How To Determine When To Engage With Non-Profit Donors

We all know that donations from generous individuals help sustain the mission of non-profit organizations. Throughout the year you find yourself promoting your non-profit through numerous emails, phone calls, social media posts, and more to receive donations. Once you’ve attracted a donor and received donations, when is the perfect time to follow up with them?

Today, we will answer the questions you’ve always had and will learn more about how to determine when to engage with donors.

How To Determine When To Engage With Non-Profit Donors

First-time and recurring donors want to know that you appreciate their contribution to your non-profit. While “thank you” goes a long way, there is a strategy that should go behind when to say it. Here is some insight on the best time to engage with your donors.

Prepare to Engage

As always, preparation is key to anything. Before you engage with a donor, it is essential to have a way to receive, track, and manage their information so you can maintain a positive donor relationship to foster continuous support.

Create a Donor Management System. This is a database where you will store all donor and gift information such as the date and time of the donation, the donor’s name, address and zip code. You can refer back to this information as needed to help customize donor communications in the future which will lead to recurring contributions.

Tip: Save this documentation and upload to a secure drive online. Once you create this database you will not want to lose it...trust me!

Same Day [Online Donation]

Express your gratitude immediately. 

When receiving an online donation, it is best to share your appreciation with a follow-up page as soon as the donor has finished the transaction.

The Following Day

Be sure to thank your donors for their contributions in a brief, yet compelling, email by the following day.

A great way to utilize your donor management system is to initiate this email after the donor's first gift automatically. Feel free to mention the campaign or project that their contribution will be supporting and attach a receipt for their records.

Note: This email should be sent from the director of the organization or a very well-known staff member that does well with maintaining donor relationships.

Within Four to Seven Business Days

An extra “thank you” never hurt, right? After a few days have passed, reinforce your gratitude with a heartfelt follow-up. This can be done via email or by letter. Take time to reiterate your appreciation and welcome them to your support team. Sharing an impactful story is always a plus!

Engaging with your donors is simple, easy, and rewarding! With so many ways to encourage giving, ExpressTaxExempt and our sister product TaxBandits are here to empower your nonprofit and be a helping hand with your nonprofit tax filing needs. You are in the business of helping others, now let us help you! Create a free account today and get back to making a difference in your community.

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The Best Way To Encourage Online Giving

As a charitable nonprofit you rely on the support and generosity of donors for some or all your funding. While some of you are still using traditional giving methods, online giving has become the “new norm.” Here is the best way to encourage online giving.

Transitioning from traditional to online fundraising is simpler than you might think; plus it will increase your donor base from just your local community to national.

How To Create Online Fundraising Your Donors Will Love

Implement Online Giving

We spend hours on our cell phones or tablets each day, so it is safe to say technology reigns supreme. If you are not already using online fundraising, you are missing out on a major opportunity. 

As a nonprofit organization, it is critical to invest in simple online giving methods. Consider having a mobile version of your website created and utilize easy online donation programs such as PayPal, Square [Cash App is great too!], Givelify, etc. 

Keep Your Donation Form Short

Let’s be honest; no one wants to spend half an hour trying to donate to your organization. Simplify your donation form and eliminate unnecessary fields.

Typically donors will only briefly scan your donation forms before deciding to give. If your form appears long, extensive, and complex, you may be losing out on potential donors.

Test your platform. Ask a friend or third party to complete the form themselves to see what they found confusing, time-consuming, and flat out annoying. You have seen your donation form a million times, and you understand all the information asked. However, having someone unfamiliar with your donation process will gain a better understanding of what the average donor sees. 

Easy Access To Online Donation Form 

The easier it is to access, the easier it is for people to donate. 

Accessing your organization’s online donation platform should be a piece of cake for potential donors. If they have to go on a scavenger hunt to find a way to donate, they will likely give up in pursuit.

Large, colorful and clear “DONATE” buttons are always the way to go. Consider having a donate button at the top and bottom of your website or page, but do not go overboard with the donate buttons. The last thing you want to do is harass your potential donors and readers for an online donation.

Close With A Strong Call To Action (CTA)

Now that you have driven potential donors to your organization and informed them of the great things you do in your community, prompt them to donate.

This can be done through a “Donate Now” button or link that instruct donors on how they can make a difference such as, “Help Us Make A Difference In Your Community!”

