Georgia Watch

“This organization has members.”

“The form 990 will be reviewed in detail by the executive committee of the board and approved for filing, after which it will be submitted to the entire board for ratification.”

“The board reviews the compensation package of the executive director and has ultimate authority for approval or denial over the package as well as the retention of the executive director.”

“The form 1023, form 990 and other governing documents are made available upon request at the organization's office.”

“Cy pres - other income: georgia watch received a distribution of cy pres remainder funds in the amount of $170,604.59 from the cox v. Community loans of america settlement as ordered by chief judge clay land on august 17, 2017.”

“Founded in 2002, georgia watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)3 organization working to ensure that georgians are informed and protected on matters that impact their quality of life. We endeavor to close opportunity gaps, reduce health disparities, and protect consumers' hard-earned income. We advocate for policies that lower the energy burden on struggling families, open doors to the financial mainstream, improve access to healthcare, and increase financial security. We educate consumers so that they know their rights and are better able to protect their assets. We also equip and inspire communities to advocate for their own best interests. In all that we do, we work to ensure equitable outcomes and justice for georgia consumers. All georgia watch activities are managed and overseen by its staff and board of directors.”

“Briefly describe the organization's mission: our mission is to protect and inform consumers so all georgians prosper and communities thrive. We believe to achieve our vision, equity must be a shared value among all georgians. Georgians should thrive wherever they choose to live. Justice means all communities know and assert their rights. To succeed, georgia watch must be a relentless advocate for all georgia consumers.”

“4a) financial protection and advocacy programs georgia watch worked in 2017 to educate georgia citizens, the media and policymakers about critical areas of public concern, including predatory lending, proactive financial management, identity theft, scam avoidance and energy issues. Georgia watch offers numerous educational programs designed to assist georgians with basic consumer protections, including getting access to quality healthcare; managing personal finances more effectively, and lowering energy bills. Georgia watch staff members travel around the state to present these programs, which are updated and expanded as needed. These programs offer tools that help consumers connect with resources, build and manage wealth, and avoid predatory practices such as title pawn and payday lending. In 2017, georgia watch built upon the success of last year's georgia consumer privacy education project with the georgia consumer financial education project. With funding from the rose foundation, georgia watch leveraged existing statewide relationships and built new ones to form a network of 139 statewide trainers representing nearly 90 organizations. These trainers live in seven areas of the state, representing myriad socioeconomic groups, ethnic backgrounds, and both rural and urban communities. During may and june of 2017, georgia watch staff traveled to seven areas of the state to conduct all-day train-the-trainer workshops during which service providers were trained on the financial literacy curriculum that they would then teach to their clients and communities. After the train-the-trainer workshop, our partners began planning and conducting their own workshops with the material. As of august (just 2-3 months after the train-the-trainer sessions), 35 workshops had been conducted with 513 individuals in attendance.”

“4b) consumer energy program (cep) through media and grassroots outreach, georgia watch raises awareness of public service commission (psc) proceedings and other energy issues impacting our state's environment, economy and utility ratepayers' pocketbooks. With a particular focus on assisting low-income consumers who are particularly vulnerable to the high cost of utilities, we develop consumer resources with tips on how to use less energy to save money on power bills, which we disseminate at workshops and through our website. In 2017, we continued to participate in the demand side management working group (dsmwg) to push georgia power to develop meaningful efficiency programs for low-income consumers and stay up-to-date about the company's progress implementing energy assessment solutions program that resulted from the 2016 integrated resource planning settlement with the public service commission. Georgia watch is a founding member of the just energy circle (jec). In 2017, we helped plan and participated in jec-organized community forums, incorporating our highly-valued, "how to save money on your power bills" workshop. Georgia watch also engages with georgia energy efficiency for all (eefa) coalition partners and others in our clean energy and consumer advocacy networks to promote policies that expand access to clean, affordable energy accross the state. In october 2017, we hosted an energy equity forum in camilla that drew at least 40 participants from around the area and the state. To build upon the forum, we engaged with the georgia eefa coalition to determine effective energy equity community engagement strategies. We delivered 15 power bills workshops or presentations on power bills and energy efficiency in 2017.”

“4c) health access program (hap) in 2012, georgia watch created the health access program to ensure access to affordable care for low-income, under- and uninsured georgians. Through georgia watch's toll-free consumer helpline, consumers contact us directly with questions regarding their healthcare. Healthcare affordability was the number one reason that consumers contacted georgia watch in 2016 and 2017, many of them seeking information about how to resolve a surprise medical bill or how to access healthcare and insurance. In response, we produced the georgia consumer guide for medical bills and debt in 2017 and conducted nearly a dozen corresponding educational workshops throughout the metro atlanta area. Specifically, the medical debt guide provides consumers with answers to common - yet complex - medical billing questions including: insurance coverage and appeals, explanation of benefits statements (eobs), bill payment options, and debt collection rights. We also produced an online resource for the uninsured this year and are conducting corresponding workshops on accessing affordable healthcare with support from the georgia health foundation. Georgia watch has engaged over 40 partner organizations in education efforts around medical debt and healthcare access, distributed our guides electronically and in print thousands of times, and educated nearly 380 consumers and advocates through our healthcare affordability workshops. The medical debt guide, which is available on our website, had been downloaded over 1500 times, and we continually receive requests for more hard copies to distribute. In 2017, georgia watch also began serving on the georgia community health worker advisory board, which has been meeting for a year under the leadership of the georgia department of public health to develop a statewide certification program for community health workers (chws) in georgia. Improving health equity is key to our organization's vision, and promoting healthcare access is one of our strategic goals. We know that chws can help reduce disparities for vulnerable populations in our state. Creating a statewide chw certification program is key to providing recognition for this growing group of health professionals and also for obtaining reimbursement from third party payors for their services. As a multi-issue consumer advocacy organization, we understand how important it is to help patients address issues in their lives with income, housing, healthy eating, and mental and social health in order to become well and stay well. We have brought a useful and knowledgeable consumer advocacy voice to the conversation at the georgia department of public health about encouraging use of the chw model in georgia.”

“Explanation: the organization holds funds in trust totaling $239,013 on 12/31/2017, as stated in the organization's separate audit of financial statements. For income tax reporting, the funds in trust are reported separately on form 990-ez for georgia watch foundation, inc. (ein 26-1477073). Georgia watch foundation, inc. Is identified in schedule r.”

“Section 1.263(a)-1(f) de minimis safe harbor election georgia watch 55 marietta street nw no. 903 atlanta, ga 30303 employer identification number: 16-1639971 for the year ending december 31, 2017, georgia watch is making the de minimis safe harbor election under reg. Sec. 1.263(a)-1(f).”