Public Policy

What does Public Policy do?
The Public Policy program started in 1995 after federal welfare reform passed under President Bill Clinton. Southern established the program when the correlation was made that policy affects direct programmatic success, and change on a systems level was necessary to broaden organization impact on poverty.

Southern’s Public Policy program aims to support the attainment of Southern’s three transformational goals by advocating for local, state and regional policies and promoting new educational and economic development practices with a focus on Clark, Coahoma, and Phillips Counties.

Priorities:

Education – improve graduation rates (both high school and college) and employment rates through educational attainment.

Community Development – support the implementation of strategic plans in Southern’s target markets.

Asset Building – help reduce poverty by increasing access to asset building opportunities.

The Policy program achieves these goals through several key strategies: (i) research reports, (ii) coalition building, (iii) advocacy, and (iv) lobbying for legislative support of approved initiatives. Public policy activities must be more fully integrated into all nonprofit activities, including strategic community planning processes, direct service, and other products and activities to achieve Southern broader mission.

This strategy embodies a passionate interest in helping Arkansas, Mississippi, and their people achieve greater economic and social prosperity. The policy team uses the tools of advocacy, coalition building, grassroots initiatives, and research to accomplish its purpose.

Education and Training
To expand access to education and training opportunities, Southern focuses on state and federal policy change related to adult education, workforce education, and higher education, including federal statutes such as the Higher Education Act, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

Developing Jobs and Supporting Work
Arkansas and Mississippi round off the top of the list for states with the highest percentage of citizens living below the poverty line, with some counties at nearly 35 percent poverty. Beyond access to good jobs, many adults need additional support to continue working and climb the career ladder.

Building Assets
Recognizing assets are as critical as income to escaping poverty, Southern focuses on policy change that empowers families to build assets. This work involves creating access to affordable basic financial services and new asset building opportunities, such as ensuring match funding for Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) or college savings accounts; increasing the federal EITC uptake; and lifting asset limits on low income benefit programs. It also includes curbing or eliminating abusive financial service practices, such as predatory loans through payday lending.