILE!
Keep Up Your Contributions to the FPP 

Greetings!

kAYE
KAYE SCHMITZ
Happy Holiday Season from all of us to all of you. We wish you a wonderful, safe, and warm couple of months during which you will be able to give thanks for your blessings and spend time with family and friends during the holiday you celebrate in December. 

A lot of wonderful things are happening at the FPP, so we hope you will enjoy reading about them here. 
results
First FPP Impact Task Force Survey Results 
In October, many of you took the time to respond to the first of a two-part survey sent out by the FPP Impact Task Force, led by FPP Board Member Jeff Winkler, from Real$ense. So thank you for that. While we will share the complete results a little later and on the FPP website, I did want to cover a few of the highlights that were apparent at first glance. The survey asked several questions, but I will concentrate on the responses to two--one about value received and the other about focus for next year. 

Most of the respondents took time to write in responses. For the first question, "What value does your partnership with the FPP bring to you and your organization?" responses included the following: 
  • An avenue for networking with other organizations; connection and collaboration 
  • Access to knowledge from a wider pool of technical expertise; linkages to available resources 
  • State-wide advocacy voice 
  • Trend information/results driven data; access to best practices 
  • Financial literacy Train-the-Trainer resources 
  • Well done, impactful statewide conferences 
For the question about "What should the FPP focus on in the next year?" the answers were as follows:

What Should The FPP Focus On In The Coming Year?

Categories
Most Important
Very Important
Important
Total of 
First 3 Categories
Greater focus on Advocacy
35%
20%
45%
100%
Exploring additional statewide partnerships
33%
50%
11%
94%
Identifying client behavioral change
38%
29%
24%
91%
Funding Opportunities for Paid Members
33%
19%
38%
90%
Educating Members-Resources, Services, Best Practices
35%
50%
5%
90%
Statewide marketing/advertising
25%
25%
31%
81%

We'll show you additional results in the next few weeks, but we thank those who did respond and encourage all of you to respond to the next survey that will be coming out in a few weeks. That one will be about collecting quantitative data so we can use our collective impact as a state to accomplish your most important focus for next year, greater statewide advocacy. In addition, the FPP is working with United Way of Florida on an initiative for possible funding sources for our members. While that may take a couple of years to accomplish, those who provide data will have the first opportunity to apply.

fppadvocacy
FPP Public Policy and Advocacy
It's very appropriate that advocacy made the top of the list for the FPP focus, since we have a great team leading the advocacy effort, led by FPP Board Member Alice Vickers. Alice led an Advocacy Conference Call on October 23, during which we had speakers that included FPP Board Member Mike Bell from the Florida Council on Economic Education, former FPP Board Member Karen Landry from RAISE Florida, and FPP Board Chair Janet Hamer, from TD Bank. This call was so successful we plan to repeat it in early 2015. 

As a reminder, the FPP priority policy issues are: 
  1. Financial Education and Access: While working to improve the consumer financial marketplace, effective financial education always remains a crucial component for empowering consumers, helping consumers build and maintain assets. Policies such as financial education in schools to providing everyone access to fair and affordable financial products are goals we support for all families. 
  2. Consumer Protection: Protecting consumers from predatory lenders not only involves educating consumers about these products but seeing that adequate consumer protections are in place so particularly low income consumers and our military families do not become easy targets. Consumer protections from unfair or deceptive debt collection also acts to help families seeking financial stability. 
  3. Income Opportunity: With many Floridians suffering from zero or negative net worth, supporting efforts for enhancing income and savings is important for the individual and the economy. Programs that enhance families' ability to save, expanding asset limits in public benefits programs, expand access to resources to assist micro businesses, and expanding tax credits and incentives that will help low-income families become more financially secure are all crucial policies we support.
taskforce
Update on Transportation Solutions Task Force
We continue to work toward a statewide convening around Florida transportation solutions and all of the committees--the Transportation Executive Committee, the FPP Board of Directors, and the FPP Conference Committee--have agreed to hold the convening concurrently with the first day of the FPP conference on May 27, 2015. More details will follow, but please put the date on your calendars!

