Fair Share Tax Help

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Fair Share Tax Help is a nonprofit in Indiana that prepares income tax returns for working households at no cost. Volunteers who have passed the IRS certification tests prepare and review returns at community sites such as libraries, churches and community colleges, and our staff help families find and claim the credits and benefits they may qualify for. No one pays a fee, and we never take a share of anyone's refund.

Many working families overpay for tax preparation, skip filing because they think they do not owe or never claim credits they have earned. Paid preparers can take a large bite out of a refund through fees and add-on products. A free, trustworthy place to file, with a person who explains each line, keeps that money in the household.

With this grant we will run five tax sites from late January to mid-April, with about 40 trained volunteers, and prepare returns for about 1,600 households in Year 1. Each household also meets a navigator who explains credits, helps with direct deposit and savings options and refers families to programs they may qualify for, such as food assistance and health coverage. We do not decide who is eligible for any program; the agencies do.

Our Year 1 budget is about $179,500, growing to about $213,500 by Year 5 as we add sites and volunteers. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 3 paid staff in Year 1 and 4 by Year 3, supported by volunteers.

We are asking the Harborview Community Foundation for $58,000 for our Program Manager and for tax software, forms and site supplies. Banks, credit unions and donors also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Priya Raman, the Executive Director. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Fair Share Tax Help is a small, independent nonprofit in Indiana, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve working households, seniors, students and people with limited English across our county and the towns around it.

Our mission. To make sure every working household can file an accurate tax return for free and keep the money it has earned.

What we believe. Tax help should be free, accurate and respectful. Every return is prepared by a certified volunteer and checked by a second certified volunteer before it is filed. We explain each line in plain words, in the language the household speaks, and we protect every document and number. We never sell products, promote loans or charge for filing.

What we offer:
- Free tax preparation. Federal and state returns for households under the income limit set by the program rules we follow each year, with electronic filing and direct deposit.
- Credit and benefit help. A navigator explains tax credits and helps families learn about other programs they may qualify for, and refers them to the agencies that decide.
- Prior-year and notice help. Help with returns from earlier years and with letters from the tax agencies, within the limits of what trained volunteers can do.
- Money basics. Short talks on savings, bank accounts and avoiding costly refund products.

Who we serve. Working families, seniors on fixed incomes, students, gig workers and people with limited English.

What we do not do. We do not give legal advice, prepare returns outside our certification, charge a fee or take a percentage of a refund, offer refund advance loans or file for anyone who will not sign the required consent.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Manager runs the sites, trains volunteers and manages quality review. Seasonal site coordinators run each location during tax season. An accountant who volunteers on our board reviews our finances.

Where things stand today. We have letters from two libraries, a community college and two churches that will host sites, commitments from about 30 volunteers who have started the IRS certification, a quote for secure laptops and a written data security policy under review. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

Every spring, millions of working families file a tax return. Many pay high fees to storefront preparers, and some are sold a refund advance loan that costs far more than it seems. Others do not file at all because they do not have the documents, cannot get to an office or are afraid of making a mistake. Some do not know that a credit exists for people with their income or family size, so they leave money unclaimed.

Households with limited English face extra barriers. Forms and letters are confusing, and they may rely on a relative or a stranger who charges for help. Seniors, students and gig workers have returns that are more complex than they expect, and a mistake can lead to a letter from the tax agency months later.

Free help exists, but it can be hard to find. Sites open late, have long lines or are far from bus routes. Many programs run only a few weeks each year and cannot meet demand.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are recruiting and certifying volunteers, keeping every taxpayer's information secure and paying for software, equipment and a few staff while keeping the service free.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Free tax preparation is a proven way to keep money in working households, and we will use the most recent local numbers on households that qualify and returns filed in our final plan. We do not know exactly how many households will come, so we plan for a first-year goal and will report what really happens.

Products & Services

Fair Share Tax Help will give working households a free, accurate and friendly place to file.

How it works, step by step:
1. Book or walk in. Households can book by phone, text or online, or come to a site during open hours. We send a checklist of documents to bring in English and Spanish.
2. Welcome and screening. A greeter checks that the household is within the program rules, explains what we can and cannot do and gets the household's consent to prepare the return.
3. Interview and preparation. A certified volunteer interviews the household and prepares the return using secure software, with the household beside them.
4. Quality review. A second certified volunteer reviews every return before it is filed, checking names, numbers, credits and bank details.
5. Explain and file. The household reviews the return, signs the consent forms and the return is filed electronically with direct deposit when possible.
6. Navigator visit. A navigator explains the refund, talks about credits for next year and refers the household to programs it may want to apply for.
7. Follow-up. We give each household a copy of the return and a number to call if a letter arrives, and we help with a response when we can.
8. Close the season. We securely delete or return every document, thank volunteers and review what we learned.

