Putting the “FUN” in Refund VITA Tax Clinics in CAP Agencies Angela Larson and Michelle Jensen
Overview
What is VITA? IRS Program Must Utilize Volunteers Scope Income
Why taxes? Work with people in crisis Seeing predatory practices Tax time is a financial reset Our clients need every penny of their refund
Why is VITA a Good Fit for CAP Agencies? Targets low-income households Utilizes volunteers Help customers gain knowledge to not fall prey to predatory practices Outreach for other programs at the site Helps their financial picture Easy recruitment for tax site customers through other CAP programs Community Action Plan NPI’s
UCAP’s Historical Results 2007-2019
Site Expansion History Marshall-2007 Jackson-2008 Windom-2011 Redwood Falls-2014 Willmar-2016 Hutchinson-2019 Mobile Sites
Production History
Refund History
Total Cumulative Refunds: A Big Economic Impact $19,441,180
Volunteers Produced: $958.00/hour
Key Elements to a Successful Tax Site IRS SPEC Partner (We have a great one in MN!) Partnership with MDOR Equipment Software Start early: Summer/Fall Volunteer recruitment and retention Partnerships with colleges/universities Good training for volunteers Marketing plan Site organization/flow Quality review Tracking
Don’t forget: FUN!
Challenges Space/location Scheduling and/or walk-ins Establishing a customer base Ensuring excellent quality Volunteer retention
Funding Suggestions
Questions?
Contact us! Angela Larson United Community Action Family Services Director 507-537-1416 ext. 2156 angela.larson@unitedcapmn.org Michelle Jensen United Community Action Family Services Manager 507-847-2632 ext. 3102 michellej@unitedcapmn.org