COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGISTS AS CONSULTANTS .2. A NATIONAL SURVEY OF CHILDRENS TRUST AND PREVENTION FUNDS

The Michigan Children's Trust Fund and its associated consulting commu nity psychologists undertook a survey of national Trust and Prevention Funds regarding income tax checkoffs as a means of funding child abus e prevention programs. Over the decade examined, there were significan t patterns of decline in the percentage of taxpayers donating and incr ease in the average individual donation. The annual percentage donatin g, average individual donation, and total donations each correlated si gnificantly with both tax-return variables and economic indicators. Re gressions indicated the number of years the checkoff was present on th e tax form also was predictive of declines in donations. We concluded tax checkoffs have limited utility as monies for child abuse preventio n and recommended diversifying funding sources.