FINANCIAL WELLNESS
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Financial Wellness
Improve the equity of employment and financial wellness outcomes of adults and families for life-long well-being.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
The United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) provides FREE tax preparation to individuals and families earning up to $73,000 annually. VITA clients receive the maximum refund possible without paying hundreds of dollars in preparation costs. We help taxpayers access all of the tax credits for which they are eligible – including the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC has been recognized as the single most powerful tool to lift children out of poverty. For many of our clients, their tax refund is the biggest check they’ll receive all year. Claiming these credits puts clients on the path to paying off debt, securing better housing, obtaining dependable transportation, or pursuing higher education.
Financial Wellness Partnership
The Financial Wellness Partnership brings together community organizations, nonprofits, funders, businesses, and government offices for focused discussions on financial well-being. The group seeks to improve the financial wellness of individuals and families by increasing accessibility to effective services, resources, and opportunities, and by influencing policy to develop equitable, people-centered systems that support financial wellness. For more information or to join the mailing list for the Financial Wellness Partnership, sign up below.
Read Our Newsletters
May 2023 – learn about opportunities to advocate for local affordable housing investments, our eviction prevention work and emergency funding, and the Plan Tucson workshop we hosted
Financial Capability Month Campaign (April 2023) – April is Financial Capability Month! Learn more about local programs, partnerships and programs – don’t worry, there are ways to celebrate all year long.
April 2023 – catch up on our eviction prevention work, celebrate Financial Capability month, and learn more about Plan Tucson
March 2023 – network meeting notes, upcoming case manager mixer, policy brainstorm, and more
February 2023 – network meeting with AZ Center for Economic Progress, focus team updates and resources
January 2023 – HAST and prosperity initiative updates, focus team check in, emergency assistance, and more
December 2022 – HAST and regional prosperity, focus team updates, eviction prevention, and more
November 2022 – Zoning 101 recap, eviction prevention work, focus team updates, and more
October 2022 – zoning and affordable housing readings, racial equity in financial education, VITA volunteering
September 2022 – eviction continuum map, focus team updates, summer VITA impact
August 2022 – promising savings policies and programs, impact ideas, PSLF
July 2022 – IDEAs for financial wellness, savings data, voter resources
June 2022 – Upcoming presentations, focus team updates, CIC BIPOC Loan Fund, Coalition for Family Financial Wellness update
May 2022 – Network updates, advocacy notes, financial coaching and emergency resources
April 2022 – Upcoming presentations, focus team updates, VITA Filing Finale
March 2022 – Network meeting notes, RTS workshop, savings resources
February 2022 – Focus team updates, VITA services, poverty narratives research
January 2022 – Network meeting notes, trauma-informed economic empowerment, PimaFastTrack
November 2021 – Partnership updates, Housing Affordability Strategy for Tucson draft plan, GetCovered.org
October 2021 – Focus group notes, GetCTC.org, IT training scholarships, VITA volunteer opportunity
September 2021 – Partnership and focus group meeting notes, child tax credit FAQs, volunteer opportunities
August 2021 – Focus group meeting notes, eviction legal assistance, financial security research
July 2021 – Partnership and focus group meeting notes, child tax credit, SingleCare spotlight
June 2021 – Focus team notes, financial coaching research, child tax credit and child care scholarships
May 2021 – FWP May notes, integrated services research, family policy updates, ICS staff spotlight
April 2021 – American Rescue Plan Act, AZ Housing Affordability, AmeriCorps staff spotlight
March 2021 – pandemic assistance resources, taxes and stimulus checks, benefits assistance, AmeriCorps staff spotlight
February 2021 – strengthening referrals between organizations, tax season updates, Primavera Foundation staff spotlight
January 2021 – Pima County eviction recommendations, tax assistance, Goodwill Industries staff spotlight
December 2020 – EITC research, cost of evictions, poverty in Tucson, Our Family Services staff spotlight
November 2020 – mapping financial well-being, AZ KidsCount data, Direct Advocacy & Resource Center staff spotlight
Coalition for Family Financial Wellness
In 2013, United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona partnered with the Siemer Institute for Family Stability (SIFS) in a nationwide movement to address student learning disruption due to financial crisis and homelessness. Since then, our local project has expanded to support families facing eviction, housing instability, or income volatility as they start to rebuild. Coalition partners help families stabilize their housing, keep children connected to local schools, and increase financial wellness outcomes for adults through emergency assistance, case management, financial coaching, and supported referrals.
Operation United
It can be one of the most challenging tasks: starting life again after protecting our country. Through our nonprofit partners, The Arizona Coalition for Military Families, the Veterans Administration and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, we can ensure our veterans receive the assistance they deserve. Some veterans find themselves in dire circumstances, including homelessness. Some veterans also do not receive full benefits from the Veterans Administration, so may not have access to behavioral and mental health services. Veterans experiencing homelessness or other types of need can be helped by local organizations only to a certain extent. Operation United helps to support local organizations that serve veterans experiencing homelessness.
Financial Wellness: Southern Arizona Community Resources
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona works to maintain and update a list of local financial wellness resources. The following organizations offer financial wellness programs, resources, and services at little to no cost to community members. Each of these resources include an indicator to show whether the program can help address basic needs, savings, financial skills, wealth-building, resource decision making or a combination of these categories.
If you would like additional information about a listed resource, or if you have a suggestion of a resource to add, please contact Elizabeth Miller, Financial Wellness Project Manager: emiller@unitedwaytucson.org.
SingleCare Discount Perscription Card
Apply today to receive your SingleCare Discount Perscription Card
Singleton Foundation
United Way of Tucson is proud to partner with the Singleton Foundation on the Tucson Community Commitment. Our Tucson and Southern Arizona communities deserve to have robust financial literacy resources to help them succeed. Our job at United Way is to unite people, ideas, and resources to build a thriving community. This partnership and innovative program provides a tremendous opportunity for individuals and families to improve their financial standing and in turn their quality of life.
VOLUNTEER WITH VITA
Meet A Volunteer
Scott just completed his first year as a United Way VITA volunteer. He joins dozens of other VITA Volunteers that enable this important program to take place each year. Volunteers are trained to become IRS certified tax preparers. Scott said, “This program helps low-income community members and that appealed to my wife and me so we decided to volunteer.” To Scott, United Way is important in our community because it provides impactful services and ultimately helps Tucson and Southern Arizona as a whole. “Tucson is as good as it gets. It is truly a unique environment and we were drawn by Tucson’s size, architecture, university and diverse cultures.”
