Federal Grant Award Summary

United Way of the Mid-South received a $349,812 Project Grant from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Matching Grant Program (CFDA 21.009), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. The grant funds the provision of free tax return preparation and electronic filing services to underserved and low-to-moderate income populations across the Mid-South region, including persons with disabilities, non-native English speakers, Native Americans, rural residents, military members and their families, and elderly taxpayers. The organization will deliver these services through a network of volunteer-staffed VITA sites operating in hard-to-reach urban and non-urban areas.

Under this matching grant structure, United Way of the Mid-South will enhance the quality and capacity of its tax assistance services by increasing electronic return filing capability, strengthening volunteer training programs, implementing rigorous quality control measures, and improving overall tax return accuracy. The grant requires the organization to ensure that at least 90 percent of prepared returns serve individuals with earned income at or below the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) threshold and to file all eligible returns electronically, with expected incremental increases in return preparation volume annually.