MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The work that determines what families experience at tax time starts months before a return is filed.
On Oct. 6, Prosperity Now will bring tax practitioners, community organizations, financial institutions, philanthropy, technology leaders, and policymakers to the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs for the second convening in its Regional Summit Series: VITACon. The one-day gathering comes as Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) organizations recruit and train volunteers, prepare outreach, and build the systems that will serve families during the 2027 filing season.
The stakes are significant for families and communities where they live. Nearly 225,000 Minnesota households claimed more than $577 million through the state Child Tax Credit last year. Nationally, VITA and TCE volunteers prepared more than 2.8 million federal returns in 2026, helping taxpayers access billions of dollars in refunds while providing no-cost tax return preparation to people who might otherwise face the cost and complexity of filing on their own.
This year, organizations are also preparing for a changing savings landscape. On Oct. 1, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it has completed automatic enrollment in Section 530A Accounts (Trump Accounts) for more than 60 million additional eligible children. Parents and guardians must still claim an account to manage it, and eligible children must have the account claimed to receive the one-time $1,000 federal contribution.
For the organizations families already turn to at tax time, that creates a practical implementation question: how do families understand their tax and savings options and make informed decisions about what steps to take.
“More than 60 million children now have a savings account in their name, but an account no one claims is just a number on a ledger,” said Marisa Calderon, President and CEO of Prosperity Now. “What turns a policy into resources a family can use is a trusted local organization helping them take the next step. VITACon is about getting those organizations ready before filing season, not after families have already missed out.”
VITACon will bring together national and Minnesota leaders working across tax preparation, savings, technology, and public policy. Featured speakers include Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America; Melvin Carter, CEO of FUSE and former Mayor of Saint Paul; Nisha Botchwey, PhD, Dean of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs; Evan Romanoff, Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General; Marco A. Chavarín, Senior Program Officer at Citi Foundation; and actress, producer, and writer Julissa Calderon. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar will provide video remarks.
The program will move from the economic conditions shaping household decisions to the practical preparations underway for the 2027 filing season. Sessions will address updated VITA training, Saver’s Match Readiness, child savings, rural tax services, education and workforce partnerships, and the role local leaders can play in connecting families with trusted services.
Prosperity Now will also launch updated VITA Train materials designed to help organizations recruit, prepare, and support volunteers for the coming filing season. Through the VITA Support Fund, with support from Wells Fargo Foundation, Prosperity Now is supporting organizations working to expand access to free, quality tax preparation across the country.
A dedicated child savings track, supported by Citi Foundation, will examine how trusted community organizations can help families understand and navigate existing and emerging child savings options, with a focus on 530A Accounts, also known as Trump Accounts. The programming is part of Prosperity Now’s ABC Initiative, launched with a $5 million, two-year grant from Citi Foundation to strengthen the systems families already use and prepare community organizations to help families navigate changes in the child savings landscape.
Media attending VITACon will have opportunities to interview featured speakers, Minnesota VITA organizations, tax practitioners, and organizations preparing to help families navigate new tax and savings policies. Broadcast and photo opportunities will include practitioner training, working sessions, and conversations with organizations preparing now for the 2027 filing season.
EVENT DETAILS
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
Registration and continental breakfast begin at 8 AM
Opening program begins at 9 AM
Programming concludes at 5 PM, followed by a networking reception.
The full agenda is available here.
MEDIA RSVP
Media attendance is complimentary. To RSVP, request credentials, or arrange an interview in advance, contact: [email protected].
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