Why this approach is strong. A double-checked return reduces mistakes, and a free, trusted site keeps the whole refund with the family. Volunteers also gain skills and a way to serve their neighbors.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: working households, seniors, students, gig workers and people with limited English in our county and the towns around it.

Our primary group is households that earn below the income limit in the program rules we follow each year, including households with children. Our secondary group is seniors, students and workers who want a free, trustworthy second look at their return. We will use the most recent local numbers on households that qualify for free help and returns claimed in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan five sites and about 1,600 households in Year 1, growing to about 1,800 in Year 2, 2,200 in Year 3 with a second site coordinator, 2,400 in Year 4 and 2,600 households at eight sites in Year 5. Our Year 1 budget is about $179,500 and our Year 5 budget is about $213,500, which is a modest cost for each household and keeps the whole refund with the family.

Demand data. Letters from two libraries, a community college and two churches, and requests from a workforce center and a school family liaison, tell us there is a need for more sites and evening hours. We do not count on any single partner.

We do not serve everyone. We refer households with returns we are not certified to handle, such as complex business income or foreign tax matters, to a licensed tax professional and help them find a low-cost one.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for households, and what makes us different.

- Paid storefront preparers. They are easy to find and open late. They charge fees and may sell loans. We charge nothing and never take part of a refund.
- National tax software. It is affordable for simple returns, but many people feel unsure and miss credits. We offer a person who explains each line.
- Other free tax programs. Several exist. We coordinate with them, refer households to the closest site and focus on evening hours, language help and small towns that are not served.
- Libraries and community colleges alone. They offer space but not staff. We bring the volunteers and the software.
- Friends and relatives. They may help with simple returns, but they cannot see every credit. We offer trained, certified review.

What makes us different.
- Every return is reviewed by a second certified volunteer.
- A navigator who explains credits and benefits and refers families to the agencies that decide.
- Evening and weekend hours and help in English and Spanish.
- A written data security policy and secure laptops at every site.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger programs have more sites and a longer record. We plan to earn trust one household at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

Libraries, churches and schools. We will post flyers and send messages through libraries, churches, school family liaisons and community colleges, and ask them to share our open hours and document checklist.

Employers and workforce centers. We will give flyers to employers with many hourly workers and to the workforce center, and offer a short lunchtime session on what to bring.

Banks and credit unions. We will ask local banks and credit unions to sponsor sites and to offer free or low-cost accounts so households can use direct deposit.

Online and by phone. A simple website and a text number let households book a time, learn what to bring and ask questions. We will also use local radio and community newsletters in English and Spanish.

Past clients. Every household that files with us is invited to return next year and to tell a neighbor. Past clients can become volunteers.

Timing and reminders. We will announce open hours at least a month before the season starts, post the document checklist where households can read it and send a text reminder two days before each appointment so no one arrives without what they need.

Cost to the household. Free, every time.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (summer): Sign site agreements with the libraries, college and churches, recruit volunteers and open the first training sessions.
- Month 3 (late summer): Buy and set up secure laptops, scanners and printers, install tax software and test the process.
- Months 4 and 5 (fall): Complete volunteer certification, run practice returns and train greeters and navigators.
- Months 6 and 7 (winter): Announce open hours, book households and prepare site kits.
- Months 7 to 10 (late January to mid-April): Run five tax sites, with evening and weekend hours, and prepare returns for about 1,600 households.
- Months 11 and 12 (late spring): Securely close the season, survey households and volunteers, thank partners and report to funders. Plan Year 2.

Sites. Each site is a room donated by a library, church or college, with a locked storage cabinet for equipment. We confirm each site's accessibility for people who use wheelchairs.

Equipment. We buy about $9,600 of equipment once at the start: eight secure laptops with privacy screens and a locking cart ($7,200), two scanners and a printer ($1,500) and signs and a portable counter ($900). Later years add or replace a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1, I serve as Executive Director. The Program Manager, paid $46,000 a year, runs training, quality review and sites. A part-time seasonal site coordinator, paid $24,000 a year, runs sites on busy days. A second seasonal coordinator joins in Year 3.

Volunteers. We recruit about 40 volunteers, each of whom completes the required IRS certification, signs a confidentiality agreement and passes a background check before preparing a return.

Privacy and security. We keep the minimum documents needed, use encrypted laptops, never send tax information by regular email, lock devices every night and delete or return documents when the season ends. We tell every household how its information is used.

Costs. Tax software, secure data tools and training are about $9,000 in Year 1, site supplies, printing and translation about $12,000, volunteer screening, training and recognition about $5,000, outreach in English and Spanish about $7,000 and administration and insurance about $12,000.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Priya Raman, Executive Director. Eleven years of nonprofit work, including six years running a volunteer program and three years on a free tax site team lead. She oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Manager (from Year 1). Trains and certifies volunteers, runs quality review and manages sites.

