Bill Wilson Center

For more than 50 years, Bill Wilson Center (BWC) has been changing the trajectory of lives by helping current and former foster youth build the stability and skills they need to thrive. Many of their clients are navigating the challenges of homelessness, the foster system, or family instability. For those they serve, BWC is more than a resource center: it’s a place of trust, belonging, and hope.

Understanding your finances, learning how to budget, and how to file taxes and manage your money are the gateway to financial literacy and long-term stability. That’s one of the many reasons BWC works with their clients to file their taxes, for free, with IRS-certified volunteers that are part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

“Many of the youth who come to BWC have never filed taxes before, and some have never learned how to manage money,” said Josh Selo, CEO of BWC. “The VITA program doesn’t just help them submit forms—it teaches them what taxes mean, how to save their refunds, and how to plan for the future. And it makes all of that easier while they’re already dealing with navigating the transition out of the foster care system, while also often juggling school, work, and housing insecurity. The last thing you have capacity to deal with on your own is the complexity of the American tax system.”

With a hybrid model that offers both virtual and in-person appointments, BWC’s VITA program serves roughly 100 to 120 youth each tax season. As an organization, BWC serves over 5,000 people in Santa Clara County and reaches over 100,000 more through their street outreach and crisis line programs annually. The VITA program crucially connects BWC’s clients, many of whom are current or former foster youth, to credits like the Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC). In 2024, 5,696 current and former foster youth living in California claimed over $6 million from the FYTC, with the average amount back being roughly $1,071 per person.

As they are handling both sensitive personal and financial information and discussions, BWC’s services are built around the understanding that trust is essential. “These youth have been let down by people and systems time and time again,” said Program Manager Donna Granados. “We’re just another adult in their lives unless we prove otherwise. If they don’t trust us, they won’t come back—and if they don’t come back, they miss out on services they need.”

That trust extends beyond taxes—it’s foundational to helping youth feel safe enough to return, ask for help, and take meaningful steps toward their goals, including paying for rent, getting into a better housing situation or paying for higher education or training.

Granados knows this firsthand—she was once a client at BWC herself. As a 19-year-old single mother, she struggled to find support. “I applied to seven jobs, and BWC was the first place that took a chance on me,” she said.

Now, as a staff member, she helps youth access resources she once needed herself. One story that stands out to her is a young parent who hadn’t filed taxes in years. With BWC’s help, they filed for the first time, claimed child tax credits, and received a refund of nearly $15,000. More importantly, they realized the value of staying engaged with the process in the future.

“It’s an investment in our youth,” says Granados. “And that’s an investment in everyone’s future.”

 

Learn more about the Bill Wilson Center and their work.