MAYORS NATIONAL DOLLAR WI$E CAMPAIGN

MODEL PROGRAM MIAMI, FLORIDA

ACCESS
Miami
F I N A N C I A L E D U C AT I O N F O R A M E R I C A

FOUNDING SPONSOR

THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS

COUNCIL FOR THE NEW AMERICAN CITY

DOLLAR WI$E

Model Program
MIAMI, FLORIDA

ACCESS Miami
Standing for Assets, Capital, Community,
Education, Savings, and Success, ACCESS
Miami is part of Mayor Manny Diazs Anti
Poverty Initiative launched in 2001. ACCESS
Miami unites city resources with those
available in the public, private, and nonprofit
sectors. ACCESS Miami collaborates with
numerous successful partners one-on-one
to offer services to Miamians year-round,
including financial seminars, workshops,
free tax preparation, workforce initiatives,

Mayor
Manuel A. Diaz

and small-business loans, among others.

ONLINE

www.accessmiamijobs.com

Residents can access as manyor as few

CO N TAC T

of these resources as they see fit.

William Porro
305.416.2181

RIGHT

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz announces the

new ACCESS Miami initiative at a press
conference, September 1, 2005.

THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS

JORGE PEREZ/CITY OF MIAMI

wporro@miamigov.com

ACCESS

ACCESS Miami is a comprehensive, replicable,

TO EXISTING SUPPORT AND BENEFITS

citywide initiative focused on increasing residents

ACCESS Miami increases public awareness of

existing support and benefits that are available to
low to moderate-income working families and
individuals. To that end, it has aligned itself with
ongoing programs that assist low to moderateincome residents to improve rates of access of
eligible residents.

access to the financial tools that are fundamental

Tax preparation assistance

The City of Miami offers multiple options to
assist residents with tax preparation during tax
season. These include the operation of Volunteer
Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites that offer free
tax preparation with the support of the Internal
Revenue Service. The City of Miami has also signed
an agreement with H&R Block, the nations largest
tax preparer, to offer city residents dramaticallydiscounted tax preparation services at select H&R
Block locations throughout the city. Over 4,000
residents have opened savings and individuals
retirement accounts (IRAs) using these services.
The Benefit Bank
This Internet-based eligibility tool is available at
each of the citys 13 Neighborhood Enhancement
Team (NET) locations, in addition to various
community and faith-based organizations. With
the assistance of a counselor, residents enter
relevant personal information to complete their
tax returns. The process helps ensure that eligible
residents take advantage of all available federal tax
credits such as the Child Tax Credit and the Earned
Income Tax Credit. It also ensures that residents
take advantage of other available supports and
benefits for which they are eligible, such as food
stamps, Medicaid, Florida KidCare (SCHIP), the Low
Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP), and others.

to economic prosperity and success.

jacinto fernandez

I get to apply
for my food
stamps through
the benefit bank
without the
wait and hassle
of having to
go to the AFDC
and every year
do my taxes
in the office
with courteous
attention and
efficiency.

Start-up capital or the financing necessary for the expansion of a small business
is often difficult to secure through a traditional lender.
ACCESS Miami works with organizations that aim to help the small business owner grow.
We work with a local micro-lending specialist organization to identify a potential borrower's
initiative and desire to succeed with loans ranging from $500 to $25,000. ACCESS Miami's
strategic partnerships also bring tax credits, loans, and grants to apply towards training, job
creation and retention.
We give you ACCESS to capital.

Interested? Call us at (305) 416-1435, or send us an e-mail at ed@miamigov.com

An official program of the City of Miami's Economic Development Department.

CITY OF

ABOVE

Flyers such as this advertise the many

programs and services provided by ACCESS Miami.

investment opportunities for Miamians.

ACCESS

TO FINANCIAL EDUCATION

ACCESS TO TOOLS THAT INCREASE

ASSETS, SAVINGS, AND WEALTH CREATION

kandice simon

The City of Miami has invested significant funds

and resources to offer a one-of-a-kind savings
program called the Matched Savings Fund for
residents who qualify. Eligible residents can open
individual development accounts (IDAs). For every
$1 put into the account the city matches with an
additional $2 for up to $4,000 (maximum allowed
matched dollars) in savings per family. The savings
must be used for the purchase of a home or to
capitalize a business. ACCESS Miami continues to
seek partners that will enhance savings and future

I am very
happy to be
in my new
home. Without
the Matched
Savings Fund
I would have
never been able
to save for a
new home.

ACCESS Miami empowers residents with the

knowledge they need to make solid financial
choices. This knowledge is vital in helping all city
residents build a secure financial future. ACCESS
Miami works with numerous corporations and
organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit
sectors to offer free financial literacy seminars
and workshops to residents.