Believe it or not, there are thousands of people that are looking for a charitable cause to donate to each year. Utilize these tips to attract potential donors and maintain your much-needed donor base. Once you have received donations be sure to keep accurate records so you can accurately file your 990 Form with ExpressTaxExempt at the close of your organization’s tax year.  

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How To Improve Relationships With Donors

Let’s be completely honest, donors are a nonprofit organization’s best friend!

Without donations from philanthropic individuals, businesses, and organizations, it is extremely difficult to effectively carry out the work of your organization.

Forming a good relationship with a donor can benefit your nonprofit organization significantly and allow you to help even more people in your community by connecting with a philanthropist.

Here are 10 ways to improve relationships with a donor:

10 Ways Your Nonprofit Can Improve Donor Relationships

What does it take to establish a good rapport and working relationship with a philanthropist or donor? It has to be more than a nicely written email or monthly newsletter, right?

Several of our clients shared their “secrets to success” when it comes to creating and maintaining a positive nonprofit-to-donor relationship. Being honest, transparent, authentic, trustworthy, and patient are characteristics that go furthest with a potential donor.

Once you have embraced these characteristics it’s time to put them into action. This can be done in 10 ways:

1) Take Risks - GO FOR IT!

2) Maintain open communication

3) Listen & Learn

4) Find common interests and build on them

5) Do a follow-up call or send a nice note after your initial meeting

6) Help promote their company at hosted events or online (social media/website)

7) Be interactive and open to feedback

8) Refrain from being defensive

9) Educate donors of your nonprofit organization

10) Be strategic

Utilize these characteristics and put them into action to help you grow as a nonprofit organization leader but also improve the overall reach and financial support of your beloved organization.

What To Do After You've Gained Donors

Once you’ve built a rapport with the donor(s) that you’ve been looking for, don’t forget to file your annual 990 Forms with ExpressTaxExempt. The last thing we want you to do is to gain a bunch of new donors and then lose your tax exempt status. ExpressTaxExempt will help you remain tax exempt and free from IRS penalties. Create an account or sign in today to handle your nonprofit organization’s tax filing needs.

What are some ways that you have attracted and kept a donor or philanthropist engaged over the years? Comment below so we can add them and share with others 😊.

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Turn Your Nonprofit Obstacles Into Opportunities

Nonprofit organizations serve a great purpose and make a significant difference in the community daily. Although the mission of nonprofits is positive, they are faced with various challenges along the way. Each challenge presents it own obstacles but can turn into opportunities for growth and overall victory. Here are some challenges that nonprofit organizations face and how to turn them around to make it work for your organization:

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP CHANGES

Regardless of the political party that you or your team may side with, a level of uncertainty comes with a new direction of local, state, and national governmental leadership. Groups such as nonprofits can be impacted by these changes due to the difficulty in being able to adequately conduct any long-term planning for their organization.

The best way to face this challenge is to sketch out annual objectives and goals for the upcoming year while also including backup plans that will allow you and your group to have another option to fall back on in case you have to derive from your original plan.

ADEQUATE FUNDING

Along with new technology comes new ways that donors can give donations. A way to increase donations for your organization is by having an online portal that accepts donations. By accepting financial donations online, donors will feel that they can give in a more convenient way through their tablet or mobile devices. Also invent in a Square Chip Card Reader, a device which will allow your organization to receive payments through your mobile device or iPad.

LACK OF VOLUNTEERS

In order to reach the goal that your non-profit organization has set, a few extra helping hands may be needed. An easy way to gain these helpers is by reaching out to college clubs and organizations to receive some young, vibrant volunteers. Many college students are interested in lending a helping hand and gaining some community service at the same time. Also, a good bit of college organizations have a community service initiative that they strive to complete each semester. When it comes to community service, “the more, the merrier” is sometimes best.  

It is also important to keep record of any individual or group that volunteers with you, as most will need a signature or some form of verification from a designated leader within your organization validating the time they volunteered.