Last month I told you we were working on a research survey instrument so we could gain data to inform the statewide gathering in May. That instrument has been completed and we are asking you to help us gather information by filling out this Problems and Solutions Survey instrument so we can learn about and highlight what is working around the state as well as gain further knowledge about areas that could use additional help. We know that getting people from county to county for available jobs is challenging. Thanks in advance for any other help you can provide. And please feel free to forward this survey to all who could provide valuable input. 

We will continue to keep you posted on progress. If you would like to join the committee working on this issue, please just get in touch with me at [email protected]

regional
FPP Regional Meetings Are Underway! 
Please take a look at Bill Mills' column below to get an update on the locations and times for the FPP Town Hall Regional Meetings for November and December and join us at the one closest to you! 

amazon
Please Keep Using AMAZON SMILE!
If you haven't already signed up, it's not too late to do so at smile.amazon.com. You must first register, and then choose the FPP as your beneficiary. Then every time you go to purchase something, begin by signing in to smile.amazon.com, and if the product is eligible for this program, the FPP will receive a contribution. Thanks so much for helping us bring in additional dollars this way. 

contributions
Please Also Keep Up Your Contributions to the FPP
Thanks so much to those of you who have sent contributions to the FPP. We continue to invite others to participate so the Florida Prosperity Partnership, a statewide organization dedicated to improving the well-being of ALL Floridians, can continue to make the most significant impact possible. Please join the staff and board of the FPP and DONATE NOW. We will send you a letter that thanks you and confirms your donation for income tax purposes. Thanks in advance for your consideration. 

Please keep reading to find out about what's happening with the FPP Strategic Initiatives, and then take a look at other articles in Member News.

Kaye's signature 
strategic
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Bill Mills
BILL MILLS
townhall
Prosperity Town Hall Regional Meetings
We have had a wonderful response to our Prosperity Town Hall Regional Meetings where we are discussing CFED's Platforms for Prosperity that move individuals and families from poverty to economic success and financial security. 

 

Thanks to all of you have joined us so far! 

We would love to have you at one or more of our next meetings that will be held: 

11 am - 2:30 pm 
United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties 
(Brought to you by Campaign for Working Families and United Way of Volusia/Flagler) 

10:30 am - 1:30 pm 
United Way of Northeast Florida 
(Brought to you by Real$ense and United Way of Northeast Florida) 

9 am - 12 pm 
United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee 
(Brought to you by SunTrust Bank) 

9 am - 12 pm 
Hillsborough Community College 
(Brought to you by SunTrust Bank and Hillsborough Community College) 

9:00 am - 12:00 pm 
Capital City Bank 
(Brought to you by Capital City Bank

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm CT 
Gulf Power  
(Brought to you by Gulf Power) 

For more information on sponsorship, locations, how to RSVP, and agendas (coming soon) visit: www.FloridaProsperityPartnerhsip.org or contact Bill Mills at [email protected] 

moneySmart
Money Smart Train-the-Trainer 
We are currently scheduling some classes for the new year, stay tuned for details. Are you interested in hosting a Money Smart Train-the-Trainer session? We are looking to get these on our calendar soon. Let me know at [email protected]

Ohplaces
Oh, The Places We'll Go 
The conference committee is actively planning the 7th Annual FPP State Training Conference. We are excited to announce our title and theme. "Oh, The Places We'll Go" will be the title of this one-of-a-kind conference. As always, we love to "connect-the-dots". This time we will be going beyond the connection of the dots. 

We will be bringing you discussions, successes, and solutions where various dotted lines intersect; where the platforms for prosperity intersect. Stay tuned for more information, but make sure you save the date: May 27 - 29, 2015

 We are now accepting sponsorships and will soon be accepting proposals for workshops. You will find these on the home page of our website at www.FloridaProsperityPartnership.org.

POLK COUNTY
By Debbie Prescott, Director of Polk County

  

  

Debbie Prescott
DEBBIE PRESCOTT
Emerge On-Line Financial Wellness

Last month, FPP Polk began a partnership with Emerge On-Line Financial Wellness
and local employers. This program offers employees the financial information they need and the convenience of 24/7 access. Financial stress has been estimated to cost employers anywhere from $300 to $1,500 dollars per employee per year, in lost productivity.

