Madison House’s Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope (CASH) program works to train and coordinate student-volunteers to provide free tax preparation for low- and moderate-income community members. To prepare for this role, CASH student-volunteers spend a semester training to pass the IRS’s Advanced Tax Preparer Certification exam. Using space provided by partners such as Piedmont Housing Alliance’s Financial Opportunities Center and the Thomas Jefferson District Planning Commission, certified students then assist local clients with the preparation of their tax returns, gaining valuable experience in the process. In this way, CASH represents Madison House’s dual mission of forming partnerships to address community needs, as well as providing an avenue for the professional and educational growth of our student volunteers.

The CASH program traces its roots to an effort among University of Virginia (UVA) graduate students that, in 1972, was led by UVA alumna Judge Diane Strickland. Even as early as 1972, approximately 300 volunteers were able to prepare over 2,000 tax forms, generating approximately $120,000 in returns for community members in just one tax season.

This year marks 15 years since the launch of the C’ville Tax Aid Coalition — a partnership including Madison House and the University of Virginia Community Credit Union that is coordinated by the United Way of Greater Charlottesville. Since its inception in 2007, the Coalition has generated over $35 million in direct economic impact for the Charlottesville area community.

In 2017, Madison House CASH Head Program Director, Wei Lin, won the National Student of the Year award at the IMPACT National Conference for his leadership of the program. And in just 2019, the Coalition generated $3.86 million in direct economic impact for local area households.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 presented challenges for the CASH program, as it occurred during peak tax season. When UVA students were sent home, the traditional model of meeting with clients in person to process their tax returns was no longer possible, and the program was disrupted. Program leadership was able to pivot to an online format in 2021, allowing student-volunteers to once again assist community members despite the immense challenges this transition created.

While CASH leadership and volunteers are still dealing with the impacts and challenges surrounding COVID-19 in this third pandemic tax season, the program has transitioned back to an in-person experience while using the proper precautions: masks, air filtration systems, plexiglass barriers, and hand sanitizer. Lara Sharma, the current Head Program Director (HPD) for CASH, shared that the challenges associated with reopening after lockdown have made it feel “as though we were starting the program from scratch again, since many volunteers had never worked in-person.” CASH volunteers now work once a week for a three hour shift where they may interact directly with clients and/or review existing returns. Most returns are reviewed three times before they are submitted so as to triple check for accuracy. It is in these shifts that volunteers had to relearn how to collaborate with community members face-to-face. However, while being back in person created some short-term struggles, it has also allowed volunteers to again “see the impact that they can personally create for other people,” says Lara. 

As Madison House’s tax preparation enters its sixth decade, now more than ever, there is a growing need within the community for the program and its services. While COVID-19 has been difficult for the program itself to navigate, it has also exacerbated the hurdles faced by those who frequently utilize the program and whose tax returns might mean the difference between being able to pay rent or buy groceries.

Following this tax season, Madison House will be applying directly to the IRS for funding to take on the leadership role of the C’ville Tax Aid Coalition as the United Way of Greater Charlottesville steps back. As a result, work previously done by the United Way will be brought in-house, providing an opportunity for Madison House to further streamline the services we provide to the community and introduce additional leadership experiences for student volunteers.

“We are so grateful to the United Way for their partnership and leadership of the Coalition over the past 15 years,” said Tim Freilich, Executive Director of Madison House. This change will allow us to continue to build on our half-century of tax preparation experience, and we look forward to identifying new ways to partner with the United Way to serve our community and neighbors in the years ahead.”

“Community members come back to us year after year, and they speak of the reliability of the program and how thankful they are,” says Lara, CASH Head Program Director. “CASH seeks to encourage a lifetime of volunteerism in our students, even after leaving the university. Anyone who feels like they would like to grow in their experience at UVA should get involved in volunteering through Madison House.”

Author: Brady Holbrook; bgh7wen@virginia.edu

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