ACCESS

TO CAPITAL FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

ACCESS Miami aids small-business owners in

COUNCIL FOR THE NEW AMERICAN CITY

SAYDA MARRERO | Mini Market Nicaragense | First loan: $5,303.25

An ACCESS Miami Success Story

Sayda Marrero and her mother used all their
savings to purchase a small minimarket
located in the heart of Miamis East Little
Havana district. The business had been in
operation for a few months and was just
generating enough to cover basic expenses.
The business needed new refrigerators, minor
renovations, and inventory. Because of recent
investment into the business, money was tight
to do such repairs and acquire more inventory.
Having a new business and just getting
their quest for successful enterprise and to create
successful small businesses. For many low to
moderate-income residents, startup capital or the
financing necessary to expand a small business
is often difficult to secure through traditional
lending sources. ACCESS Miami aims to help the
small-business owner expand their enterprise
by providing access to capital that is ordinarily
unavailable to them.

ACCESS Miami works with a local
organization specializing in microlending to assist
entrepreneurs in need of additional capital. This
program offers loans ranging from $500 to $25,000
and focuses on a potential borrowers initiative and
desire to succeed. ACCESS Miami has also forged
a strategic partnership with the Small Business
Administration (SBA) to bring tax credits, loans, and
grants to apply towards training, job creation, and
job retention.

ACCESS

TO JOBS AND JOB TRAINING

ACCESSMiamiJobs.com
A program created by the citys Department of
Economic Development, ACCESSMiamiJobs.
com provides information about training and job
opportunities in several industries to City of Miami
residents. The goal of AccessMiamiJobs.com is
to ensure that prescreened city residents have
access to employment and training opportunities,
creating a direct link between residents and job
placement. To better reach residents who dont
otherwise have internet access, computer kiosks
which offer free access to the ACCESSMiamiJobs.
com Web site are available at select NET office
locations.

ACCESS
Miamis
povertyalleviation
programs are
built on four
cornerstones
ONE

1
2
3
4

Access to
Existing
Support and
Benefits
TWO

Access to
Wealth
Creation
and AssetBuilding Tools
THREE

Access to
Financial
Education
FOUR

Access to
Capital
for Small
Businesses

started, she wasnt quite a candidate for a loan

from a commerical bank. But Sayda learned
about ACCESS Miamis microloan program
and decided to go ahead and apply.

With the loan, Sayda was able to
purchase the equipment she needed, and
substantially increase her inventory. Now,
having survived her first three years in
business, she notes, I am grateful to ACCESS
Miami for offering me the opportunity that no
other financial institution would.

EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS
ACCESS Miami programs have demonstrated
noteworthy success in their efforts to combat
poverty. City-affiliated tax preparation efforts
in 2007 were the most successful ever, with
the participation of more than 9,250 residents,
saving residents over $830,000 in fees. Since
2005, ACCESS Miami has helped eligible residents
save over $2.4 million in tax-preparation fees.
Refunds since inception total more than $142
million. Through this initiative, Miami residents
have been able to claim over $58 million in EITC
funds from 2005 through 2007. More than 300
city residents have opened IRA savings accounts
in 2007 through ACCESS Miami. An additional
$700,000 in microloans have been made to smallbusiness owners in the city.
LEFT
Official Training Event

Do you want
to be a

FREE

TRAINING

Painting

Professional?

STARTS ON: Monday, April 2nd

ENDS ON: Friday, April 13th
TIME: 9am-2pm (weekdays for two weeks)

Learn a new skill

Start your own business
Be considered for employment
with various local companies

ACCESS Miami, in cooperation with Sherwin Williams will be conducting a FREE Paint Training
Course that will run two weeks. Participants must be 18 years or older and provide their
own transportation. No high school diploma is needed. Certification will be awarded at the
end of the program and eligibility for job placement will be available. Only 20 training slots are
available on a first come, first served basis, so call today!
Sponsored by:

 *
,/ 

Breakfast and lunch

is included.

#)49/&

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND,

please RSVP to Monica Bosano at
Ph: 305.416.1411 or
e-mail:mbosano@miamigov.com

LOCATION
Legion Memorial Park
6447 NE 7th Avenue
Miami, FL 33138

Building selfsufficiency and

independence
through training
on practical,
vocational skills
such as painting
forms an essential
part of Miamis
anti-poverty
efforts.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information on the Mayors National
Dollar Wi$e Campaign, please contact us at
the telephone number, Web site, or e-mail
address listed below.

MAYORS NATIONAL DOLLAR WI$E CAMPAIGN

Financial Education for America
202.861.6759 | www.dollarwiseonline.org | dollarwise@usmayors.org

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