Lilly Roman of Manchester, NH Wins $25,000 Prize After Choosing to Split and Save Tax Refund
Winner presented with check at Manchester City Hall on Monday, June 3, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
Manchester, N.H. June 5, 2013 /3BL Media/ - Earlier this year, when Lilly Roman filed her taxes and decided to split her refund into a savings account, she had no idea she’d receive a call just weeks later to inform her that her simple decision to split and save her refund would result in winning a Grand Prize of $25,000.
Lilly’s Grand Prize SaveYourRefund win was announced and she was awarded her prize on Monday, June 3, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., at City Hall in Manchester, NH. Mayor Ted Gatsas congratulated Lilly and encouraged her to save her winnings.
SaveYourRefund was offered through the non-profit organization Doorways to Dreams (D2D) Fund in an effort to encourage individuals to take advantage of the opportunity to save a portion of their tax return. Anyone saving a minimum of $50 in a savings account or purchasing a savings bond were eligible to enter the promotion. D2D’s past work on prize-linked savings has shown that the opportunity to win a prize – even a prize of modest value – can energize and motivate people to save. SaveYourRefund held weekly drawings, providing 40 winners with $250 each across the United States. The single $25,000 Grand Prize winner, Lilly Roman, was selected in a drawing held after the tax season.
Lilly has been filing her taxes for several years through Granite United Way’s VITA Program, but this was her first time splitting a portion of her refund into savings. Lilly first learned about SaveYourRefund when working with her VITA tax preparation volunteer. The volunteer explained the opportunity to split her refund into savings, then enter SaveYourRefund online or by SMS text message.
Though this is the first time Lilly has used IRS Form 8888 split refund infrastructure to save at tax time, she’s no stranger to saving, always trying to “save as much as [she] can.” Lilly’s biggest motivation to save is her children. The mother of three - two in elementary-school and one in who is in middle school, insists that her children push her towards getting most out life. With a young family, Lilly acknowledged the importance of having money set aside for a rainy day. “Especially [if] you have kids,” she explains, “...so many things can happen, like emergencies; you want to be prepared!"
The Granite United Way VITA Program assists families and individuals with low-to-moderate incomes. Trained volunteer tax preparers help complete and electronically file returns for free while also explaining any special credits and deductions available and how to claim them including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). SaveYourRefund was an added opportunity to offerVITA clients.
“At our Manchester VITA site located at Workplace Success, more than 375 returns were processed, bringing $847,907 in refunds back to the community, including that of the SaveYourRefund winner,” said Patrick Tufts, President and CEO of Granite United Way. “We were thrilled to learn that one of our VITA site clients had won this national prize.”
SaveYourRefund winners to date that have shared their stories are Linda Cruse of Parkville, Md; “C.W.” of Lauderhill, Fl; Hasmik Sargsyan of California; Alicia Matheny of Northwest Baltimore, Md; Michael Perry of Glen Allen, Va; “J.B.” of Cambridge, Mass.; John Rawlins of Tucson, Az.; James McAnulty of Belleville, Ill.; Sofya Leonova of Washington, D.C.; Amanda Coffing of Romney, Ind.; Rebecca Boyle of York Harbor, Maine; Annette McCollin of Cambridge, Mass., and; Tezurra Gooding of Morrisville, N.C. Learn more about them here.
“SaveYourRefund entrants have reported saving nearly $700,000, including $ 76,700.00 in U.S. Savings Bonds,” said Timothy Flacke, Executive Director of D2D.
SaveYourRefund is made possible by the generous financial support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Capital One, and other philanthropic sources.
About Doorways to Dreams (D2D) Fund
Doorways to Dreams (D2D) Fund strengthens the financial opportunity and security of low and moderate income consumers by innovating, incubating, and stimulating new financial products and policies. Operating at the intersection of the private, non-profit and public sectors, D2D incubates and promotes practical applications with social impact that might otherwise lack a champion to nurture and bring them to market. D2D was incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization in 2000 and is headquartered in Allston neighborhood of Boston, across the street from Harvard University’s recently opened Innovation Lab. For more on D2D, go to http://www.d2dfund.org or follow on Twitter at @D2DFund.
About Granite United Way
Granite United Way is an experienced and trusted organization dedicated to leveraging the resources of investors and volunteers to create lasting change by addressing the underlying causes of our community’s most pressing needs. Granite United Way is committed to improving the lives of individuals and families by supporting programs in the areas of education, income and health. Granite United Way works with over 1,000 companies, 25,000 investors and thousands of volunteers every year to make our communities a better place. Granite United Way serves the Southern (Manchester/Derry/Salem), Merrimack County, North Country, Central New Hampshire, Northern and Upper Valley Regions of NH and VT as well as Windsor County, VT. For more information, visit www.graniteuw.org.