Kaye Schmitz, President of Florida Prosperity Partnership, has shared with many the importance of "Just In Time" financial education--and that is exactly what this program provides. Emerge On-Line Financial Wellness allows the participants to select training on the topics that they need, right when they need them. The system also provides reminders, so they go back and follow up on the goals they set for themselves. Credit monitoring and counseling are part of the system, too, and for many employees, those items are the most important features.

FPP Polk will be expanding the use of this system with employers to provide this very necessary and valuable service. Look for more exciting updates as we build this program.

disabilities
DISABILITY NEWS
By Katie Metz, National Disability Institute, Regional Specialist


 

Katie Metz
KATIE METZ
YOUR FEEDBACK NEEDED: Chance to win $2,500 Grant

In 2015, National Disability Institute will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Together, with public agencies and community organizations and coalitions nationwide, we are designing and building new pathways to a better economic future for low and moderate income individuals and families. Each month with our Real Economic Impact webinar series and newsletter, we are promoting new thinking and behavior about enhancing financial capabilities for individuals with disabilities as part of human and social service delivery systems.

Help us learn more about what you do and identify information and training needs that will inform the development of Real Economic Impact Network activities for 2015. Please take about 15 minutes to complete the survey by Wednesday, November 12, 2014.

We are committed and invested in enhancing our collective impact. As an extra incentive to encourage your completion of the survey, we will enter your name and organization in a drawing scheduled to take place on November 13th for cash prizes.
  • First Prize: $2,500 grant to your organization to support your financial capability development activities.
  • Second Prize: $1,000 grant to your organization to support financial education and counseling activities.
Sound too simple? There are two rules to the contest. First, to be eligible you must submit a completed survey. Second, we must receive at least 400 completed surveys from organizations to initiate the drawing.

Help us spread the word. Share the survey with other groups you work with or are part of a coalition within your city or community.

Join in the celebration of the NDI's tenth anniversary. Support the work of the Real Economic Impact Network. Win funds for your organization!

Thank you for being a part of the Real Economic Impact Network. There are over 4,000 members nationwide. We share common values and a commitment to economic empowerment for low and moderate income households. There is power in numbers and power in collaboration.

memberNews
MEMBER NEWS
 
job
Job Opening:
OPS Part-time Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program Assistant 


___________________________

stepup
 
Did you know about these TWO Florida K-12 scholarship opportunities administered by Step Up For Students?
Step Up for Students

The Personal Learning Scholarship Account (PLSA) is a new program that helps families personalize educational plans for their children with special needs. The scholarship amount varies according to grade, county and disability, but the average amount for most students for 2014-15 is $10,000 (and may increase in 2015-16). 

 

To qualify, students in kindergarten through 12th grade must be diagnosed with one of the following: autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Spina bifida, Williams syndrome or an intellectual disability (severe cognitive impairment). Also, kindergartners who are five years old and deemed "high risk'' due to developmental delays may be eligible. 

 

The PLSA allows parents to direct scholarship funds toward a combination of approved programs and providers including approved private schools, therapists, specialists, curriculum, technology - even a college savings account. Families may still apply for the 2014-15 school year, however those interested in applying for the 2015-16 school year may begin applying in November 2014. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please click here to apply now or to sign up for the 2015-16 PLSA interest list. 

 

Another option is the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC), a program created in 2001 that allows parents to choose from two scholarship types: one worth up to $5,272 to help cover private school tuition and fees, or one worth up to $500 to assist with transportation costs to attend a public school in another county. (These scholarship amounts are for the 2014-15 school year. The private school scholarship amount may increase for the 2015-16 school year.) 

 

If a family's household income qualifies for the free- or reduced-price school lunch program (185% of the federal poverty guidelines), or if the family receives SNAP (food stamps), TANF, or FDPIR, the student may be eligible. Children in foster care or out-of-home care, or those who are homeless also may be eligible. We will begin accepting applications for the 2015-16 school year for the income-based scholarship in the spring. In the meantime, those interested are encouraged to sign up for the 2015-16 Income-based interest list.