RETAINING/ENGAGING DONORS

Without donors, nonprofits cannot survive. The organization-to-supporter relationship is very important. Today’s donors do not want to think that all you want from them is their money. Rather than asking for money right away, find ways to engage conversations with supporters and give them an opportunity to get to know your organization and build an emotional attachment to your work and mission. These are some good ways to keep donors invested:

• Keep them engaged and let them know that they are an integral part to the organization.
• Let donors know where their money is going and what it is supporting. Give monthly or quarterly updates via email or newsletter.

INNOVATIVE & EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Many aspects of today’s communication are focused on digital outlets like social media, text messaging, and mobile app usage. Although the ways of communication have changed, that doesn’t mean that your donors have adapted or changed their preferred type of communication.

Due to this dilemma, organization leaders are having to find new ways to communicate their needs and announcements to various demographics. The best way to tackle this issue is by sending one message but taking an omni-channel approach.

Messages sent through social media would use a more “trendy” approach with non-extensive writing vs. a professional email or phone call that would be more conversational. It is also suggested and very important to survey the key constituents of your organization to see which method they prefer.

FINAL STEPS

By facing these challenges and turning them into opportunities, your organization can have an awesome year of philanthropy and service! As a nonprofit organization, it is crucial that you maintain your tax-exempt status with the IRS. ExpressTaxExempt, the #1 IRS-authorized tax e-filing solution for tax-exempt organizations, allows you to do just that. Providing security, ease, and peace of mind to organizations and its leaders, we respect the services that nonprofit organizations give to communities and are motivated to help with e-filing so you can get back to proudly making a difference in your community. With newly reduced rates, organizations can now save funds annually when e-filing. Pay us a visit at www.expresstaxexempt.com today and begin your e-filing process.

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5 Challenges Faced by Nonprofit Organizations

Nonprofit organizations serve a great purpose and make a difference in the community daily. In order to stay both active and effective, nonprofits have to attract supporters to their cause and then convert those supporters to become donors or members that will support their work.  

Although nonprofits serve a great purpose, they are faced with various challenges along the way. Thankfully, there is always a way to turn those challenges into opportunities. We’ve listed some of these challenges and provided you with some tips on how to turn them around and make it work for your organization:

Nonprofit Challenges

1) Retaining/Engaging Donors

Without donors, nonprofits cannot survive. The organization-to-supporter relationship is very important. Today’s donors do not want to think that all you want from them is their money. Rather than asking for money right away, find ways to engage conversations with supporters and give them an opportunity to get to know your organization and build an emotional attachment to your work and mission. These are some good ways to keep donors invested: 

• -Keep them engaged and let them know that they are part of the team. Let them know that they are an integral part to the organization. 
• -Let donors know where their money is going and what it is supporting. Give monthly or quarterly updates via email or newsletter. 

2) Lack of Resources

When finances are limited and resources are scarce, it is beneficial to form partnerships with other organizations that have the similar mission and goals. By forming and fostering these relationships, you can achieve more on a larger scale. Remember, there is strength in numbers. 

3) Adequate Funding

Acquiring the necessary funds to adequately operate your organization in its full potential may be a bit of a challenge for some groups. Organizations can solicit funding from foundations, corporations, grants, and philanthropic individuals. Reaching out to local businesses in the community along with community leaders for sponsorships or donations. 

4) Public Awareness

New non-profit groups or organizations that may not be well known in their community yet should put focus on increasing awareness about who they are and what they do. Implementing an online marketing campaign/strategy will allow for your organization to be promoted to a larger audience and can also draw the attention of potential funding sources. Utilizing social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and more, will also be very beneficial in reaching larger audiences. 

5) Printed Communication

The days of paper-based marketing and sales are slowly, but surely fading away. For many years, organizations depended heavily on direct mail serving as their main point of contact with current and potential donors. Although direct mail still brings in some money, it mainly targets just one age bracket, which is age 55 and over and makes it quite difficult to track who opened and read the mailer that was mailed. 

The best way to solve this problem is to move online. Instead of sending letters, send emails with an intriguing subject line and include the information that you’re trying to disseminate. Also, if your organization has a website, you can add a “Donate Now” button to your home page which will allow donors to give online. Having the capability to receive donations online can also encourage donors to set up automatic payments and donations towards your organization each month. Plus, millennials are more prone to make donations via text or online if they are contacted through that medium. 

