Program Manager, Financial Empowerment

MASSCAP (Massachusetts Association for Community Action) is the association of the 23 Community Action Agencies (CAAs) – federally mandated anti-poverty agencies serving close to 600,000 people in virtually every city and town in the state.  CAAs were created more than 55 years ago as part of the war on poverty to eliminate the paradox of poverty amidst plenty and to foster economic mobility and stability among our vulnerable friends and neighbors living with low incomes.  

We do this by integrating and blending over 100 services including fuel assistance, food pantries, Head Start, free tax preparation at our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, job training, adult education, financial empowerment, homelessness prevention and much more.  CAAs also work closely with local allies in coalition to address emergent and ongoing needs and advocate locally and on the state level on behalf of the people we serve.  

The Program Manager for Financial Empowerment will proactively lead, manage and strengthen the MASSCAP Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) network on an ongoing basis in the context of MASSCAP’s financial empowerment initiative. The VITA Manager will also work with MASSCAP lead staff and the network of VITA sites operated by 21 of our 23 Community Action Agencies. Free tax preparation provided by IRS certified volunteers that helps low-income taxpayers access the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), other tax credits, and recently COVID relief payments, is critical to addressing a prime driver of poverty – the wage gap.

Scope of Work

• Proactively leads, manages, and strengthens the MASSCAP Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) network by supporting and strengthen the 21 of our 23 CAAs that administer VITA sites by:

o Working closely with VITA site coordinators to improve practices, recruit and retain volunteers, maintain high level of tax preparation production and accuracy

o Encouraging and facilitating local VITA/EITC coalitions led by CAAs

o Coordinating trainings and technical assistance for the network emphasizing the role VITA sties play in linking low-income taxpayers with other CAA or allied organization services including fuel assistance, Head Start, job training, job coaching, and financial literacy training. 

o Collaborating with MASSCAP Team members and allies on outreach and raising awareness about VITA and tax credits

o Cultivating and maintaining relationships with national and local partners 

o Acting as the liaison with IRS and local partnership office

o Gathering and maintaining an archive of VITA taxpayer success stories

o Managing the reporting and budgeting needed for federal and state grants to MASSCAP to support the network

o Leading the development of federal, state, and private funding requests to support the network

Qualifications

• Ability to lead projects and facilitate group collaboration and consensus

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written

• Ability to work independently

• Experience working with nonprofits

• Ability to collect and work with data

• Experience with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance a plus

• Experience with delivering in person and virtual presentations and briefings

• Experience with Community Action a plus

• Position is full time.  Must be available to start by as soon as December 2024.

Please send cover letter detailing your approach to the scope of work, qualifications, and relevant experience as well as a resume to joediamond@masscap.org by November 21, 2024.