National Unclaimed Property Day Is February 1st

It is my honor to serve this year as the President of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. It is our duty as unclaimed property administrators to reunite the money and property we hold in custody with its rightful owner, especially amid the extraordinary economic challenges facing the citizens of our country.

State unclaimed property programs return billions of dollars each year to our citizens. Just last year Colorado returned $47,684,536.99, yet our incredible consumer protection programs seem to be unknown to most people!

After post-holiday spending and as people evaluate their financial goals for the year, we think this is a perfect time to educate the public and our local leaders about the unclaimed property programs our state governments provide. That’s why I hope you will join us in celebrating the first National Unclaimed Property Day on February 1.

There are a number of ways you can get involved:

·        Use the template press release to earn some media. NAUPA has developed a template press release to help earn your office some local media coverage and get the word out about February 1.

·        Draft a letter to your legislators to raise awareness and encourage them to get involved with outreach to their constituents. Our template letter which can be tailored to state lawmakers and persons of influence will educate them about unclaimed property and how they can impact marketing and outreach efforts within their communities.

·        Use one of the two social media campaigns (includes fact sheet, social media graphics, videos). The NAUPA Communications Committee and NAST's PR Team have created two social media campaigns for states to leverage including in each a fact sheet, social media images, and videos. The “Odds of Unclaimed Property” campaign compares the estimate that 1 in 10 people have unclaimed property with other odds like finding a four leaf clover (1 in 10,000). The “Reunite with Your Money” plays into Valentine’s Day being right around the corner and encourages people to find a connection with their unclaimed property.

·        Use #unclaimedmoney so we can find and promote your social media posts. We hope you use the pre-created campaigns, but no matter how you choose to help promote unclaimed property be sure to hash tag it with #unclaimedmoney so NAST can follow and boost your posts.

The work of unclaimed property is the work of a lifetime, but we hope you will help us make this day, February 1, a celebration of the tireless work and incredible successes of these programs. States are required to return unclaimed property to its owner no matter how long it takes. It is your money and it should be with you.

If you wish to be a part of these efforts and want access to the materials mentioned above, please contact Jeremy Dawson or click here.

Sincerely,

Dave Young

State Treasurer, Colorado
National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, President