Seedco in Atlanta

http://www.seedco.org/atlanta/


477 Windsor Street, Suite 101
Atlanta, GA 30312


Seedco: Innovations in Economic Opportunity

Seedco is a national nonprofit organization that works with local partners to create economic opportunities for disadvantaged job seekers, workers and neighborhood entrepreneurs.

We use practical, effective strategies to address the challenges confronting Americans who are struggling to leave poverty and achieve economic success. Working on these issues for more than two decades, we are leaders in implementing innovative, multi-partner initiatives that foster financial advancement and security.

Our work focuses on three critical goals for people seeking economic well-being:

Access: Our work connects people to what they need to make ends meet - an entry-level job, basic workplace skills and access to key benefits such as health or child care.

Security: We foster economic stability by helping people stay on the job, build new skills and take steps to become financially secure.

Mobility: Our programs provide long-term economic options for workers and entrepreneurs - through higher-level education and training, asset building and career advancement strategies.

While much of our work focuses on assisting individuals, we recognize that addressing poverty also requires a broader approach. To that end, we work with a broad spectrum of employers, government agencies and other institutions to improve the quality of jobs and promote the wider availability of critical workplace supports. And we invest in low-income communities in many areas of the country through our subsidiary Seedco Financial to create jobs, support neighborhood entrepreneurs and jumpstart economic opportunity.

How We Work
Seedco looks for promising ideas for creating economic opportunity for people who are struggling to move out of poverty. Our extensive experience allows us to move nimbly and efficiently to turn those ideas into programs, using careful research to shape our work. In doing so, we typically follow these steps:

We identify traditional and new local partners who share our goals, and we join them in workable, community-focused alliances. Our partnerships may include employers in need of qualified workers or community-based organizations that can respond effectively to local challenges. In many areas, we work with Seedco Financial, a national leader in community development financing.

We move aggressively to secure resources from many sources - foundations, local organizations, the private sector and government agencies - that we leverage to secure other community resources.

With partnerships established, we launch and operate model programs. In many cases, we work with government agencies to effectively implement public policy.

At every step, we use data to measure and improve our performance. Over time, our results become a critical tool for holding ourselves and our partners accountable.

Finally, we share our lessons and expertise with other nonprofits, policy makers and service providers - providing technical assistance to local groups around the country, taking part in policy discussions and issuing expert reports through the Seedco Policy Center. A key goal is to identify market-tested programs that can be replicated locally and nationally.

Seedco has firmly established itself as a unique, nonprofit intermediary that brings a fresh approach to challenging issues. In all of our work, Seedco is creating new and sustainable economic opportunities for low-income Americans.


Seedco in Atlanta

Seedco launched its EarnBenefits® program in Atlanta in January 2006.

Local Partners
EarnBenefits Atlanta is currently being funded by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In launching EarnBenefits Atlanta, Seedco has subcontracted with four local, community partners who implement the program at their sites. The Blank Family Foundation has a special interest in providing EarnBenefits to families with young children in the City of Atlanta. To fulfill this need Seedco has partnered with Quality Care for Children, Sheltering Arms, and Metro Atlanta YMCA. Each of these organizations will provide EarnBenefits services to families in their child care and Head Start programs at centers around the city, in both Fulton and Dekalb counties. As part of their efforts to strengthen the networks and infrastructure of distressed communities, The Annie E Casey Foundation is providing EarnBenefits to working families living in the six Atlanta neighborhoods that comprise Neighborhood Planning Unit V - Adair Park, Capitol Homes, Mechanicsville, Peoplestown, Pittsburgh and Summerhill. EarnBenefits will be implemented by the Center for Working Families which is the Foundation's primary strategy for building stronger financial futures for families.

EarnBenefits Services
In collaboration with Seedco, our community partners offer clients a three-tiered approach to benefit enrollment. This approach includes education around available benefits, eligibility screening and application assistance, and on-going benefits management. These activities are accomplished through a public website (www.EarnBenefits.org) and an innovative, password-protected screening tool that streamlines the application process.

Expected Outcomes
Over 500 families are expected to receive at least one benefit through EarnBenefits services during the first year of implementation. Clients are offered benefit assistance for multiple benefits, including Low-Income Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids, WIC, Food Stamps, LIHEAP, and federal tax credits. EarnBenefits also provides clients with free tax preparation services through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.