 

Step Up For Students is a nonprofit approved by the state to help administer both programs. To learn more, please visit www.StepUpForStudents.org 

 

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assets 

Preparing for Tax Time? Tools & Updates from Network Members


Affordable Care Act: Everything You Need to Know Webinar Series

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is presenting a four-part webinar series which began this week to help VITA sites and outreach partners prepare for the tax season by explaining the new tax forms, sharing practical tips for free tax preparation sites and answering your ACA questions. For more details, including dates and registration, click here. You will also be able to access the recorded webinars at that link.

National EITC Outreach Campaign
Access tools and resources here to develop a tax credit outreach campaign to help families access the credits they have earned. For more than 20 years, the Campaign, which includes community organizations, employers, social service programs and government agencies, has promoted the Earned Income Credit (EIC), the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and free tax filing assistance for low- and moderate-income workers. Each year, millions of eligible workers risk missing out on these important federal tax benefits because they do not know they qualify, do not know how to claim the credits or do not know where to find free tax filing assistance. This website is designed to provide communities with the information and tools they need to develop their own campaigns.

D2D Fund's SaveYourRefund
The 2015 tax season is right around the corner! Tax time is an ideal opportunity to help your consumers grow or start their savings using their annual refunds. Since 2012, D2D Fund has been hosting SaveYourRefund, a national promotion to encourage tax filers to save that includes a prize pool of $35,000! The SaveYourRefund web platform will allow anyone who splits their refund to enter to win weekly cash prizes. Consumers can also enter the photo contest for the chance to win a life-changing cash prize. Learn more about the 2014 SaveYourRefund promotion and winners at SaveYourRefund.com.

If you are interested in becoming involved with the program, sign up for updates by emailing [email protected]. And you can read more about SaveYourRefund here: Split, Save, Win.

If you have a tax time-related resource update you'd like to share with the Network, please email it to [email protected].

 

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goodwill 

The Festival of Trees needs YOU!

Volunteer sign up is now open!

November 30 - December 7, 2014

 

The Festival of Trees is almost here!

Volunteering with Goodwill is a GREAT way to collect school hours or just have fun ringing in the holiday season!

We have opportunities to fit any schedule!

November 30 - December 2: Decorating
Help us decorate the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center for the holiday season. 20 spots open!

December 5 & 7: Festival of Trees
70 Tree guardians, 20 Children's Workshop Elves & Welcome Desk volunteers needed!

Food and drink provided for all volunteers. Please pass this email along to your friends, family and groups!

Sign up today or contact Natalie Tursi at Goodwill's main office for more information:

[email protected]
(239) 995-2106 ext. 2249

Visit the Festival of Trees on the Web:
www.tuxandtrees.com
Like us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/tuxandtrees

 

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webinar 

Florida CAN Webinar: MoveED for Goal 2025!

 

Get Mapped: National network brings together America's higher education access groups to share solutions and move the needle on degree attainment

The Florida College Access Network is pleased to host a webinar for our network partners about a new Lumina Foundation initiative called MoveED for Goal 2025.

MoveED brings together, on a single map, organizations that are committed to making education attainment America's cause - especially for low-income students, students of color, first-generation students and adult learners.

Register for the MoveED webinar on Thursday, November 20th from 2-3pm to learn more about MoveED features and benefits and how to set up your MoveED profile.

By joining MoveED, you can connect with other MoveED partners around the country to share ideas, help more students succeed, and promote the great work that your organization is doing. Check out our Florida CAN MoveED page to see how we are using MoveED to give you some ideas for your MoveED page.

If you have questions about MoveED or your profile, contact the MoveED team at [email protected].

We can do more together than alone. Join MoveED today and start connecting and sharing ideas to reach Goal 2025!

Event Details:
Webinar: Join MoveED for Goal 2025!
Date and Time: Thursday, November 20th from 2-3PM
Registration link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8419545836227287297

 

 

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membership
NOTICE - Anyone interested in joining FPP or if you would like to submit an article for publication in subsequent newsletters, please send an email to Penny Zaphel, Coordinator of Special Projects - [email protected].

Sincerely,

Kaye Schmitz
Florida Prosperity Partnership