There is a quiet tension that shows up often in nonprofit and community development work, especially in under-resourced neighborhoods.
It usually starts with deep care.
Those of us who walk closely with neighbors facing economic hardship, housing instability, food insecurity, or limited access to opportunity want solutions that truly work. We want systems that are fair, dignified, and capable of addressing the full scope of need. Over time, that care can become so ingrained that we refuse to accept anything less than what we believe is the right solution.
And sometimes, without meaning to, that posture causes harm.
When we hold out for what should exist, we can neglect what already does. When we advocate only for better systems, we may forget to explain how current systems work. In doing so, the people we care about most can miss out on help that is available today while we wait for something better tomorrow.
Advocacy Without Access Has a Cost
This tension is playing out right now in conversations around child poverty, economic mobility, and wealth-building.
Recently, the current presidential administration announced a new policy tool known as Trump Accounts, a federally seeded savings account intended to help children begin building long-term financial assets. The program is not comprehensive. It does not close the wealth gap. It does not address the full cost of raising a child or eliminate intergenerational poverty.
Those critiques are fair, and the data behind them is compelling.
But there is a parallel responsibility that cannot be ignored.
As currently designed, Trump Accounts rely on an opt-in enrollment process tied to tax filing. Research from the Urban Institute shows that opt-in systems consistently result in lower participation among low-income households, particularly those least likely to file taxes or receive timely information about new programs. When access depends on awareness and administrative capacity, inequity is often the outcome.
If nonprofit organizations disengage because a policy is incomplete, families do not gain leverage. They lose guides. They lose translators. And they lose the trusted institutions that help them navigate complex systems.
Why Imperfect Tools Still Matter
There is a temptation in advocacy spaces to dismiss partial solutions.
“This does not go far enough.”
“This does not address root causes.”
“This is not the system we would design.”
All of that may be true.
But policies move forward whether community organizations engage or not. When trusted partners opt out, access gaps widen. The policy itself does not fail quietly. It fails unevenly.
The work of equity has never been about choosing between access or advocacy. It has always required holding both at the same time.
We can help families access what exists today while continuing to push for systems that are stronger, fairer, and more inclusive tomorrow.
The Role of Nonprofits as Infrastructure
Nonprofits are more than service providers. They are part of the civic infrastructure that helps policies function as intended.
They work alongside families, not above them, helping navigate systems that are often complex, fragmented, or difficult to access. This includes assisting with paperwork, sharing timely information, and creating feedback loops between lived experience and policy design.
Research from the Urban Institute on wealth-building initiatives underscores that when philanthropic or public investments bypass nonprofit infrastructure entirely, participation and long-term impact suffer. Direct dollars matter, but so does the ecosystem that supports informed choice, trust, and sustained use.
Without that infrastructure, even well-intentioned programs can produce uneven outcomes, benefiting those with the fewest barriers while leaving others behind.
Where Access Breaks Down
Trump Accounts illustrate this risk clearly.
When enrollment is optional, tied to tax documents, and not paired with intentional outreach, participation will skew toward households with more time, more information, and more stability. Families facing the greatest barriers are often the last to hear about new programs, if they hear about them at all.
That reality does not argue against the existence of the accounts. It argues for responsible implementation.
Research points to automatic enrollment as the single most effective way to ensure broad and equitable participation. Where automatic enrollment has been used in savings and benefits programs, participation increases dramatically and disparities narrow.
Advocating for automatic enrollment is not a rejection of the current system. It is a recognition of how families actually interact with government programs.
A Practical and Responsible Path Forward
A balanced approach requires a both-and mindset.
We can educate families about Trump Accounts as they exist today while continuing to advocate for improvements that make the program more equitable.
That balance looks like this:
For nonprofits and community organizations:
- Educate families now on what Trump Accounts are, who is eligible, and how enrollment works.
- Integrate enrollment awareness into existing touchpoints such as schools, clinics, food programs, housing services, and case management.
- Track who is and is not accessing accounts locally to identify gaps early.
For organizations providing free tax assistance:
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites and other free tax preparation programs already serve households most likely to be excluded from opt-in systems.
- Enrollment checks for Trump Accounts should become a routine part of free tax preparation in under-resourced communities.
- Tax assistance providers can explain eligibility, enrollment steps, and long-term benefits in plain language.
- When families are not filing taxes or are not eligible, these organizations can still provide education so households are prepared when circumstances change.
This is not mission drift. It is a natural extension of supporting household financial stability.
For policymakers:
- Fund outreach and education so access does not depend solely on awareness.
- Move toward automatic enrollment to reduce administrative barriers.
- Measure success by who benefits, not just how many accounts exist.
For philanthropies:
- Invest in nonprofit infrastructure alongside direct contributions.
- Fund navigation, education, and trusted messengers who ensure policies reach families.
Moving Forward With Responsibility
Advocating for better systems is essential. Settling for less than what our communities deserve is not the goal.
But neither is withholding information or access while we wait for perfection.
Equity requires responsibility.
It requires us to meet families where systems currently are, while working tirelessly to improve where those systems are going.
When perfect becomes the enemy of access, the cost is paid by the people we claim to serve.
We can do better by holding access and advocacy together, with clarity, humility, and care.
Sources
Aspen Institute Financial Security Program. How Can Trump Accounts Build Wealth for Low- and Moderate-Income Households? Event summary and discussion.
https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/how-can-trump-accounts-build-wealth-for-low-and-moderate-income-households/
Urban Institute. Automatic Enrollment, Not Opt-In, Is the Only Way to Guarantee That Trump Accounts Don’t Leave Behind Children from Low-Income Families.
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/automatic-enrollment-not-opt-only-way-guarantee-trump-accounts-dont-leave-behind
Urban Institute. Don’t Cut Out the Middleman: The Dells’ Pledge to Support Trump Accounts and the Importance of Nonprofit Infrastructure.
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/dont-cut-out-middleman-dells-pledge-support-trump-accounts-and-importance-nonprofit
Urban Institute. By Centering Households, Local Policymakers and Utilities Can Make Energy More Affordable and Resilient.
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/centering-households-local-policymakers-and-utilities-can-make-energy-more-affordable