INCREASING HOPE
1551 REMOUNT ROAD, NORTH CHARLESTON, SC 29406 www.increasinghope.org

Total Revenue
$252,950
Total Expenses
$216,133
Net Assets
$56,280

Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF INCREASING H.O.P.E FINANCIAL TRAINING CENTER IS TO CREATE FINANCIAL FREEDOM AND STABILITY FOR FAMILIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA BY BUILDING ASSETS THROUGH FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

FINANCIAL EDUCATION: AMERICANS DEMONSTRATE RELATIVELY LOW LEVELS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY AND HAVE DIFFICULTY APPLYING FINANCIAL DECISION-MAKING SKILLS TO REAL LIFE SITUATIONS. STUDY PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED FIVE QUESTIONS COVERING ASPECTS OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE ENCOUNTERED IN EVERYDAY LIFE. IN SOUTH CAROLINA, 65% ARE UNABLE TO ANSWER MORE THAN THREE OF THE FIVE QUESTIONS CORRECTLY. ALSO, MOST AMERICANS DO NOT COMPARISON SHOP FOR CREDIT CARDS, WITH 54% SAYING THAT IN OBTAINING THEIR MOST RECENT CREDIT CARD THEY DID NOT COLLECT AND COMPARE INFORMATION ABOUT CARDS FROM MORE THAN ONE COMPANY. INDIVIDUALS NEED AT LEAST A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL OF FINANCIAL UNDERSTANDING. THIS KNOWLEDGE, PAIRED WITH FINANCIAL DECISION-MAKING SKILLS, CAN BEST ENSURE AN INDIVIDUAL'S FINANCIAL CAPABILITY. IN 2020, DESPITE COVID-19, INCREASING HOPE PIVOTED TO ONLINE TRAINING AND PROVIDED TRAINING FOR 174 INDIVIDUALS HELPING TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF FAMILIES IN THE AREA OF PERSONAL FINANCE. THIS TRAINING INCLUDED EDUCATING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ON THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PLAN AS WELL AS EIDL LOANS.

HOUSING COUNSELING: A HOME IS AN ASSET THAT ALLOWS STABILITY, FOSTERS LONG-TERM THINKING, AND BUILDS BOTH FINANCIAL EQUITY AND COMMITMENT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD. HOMEOWNERSHIP IS ALSO THE PRIMARY MEANS THROUGH WHICH MOST AMERICANS BUILD WEALTH. WHILE NOT A MEASURE OF HOME EQUITY, THE RATE OF HOMEOWNERSHIP PROVIDES AN INDICATION OF HOW MANY FAMILIES IN A STATE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD WEALTH IN THE FORM OF HOME EQUITY. SOUTH CAROLINA HAS A HOMEOWNERSHIP RATE OF 69.3% WITH THE TRI-COUNTY AREA BEING JUST ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE IN ALL THREE COUNTIES AS INDICATED. CHARLESTON 65% BERKELEY: 70% AND DORCHESTER: 71.1% INCREASING HOPE PROVIDED HOUSING COUNSELING TO MORE THAN 50 INDIVIDUALS CREATING 5 NEW HOMEOWNERS AND 2 HOMES SAVED FROM FORECLOSURE.

FREE TAX PREPARATION: THE VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) GRANT PROGRAM IS AN IRS INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICE FOR THE UNDERSERVED THROUGH VARIOUS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. THIS SERVICE HELPS LOW- TO MODERATE-INCOME INDIVIDUALS, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, THE ELDERLY, AND LIMITED ENGLISH SPEAKERS FILE THEIR TAXES EACH YEAR. DECLARED AN ESSENCIAL BUSINESS (IN ORDER TO PREPARE TAX RETURNS TO HELP CLIENTS RECEIVE THEIR STIMILUS PAYMENTS. VOLUNTEERS WILLING TO SERVE IN CRISIS CONDITION IN 2020, WITH THE HELP OF BRAVE VOLUNTEERS INCREASING HOPE PREPARED THE TAX RETURNS OF 320 PERSONS RESULTING IN $615,901.00 IN COMMUNITY IMPACT.

Executives Listed on Filing

Total Salary includes financial earnings, benefits, and all related organization earnings listed on tax filing

NameTitleHours Per WeekTotal Salary
Dorothea BerniqueEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR40$40,200
Trina CarterDIRECTOR0.5$0
Laura BatesDIRECTOR0.5$0
Dee DillinghamDIRECTOR0.5$0
Ingrid TugwellDIRECTOR0.5$0
Kimberly OteyTREASURER0.5$0
Sedrick MccallumDIRECTOR0.5$0
Thomas W Schipper IiiDIRECTOR0.5$0
Donna D'AmatoDIRECTOR0.5$0
Marietta WorthyDIRECTOR0.5$0
Gary LoadholtDIRECTOR0.5$0
Kimberly Fordham SheppardSECRETARY0.5$0
Elmire RavenCHAIR1$0

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202131339349301248_public.xml