Is a program offered to residents of the Southern Indiana Counties of Clark, Floyd, and Harrison. The mission of Empower Southern Indiana is to empower self-sufficiency through financial literacy, by creating opportunities, and by establishing community connections. Through this systematic approach, we hope to provide life enhancing opportunities for every individual and family desiring to experience extraordinary change in their life.

Our Initiatives: 

• Individual Development Accounts 
  • Matched savings accounts available for low-income individuals seeking to achieve certain financial goals. Under the IDA program, a person’s savings are matched for purchasing a home, for improving an existing home, small business capitalization, or post-secondary education or training.  This program helps low-income individuals and families save money that they can invest in high-return, long-term assets.
  • Assets play a vital role in achieving self-sufficiency by providing current economic security and a financial plan for the future.  Individual Development Accounts produce positive outcomes such as accelerating the move to homeownership, obtaining safe mortgages, and succeeding as homeowners, completing a post-secondary education, or starting a business.

200% OMB POVERTY GUIDELINES

Individual Development Account (IDA)

• First Time Homebuyers Program:
  • The First Time Homebuyers Program educates and connects participants to helpful programs to facilitate the home buying process.   Participants will learn about improving credit scores, mortgage options, assistance options, the home-buying process, finding a realtor, closing costs and procedures, insurance, and protecting the investment.

• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance:
  • Offers free tax help to people who are income qualified, persons with disabilities and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
  • In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.
• Financial Literacy Workshops:
  • CASI’s Financial Literacy program teaches budgeting, the importance of saving, and credit and debt responsibility as the foundations of financial independence, stability, and empowerment. The program is hands-on and interactive.  The classes are designed to teach students financial terminology, basic money management, how the financial system works, the responsible use of credit and debt, as well as basic investing.  Students learn the role money and finances play in everyday life and how to apply this knowledge to their futures.