(Raleigh, N.C.) – The March of Dimes is known for its hard work organizing community events such as Baby Walks to raise funds for its work to improve maternal and prenatal health to reduce poor birth outcomes. On Tuesday, April 26, State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, gave the North Carolina chapter some easy money it wasn’t anticipating.
Treasurer Folwell met with Kelly Glantz, North Carolina March of Dimes executive director, in Wilmington to present her with a check for $9,901.03. Staff in the Department of State Treasurer’s (DST) Unclaimed Property Division (UPD) identified the money as belonging to March of Dimes during a routine review of records. Commonly called NCCash.com, UPD is the repository for 17.6 million properties valued at $1.02 billion under DST’s custody awaiting return to the rightful owners after being lost, misdirected or overlooked.
“Few organizations have done as much for the benefit of the women and children of North Carolina as March of Dimes. From its early work supporting vaccine research to help eradicate polio, which ravaged North Carolina and other states through the first half century of the 1900s, to its efforts to advance awareness and education to prevent preterm births and congenital disorders, their work has been invaluable,” Treasurer Folwell said. “It gives me great satisfaction to return money to this amazing group of dedicated workers and volunteers to help them further their vital mission to bring aid, health, comfort and hope to others.”
March of Dimes works with multiple partners to advocate for the health of mothers and babies, focusing on the biggest health threats facing them. It strives to achieve policy gains that prioritize family health and lower the rate of preterm births and infant deaths, as well as maternal deaths of women suffering from severe pregnancy-related health complications, especially in high-risk and minority populations.
“The March of Dimes’ focus on improving the lives of those most in need is a value that I and the Department of State Treasurer share. That is why we launched the N.C. ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) program at DST,” Treasurer Folwell said.
The NC ABLE Act was signed into law in 2015. It allows individuals with the occurrence of a disability prior to the age of 26 and their families to contribute to tax-advantaged savings accounts. Those accounts can fund essential disability services and qualified expenses without endangering eligibility for benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.
Under state law, UPD receives and safeguards funds that are escheated, or turned over, to DST. The unclaimed property consists of bank accounts, wages, utility deposits, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, bonds and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned. More information, including how to find out if you are owed money, can be found at https://www.nccash.com/
For the fiscal year through March 31, UPD has paid 140,500 claims totaling $79.7 million from NCCash. Part of that total has been disbursed through the NCCash Match program, a no-hassle, expedited system that eliminated paperwork processing. As of March 31, DST paid 79,120 Cash Match claims totaling nearly $25.8 million.
Kelly Glantz, North Carolina March of Dimes executive director (l) and Treasurer Dale Folwell (r)