Twin Cities nonprofit relies on volunteers to provide free tax preparation and financial services.
Twin Cities – October 18, 2016 Prepare + Prosper (P+P) is looking for hundreds of volunteers for the upcoming tax season to help low-income households build brighter financial futures. P+P trains all volunteers who in turn put their skills to use throughout the Twin Cities by preparing taxes, working one-on-one with customers to discuss their individual financial goals, and providing customer support and service for taxpayers.
“You can make a tangible difference,” said Tracy Fischman, P+P executive director. “Volunteers play an important role in helping hardworking families with low-incomes turn tax time into a money moment. A tax refund can account for 30% or more of one’s annual income. When families receive this refund, they use it to pay down debt or pay bills, make important purchases, and save.”
In 2016, volunteers returned $24.7 million in refunds for 13,000 taxpayers. Additionally, volunteer financial advocates helped 1,200 customers save $1.9 million of their tax refunds.
Because of the significant refunds that low-income taxpayers receive, they are often targeted by paid preparers that charge high fees. At P+P’s free tax preparation sites, volunteers provide customers with access to 100% of their refunds and financial services at no charge.
Volunteer positions include:
- Customer service specialist
- Financial advocate
- Tax preparer
- Tax reviewer
Additionally, P+P is looking for volunteers who speak Spanish and Somali. Tax knowledge is not needed for all positions. All volunteers receive training and support, and those preparing and reviewing taxes will become IRS-certified.
P+P operated eight sites in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Hopkins, and Bloomington. Locations include their main office in St. Paul, Minneapolis Urban League, Resource West, Eastside Financial Center, Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, East Side Neighborhood Services, Hope Community Center, and Creekside Community Center.
For those interested in volunteer, P+P is holding orientations from October 27 through December 20 at their main office in St. Paul. To sign up for an orientation, visit https://prepareprod.wpengine.com or contact Kelly Quicksell, volunteer resources coordinator, at volunteer@prepareandprosper.org or by calling 651-262-2163.
About Prepare + Prosper – Prepare + Prosper is a nonprofit focused on financial capability for low-income households. It provides free tax preparation and access to financial services and products; builds the capacity of other organizations providing these services; and works to advance policies and practices that directly benefit the people it serves. In 2016, 575 volunteers prepared taxes for 13,227 taxpayers who received $24.7 million in refunds; 1,231 of those taxpayers committed to saving $1.9 million of their refunds.
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