SaverLife is a national nonprofit fintech focused on building financial security for low-income Americans. With the pandemic upturning the financial lives of many of its members, especially those with children, SaverLife executives turned to Stanton to help give those people a voice in legislation, public policy and the media. By leveraging the Child Tax Credit (CTC) legislation slowly navigating its way through Congress and compelling original data from SaverLife’s members, Stanton was successfully able to give a voice to those who are seldom seen and rarely heard.
Stanton analyzed SaverLife’s member data that consisted of surveys from hundreds of struggling parents who were currently relying on CTC funds to make ends meet. The surveys provided compelling evidence that families were actually using CTC money for groceries, clothes and essentials for their children. With this compelling data in hand, the team, developed media lists that included national reporters writing about personal finance, public policy and the CTC. They then created a master story pitch and began sending it to over 1,200 reporters across the country.
Using Saverlife Director of Public Policy and Systems Change, Radha Seshagiri as the spokesperson, over the course of six months, Stanton secured unique 35 print, online and broadcast hits (not including syndicated stories). Coverage appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC affiliates as well as CNBC, AM New York, Noticia and more. In the coming months, Stanton will continue to be the Voice of SaverLife members as the team shifts its focus from a national campaign to a regional one that will target people in Georgia, California, Arizona, West Virginia and Michigan – key states for Child Tax Credit reform legislation.
Child tax credit improves savings for 33% of families, data shows – what to do if you’re struggling
“As a result of these monthly payments, parents getting CTC funds were 33% more likely to add $100 to their savings, and 18% less likely to need to ‘significantly reduce their savings balances,’ in August 2021 compared to August 2020, according to new data from SaverLife.”
Child Tax Credit 2021: Payments, how much, dates and opting out
“The Child Tax Credit (CTC) ‘has been in place for decades, but sending it out monthly and sending it out automatically is a new activity for the IRS,’ said Radha Seshagiri, director of public policy and systems change for the financial nonprofit SaverLife. ‘While many people are savvy, there are questions about eligibility and misconceptions about this brand-new program.”
35.2 million families just got the first monthly child tax credit payment
“Of course, some of these families may struggle to access the credit. If they traditionally do not file a tax return and did not use the IRS non-filers’ tool to claim an economic impact payment, they need to sign up for the money on the agency’s site.
That’s led to confusion for some. Nearly 80% of non-filers said that they’d heard only some, little or nothing about the new child tax credit, according to a recent survey by SaverLife, a nonprofit, and the Economic Security Project.”
