Success Story
A 2010 Ohio University study on the impact The Ohio Benefit Bank concluded that individuals who were helped through The Ohio Benefit Bank reported:
- Less food insecurity
- Less frequent visits to Ohio's emergency food network (food banks, pantries, shelters and soup kitchens)
- Fewer hardships by obtaining the benefits in which they had applied for
: The Benefit Bank Transforms Communities
2011 Video from The Ohio Benefit Bank
The 2008 Ohio University study of the results of outreach using The Benefit Bank online services in its first two years of operations concluded that the effort helped people apply for supports worth more than $38 million, produced multiplier effects of over $25 million, generated state and local tax revenue of $2.5 million, and created more than 450 new jobs.
As stated by Paul Fraunholtz, former Deputy Director of Family Stability at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services: "I don't know what other model would have that kind of rapid deployment and community engagement.
The Ohio Benefit Bank was not only helpful to our system, helpful to the families that are benefiting, but also to the very small, neighborhood, local nonprofit community-based organizations."
The radio show Marketplace cited the OBB as a national model for successful work supports outreach, especially for displaced workers.