Non Profit Grants – Providing Tax Services to Senior Citizens
The federal government supplies many grants and cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations and small business owners through nearly all its departments. One particular grant provides funding for nonprofit agencies to provide counseling to elderly people to aid with completing their yearly tax returns.
The Internal Revenue Service has designated $5.1 Million in the 2011 Budgetary Year to support the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (T.C.E.) Program
The IRS, which functions within the Treasury Department is approved to enter into agreements with private or non-governmental public nonprofit 501c(3)’s that will deliver instruction and practical advice to volunteers that provide free of charge tax counseling and assistance to senior citizens who are age 60 or older for the completion of their Federal tax returns.
Grants can be applied to compensate volunteers for incidental expenses such as transportation, meals and other expenditures incurred by them in providing tax guidance help at spots convenient for the senior citizens.
Through a competitive approach, suitable applicant organizations and agencies compete for acceptance to become a T.C.E. sponsor. These groups must be a not for profit business expert in coordinating volunteer services, together with knowledge of the income tax completion process.
Qualified organizations can receive grants to supply regional Counseling Programs. Tax return completion assistance is provided to senior-citizens through the entire traditional Federal Income tax filing period, which is from the 1st of January to the 15th of April every year. On top of that the guidance activities required to make sure that senior-citizen taxpayers get useful tax help of the best quality may be performed throughout the year.
The Cooperative Agreement between the IRS and the not for profit organization specifies the tasks that the program sponsor and Internal Revenue Service will execute, the geographical region involved, the maximum amount of funding offered for reimbursement and administrative functions as well as other data.
Beginning with the 2011 T.C.E. Program, multi-year funding opportunities are available for nonprofit groups which are qualified and match the specified standards.
Organizations submitting an application can elect, if they are focused on being considered for a multi-year Tax Counseling for the Elderly grant. Consideration is restricted to those candidates that satisfy all eligibility requirements.
Acceptance from the IRS of an entity to the T.C.E. program for one year will not necessarily mean that the organization will be accepted into the T.C.E. system in following years.
A not for profit group which is accepted to offer T.C.E. services is responsible for all aspects of managing a T.C.E. System including, but not restricted to marketing the program, volunteer recruitment and instruction, Website design and construction and outreach to seniors within their region.
