COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGISTS AS CONSULTANTS - A SURVEY OF TAX PREPARERS REGARDING MICHIGANS INCOME-TAX CHECKOFF

The Michigan Children's Trust Fund (MCTF) funds child abuse and neglec t prevention programs and consults with community and clinical psychol ogists to oversee its research efforts. This paper highlights the role of community psychologists in this capacity and documents the effecti veness of this relationship through an example of the work they are as ked to perform. The primary source of funding for MCTF is a voluntary donation line on Michigan's state income tax form. Because even modest changes in the percentage donating have bearing on funding, MCTF soug ht a greater understanding of forces affecting donations. Given that o ne half of all tax forms in Michigan are prepared professionally, an e xploratory survey of preparers was undertaken. Results found preparers approved of raising money via the checkoff and were aware of MCTF, al though they confused it with other social programs. Differences were f ound in knowledge and practices toward MCTF based on degree of approva l of use of the tax checkoff, and the age, parental status, and gender of the preparer. These findings were important to MCTF in directing e fforts to educate a segment of the population that has influence over the major source of their funding, and may be relevant to other organi zations that depend on tax checkoffs for their income.