Women’s Economic Empowerment

YWCA Alaska Economic Empowerment Program

Our mission supports building an economy that works for all Alaskans; acts as a catalyst for systemic change; to dismantle systems that contribute to the perpetuation of poverty, homelessness, and inequality.

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AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Sites 2023

***One important tax issue for every Alaskan is how this year’s PFD affects your return, or your child’s return. Get educated about form 8814 (for the parent claiming the child’s PFD on their return) or the 8615 (kiddie tax form that must be filed with most children’s returns)****

Click to view PDF of AARP Foundation Tax- Aide Sites 2023

January Messages from SPEC Headquarters:

Tax filing season kickoff for 2023: IRS kicked off the 2023 tax filing season with a focus on improving service and a reminder to taxpayers to file electronically with direct deposit to speed refunds and avoid delays.
Tax withholding: IRS reminds taxpayers who earn wages to use the Tax Withholding Estimator now to adjust their 2023 withholding.
IRS Free File: IRS’ Free File Guided Tax Preparation service is live and ready for taxpayers to use.
Outreach Connection | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov) Use Outreach Connection if you need to share information with your staff or clients.

Interview Resource

Need help with interview questions? Practice with Interview Warmup- Click here

Financial Tips

Below you will find the links and further information on the financial tips discussed on YWCA Alaska social media.

Tip 1: Feeling in control

Tip 1: Improving financial Well-being – feeling in control

Do you often or sometimes feel anxious, stressed, or guilty about your finances?

Budgeting and spending apps, various types of accounts, even money itself are only useful tools, but none of these are the most important part of financial well-being; you are. 

You might believe you don't have enough to save, and that you must keep spending, or that you'll never learn to invest, but these are all financial fairy tales alongside wish-granting genies and talking frogs. We can be in control of our money instead of money being the thing that controls us. 

Here are some ways you can begin to feel in control of your present financial situation and influence your future security: 

Add your bill due dates on a calendar, and paydays too! Sometimes timing is everything. It's helpful to see the full picture regularly of what's going in and coming out. If you are paid biweekly there will even be months where you can expect three pay periods in a given month! Mark these "extra" paydays ahead of time and make a plan for it! 
Learn where your money is coming from. Before we can make any improvements, we need to know where we stand. 
Answer just 10 questions to measure your financial well-being and get a few steps for making improvements. Take it now, then take it again later to see if your story has changed.

Are you concerned that the money you have isn't enough or won't last or that you couldn't afford an unexpected emergency? Or perhaps you feel financially secure in the present and could even handle an unexpected expense, and now you are ready to do more to secure your financial future. 

Next Month we'll share more tips on improving your financial well-being. 

Tip 2: Ability to absorb financial shock

Are you concerned that the money you have isn't enough or won't last or that you couldn't afford an unexpected emergency? If your answer is yes to either of these questions, we are here to help.

A busted water pipe. A severe tooth ache. A break up, or a pandemic. These are all examples of unforeseen occurrences that can cause financial shock. Financial shock and unexpected expenses are inevitable, and the ability to absorb financial shock is a key pillar to financial well-being.

Here are some steps you can take to better protect yourself from the unexpected.

Hurry, calmly, and start building your emergency fund. Set a goal, create a system for consistent contributions such as automating your savings contributions through direct deposit. And don’t forget to regularly monitor your progress.

Take advantage of on-time opportunities to save. For many Americans, their tax refund is one of the largest checks they will receive all years. Saving all, or a portion of this can be one of the most effective ways to get an emergency fund started.

Pre-determine what constitutes an emergency in your life, and when to tap into your emergency fund. Not every unexpected expense may necessarily be considered an emergency, so set up some personal guidelines or when it is appropriate to dip into your fund. Remember, this fund is to protect you from further financial distress, so it is always preferable to rely on your emergency fund than on other forms of credit or loans that can result in greater debt. Financial emergencies can be categorized as something that threatens your income, your shelter, or your health. Forgetting an important anniversary or taking advantage of cheap airline flights don’t exactly constitute a true emergency, even though our social emotions may tell us otherwise.

When an emergency does indeed occur, identify steps that can be taken to ensure that you can pay your bills and get by for a few weeks or months. Tackle only urgent tasks and put everything else on hold.

Financial Affirmation: I have the discipline to make hard financial choices now to enjoy an easier life later.

What we do

We provide education to assist people in their efforts to gain control in their own lives through increasing their income and living standards. We foster engagement to build community and a shift in our social conscious towards compassion and respect to bridge the socio-economic divide.

Our Services

Financial literacy education and work-readiness skill building
Workshops with community partners such as the Anchorage Public Library and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
Equip people with basic budgeting skills
Coach people to develop informed financial goals
Provide wealth development opportunities and assist people to address financial emergencies

Assist with resume writing, mock interviews, and other work-readiness skills.

Women’s Economic Empowerment

YWCA Alaska Economic Empowerment Program

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Sites 2023

Interview Resource

Financial Tips

What we do

Our Services

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