With support from Kresge Foundation, coalition includes 70+ partners across 27 states tackling barriers to economic mobility.

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Circles NWA today announced their participation in the newly expanded Beyond the Cliff coalition, a national coalition of more than 70 organizations working to eliminate the benefits cliff, a major barrier to upward mobility for working families with low incomes.

The coalition now spans 27 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and unites workforce and social service nonprofits, policy advocacy organizations, state and local governments, and collaboratives around helping families achieve lasting economic prosperity.

Last month, coalition members met in Washington, D.C., to present a set of six policy reforms — developed with coalition members, advocates, policy experts, and individuals directly impacted by the benefits cliff — aimed at supporting families as they transition off public benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, and childcare subsidies, programs that often decrease abruptly as earnings rise, leaving families worse off financially. Read the full Policy Agenda here.

Beyond the Cliff builds on the work of coalition members seeking solutions to the benefits cliff in a variety of ways across the country.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us,” said Pete Gess, Economic Policy Director at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. “State-level policy solutions that minimize the harmful effects of the benefits cliff on Arkansas families will only be achieved by understanding the needs and amplifying the voices of those served by Beyond the Cliff members.” 

“We are excited to participate in Beyond the Cliff. This opportunity aligns seamlessly with our work on both the programmatic side – supporting working families directly — and the advocacy side, where we focus on education and awareness across Northwest Arkansas,” added Ana Hurley, Director of Advocacy at Circles NWA. “We’re eager to contribute insights from our community while learning from others who are advancing similar efforts across the state and nation.”

Beyond the Cliff coalition members include:

Multi-State

• Circles USA + Circles Salt Lake & Poverty Solutions Group, lead organization for Circles Central Florida  
• Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath)
• Goodwill Collaborative: Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, Goodwill Kentucky, Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina, Goodwill of North Georgia, Goodwill Columbus
• Leap Fund
• LIFT, Inc.
• Living Wage For US
• The Prosperity Agenda
• UpTogether

State Partners

• Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families + Circles NWA – Arkansas
• Interfaith Community Services – Arizona
• Benefits Access and Equity Initiative – California
• Chief Executive Office (CEO) Poverty Alleviation Initiative (PAI) – California
• Colorado collaborative: Colorado Department of Human Services, Torch Technology Solutions, Innovate + Educate – Colorado
• Connecticut Two-Generational Initiative: Connecticut Department of Social Services + Connecticut Office of Early Childhood – Connecticut
• DC Department of Human Services – Washington, D.C.
• Hispanic Unity of Florida – Florida
• Georgia Center for Opportunity – Georgia
• Chicago Commons Association – Illinois
• Inasmuch Ministry/Circles of Allen County – Indiana
• Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. – Kentucky
• Geaux Far Louisiana: Louisiana Policy Institute for Children + For Providers by Providers Louisiana – Louisiana
• Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services + United Way of Southeast Louisiana – Louisiana
• Springfield WORKS/Western Mass Economic Development Council   – Massachusetts
• Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation – Massachusetts
• Maryland Department of Human Services – Maryland
• Maine Department of Health and Human Services + Maine Department of Labor – Maine
• Thumb Community Health Partnership – Michigan
• Economic Mobility Hub for American Indians + Ramsey County – Minnesota
• Hennepin County – Minnesota
• United Way of Greensboro – North Carolina
• Buffalo Niagara Partnership – New York
• Onondaga County Department of Social Services – New York
• Baby University – Ohio
• Community Action Committee of Pike County – Ohio
• Home for Families – Ohio
• New Directions Career Center – Ohio
• Towards Employment + Ohio Workforce Coalition – Ohio
• United Way of Greater Cleveland – Ohio
• Women’s Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation – Ohio
• Along the Way – Pennsylvania
• Episcopal Community Services of Philadelphia – Pennsylvania
• United Way of Pennsylvania + Campaign for Working Families – Pennsylvania
• Instituto del Desarrollo de la Juventud – Puerto Rico
• One Neighborhood Builders – Rhode Island
• Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility: Martha O’Bryan Center + Tennessee Department of Human Services – Tennessee
• Empower Upper Cumberland – Tennessee
• United Way for Greater Austin – Texas
• Sutherland Institute – Utah
• Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County – Washington
• Dane County Employment & Training Network & Parsley Solutions – Wisconsin