Seasonal site coordinators (from Year 1). Open and close each site, greet households and keep lines moving. A second coordinator joins in Year 3.

Volunteers. About 40 volunteers in Year 1, including a retired accountant and a bilingual college student, certified before they prepare a return.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including an accountant, a banker and a library director, who meet every quarter. An attorney reviews our data security policy.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $56,000, Program Manager $46,000 and seasonal site coordinator $24,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Year 1: Run five tax sites with about 40 certified volunteers and prepare returns for about 1,600 households. A balanced budget of about $179,500, with a small surplus of about $6,600. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 2: Add a sixth site and evening hours, and prepare returns for about 1,800 households. A balanced budget of about $182,000, with a small surplus of about $6,800. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a second seasonal site coordinator and a seventh site, and prepare returns for about 2,200 households. A balanced budget of about $208,500, with a small surplus of about $6,900. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 4: Strengthen language help and add a prior-year return clinic, serving about 2,400 households. A balanced budget of about $211,000, with a small surplus of about $6,800. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 5: Run eight sites serving about 2,600 households, and share our training with other free tax sites. A balanced budget of about $213,500, with a small surplus of about $6,700. About 4 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Households served and returns filed.
- Returns passing the second review without errors.
- Households who say they understood their return.
- Credits and refunds claimed, reported by households.
- Volunteers certified and returning each year.
- Households referred to other programs and how many applied.

How we review results. The Program Manager reviews numbers every week of the season. After the season, staff, volunteers and the board review all results and share them with funders and partners. If a site has long waits or errors, we change hours, add staff or retrain volunteers. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $58,000 from the Harborview Community Foundation for a Program Manager and tax software, forms and site supplies, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Manager salary, $46,000.
- Supplies: Tax software, forms and site supplies, $12,000 (other funds add $9,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 39% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $179,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $6,600 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $147,500 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), bank and credit union sponsors $20,000, individual and business donations $12,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $56,000; program manager $46,000; seasonal site coordinator $24,000; tax software, secure data tools and training about $9,000; site supplies, printing and translation about $12,000; volunteer screening, training and recognition about $5,000; outreach in english and spanish about $7,000; administration and insurance about $12,000; about $3,200 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $15,300 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $7,200 for eight secure laptops with privacy screens and a locking cart; $1,500 for two scanners and a printer for the sites; $900 for signs and a portable counter for each site; $1,200 for opening supply of forms, folders and a secure filing box; $2,500 for security review and written data policy by an attorney and an accountant; $1,200 for banners, flyers and a simple website; $800 for background checks and certification fees for the first volunteers.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($15,300), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $42,800, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $42,800. In all, that comes to $58,500. We start with $14,000 of our own savings and $47,000 in startup support from a local community foundation and our board, $61,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $179,500 in Year 1 to about $213,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $147,500, $143,000, $162,500, $158,000 and $153,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: bank and credit union sponsors from $20,000 to $36,000 and individual and business donations from $12,000 to $24,000. We add sites and volunteers as the program grows, and a second seasonal coordinator joins in Year 3. Grants fall from about 82% of our income in Year 1 to about 72% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $52,700, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $7,180 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Bank and credit union sponsors, local businesses and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Past clients and volunteers help spread the word, and sponsors can adopt a site by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Not enough volunteers. We recruit early, offer a flexible schedule and train a few backups.
- A data security problem. We follow a written policy, limit what we collect and train every volunteer.
- A host site closes. We keep a list of back-up sites and can move a site quickly.
- A rule change in the tax programs. We stay current through the training materials and update our procedures.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow sponsors and donors each year.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: one or two sites with a smaller volunteer team and one set of laptops, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Signed letters of support from each host site.
- Your volunteer certification plan and a list of certified volunteers.
- Your written data security and privacy policy.
- Your volunteer confidentiality agreement and background check policy.
- Your site schedule and document checklist in English and Spanish.
- Quotes for the laptops, scanners and printer.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $147,500 in Year 1, then $143,000, $162,500, $158,000 and $153,500.
- Bank and Credit Union Sponsors: $20,000 in Year 1, growing to $36,000.
- Individual and Business Donations: $12,000 in Year 1, growing to $24,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $56,000, program manager $46,000, seasonal site coordinator (part-time) $24,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: tax software, secure data tools and training $9,000, site supplies, printing and translation $12,000, volunteer screening, training and recognition $5,000, outreach in english and spanish $7,000, administration and insurance $12,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $9,600 at the start, then $1,500 to $2,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $15,300, paid once from $61,000 in startup money.
- Households served: about 1,600 in Year 1, growing to about 2,600 in Year 5.
- About 4% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs