The Common Cents Conference™ is the premiere conference to address financial issues across the region of Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia and West Virginia. This conference gives attendees an opportunity to learn about the financial problems facing residents and innovative program models to help residents achieve all their financial dreams. The 2017 conference will be held September 12th-13th at the DoubleTree in Bethesda, MD. Members of the School's Financial Social Work Initiative will be there presenting and attending.
The Common Cents Conference is hosted by free tax preparation and asset building coalitions from Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. These coalitions conduct critical outreach to insure that low-income families receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, provide free or low-cost tax preparation, and connect families to appropriate financial services and education. These coalitions serve more than 53,000 residents each year.
This two day conference is designed for all types of practitioners who care about helping families build and grow their financial health. This regional conference provides an opportunity to learn about the financial problems facing residents and innovative program models to help individuals and families achieve their financial dreams. The theme of Common Cents Conference 2017 is "Inclusive by Design." Presentations will include strategies on closing the racial wealth gap and improving accessibility. In our keynote plenary, Dr. Thomas M. Shapiro and Dr. Maya Rockeymoore will discuss how toxic inequality is created and exacerbated through public policy and the impact on our people and our economy.