How To Maintain Tax-Exempt Status

In order to remain as a tax-exempt organization or to receive tax deductible donations to sustain the operation of your organization, you must in good standing with the IRS. This status can be maintained by e-filing with ExpressTaxExempt. Within minutes you will be able to successfully e-file one of the forms including in our Form 990 Series or our latest release for political organizations, Form 1120-POL.

Feel free to contact our support team of e-file experts at 704.839.2321 if you have any questions or need help with your e-filing experience. We’re here to assist you Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST or feel free to reach us 24/7 via email at support@ExpressTaxExempt.com.

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Form 990 Instructions for Exempt Organizations

Tax-exempt organizations are required to file an annual tax return with the IRS - this form is known as the 990 series, and it reports an organization’s total revenue, expenses, and activities.

Submitting an IRS 990 form every year is essential for tax-exempt groups to maintain their exemption status.

Failing to do so can lead to severe IRS penalties including automatic revocation of exemption status. Filing with incomplete or incorrect information also yields the same consequences. Here are a few guidelines to remember when filing a 990 form.

Accounting Period
Tax-exempt groups typically need to file their tax return by the 15th day of the 5th month after their accounting period ends. An accounting period, or tax year period, is a consecutive 12-month period which an organization operates. There are two types of tax years - calendar and fiscal. You can contact the IRS tax-exempt hotline (877.829.5500) and ask for your organization’s specific tax year begin and end dates.

Gross Receipts
The type of 990 form the IRS requires depends on your organization’s gross receipts or total revenues. For tax-exempt groups making over $200,000 a year, IRS Form 990 is mandatory to file. Organizations with gross receipts between $50,000 and $200,000 can file IRS Form 990-EZ. And small nonprofits or charities with less than $50,000 are responsible for filing IRS Form 990-N (e-Postcard).

Requirements for a Complete Form 990
Preparing an accurate Form 990 or 990-EZ for your organization takes a considerable amount of time and paperwork. Both forms are several pages long depending on how many schedules you need to attach.

Along with your basic organization details, be ready to present information about program services, revenue, expenses, supplemental financial statements, net assets, balance sheets, a list of employees, other IRS filings, and tax compliance along with governance, management, and disclosures.

E-filing with ExpressTaxExempt
The best way to file a 990 form is through an IRS-authorized, e-file provider. ExpressTaxExempt.com is such a service offering cloud-based solutions to exempt organizations looking for a quicker and more accurate method of filing with the IRS.

The process is entirely simplified with interview-style questions, internal error checks, bulk upload of multiple contributions or donors, automatic schedule inclusion, real-time email notifications of filing status, and storage of transmitted returns.

You can invite board members to e-verify your completed form, and even gain access to a PDF copy after submitting to the IRS. If your return gets rejected, ExpressTaxExempt can point out the errors for you to correct and retransmit. You can even file amended returns for accepted filings if applicable.

It’s necessary for exempt organizations to remain current with their annual tax returns. ExpressTaxExempt.com makes it easy to e-file, but feel free to contact us at 704.839.2321, or through email with support@ExpressTaxExempt.com, for any questions about e-filing with the IRS.

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3 Keys to Gain More Donors

3 Keys to Gain More Donors

In the nonprofit industry, it’s standard practice to request for donations or contributions - and there are many ways to secure supporters. One way that’s least chosen by small organizations is cringe-worthy persuasion.

When thinking about persuasion, most of us picture being sold something by any means necessary - or someone overly aggressive and a bit sleazy. But mainly, persuasion is getting someone to believe in something as much as you do.

And we persuade more than we probably think - any time you casually talk about your organization to someone, when explaining what you do, or when you acquire volunteers and members. Keep these three keys in mind the next time you need potential donors to become believers.

Convey Your Faith & Purpose

Remember your reasons for starting your nonprofit or charitable organization. Why do you want to make a difference or leave an impact? There clearly has to be a love or passion for the goals your organization is attempting to achieve. You don’t necessarily need to be extremely eager or excited, but understand that people can sense when you’re speaking with genuine interest rather than regurgitating facts.

Utilize the Three Cs

To keep your conversation on track, remember to be clear, concise, and calm - the three Cs. Consistency is important here - you’ll lose your potential donor by contradicting something you said earlier. Refrain from over sharing anything that doesn’t drive your point, and if you happen to be shy or an introvert, practice a few times until the process becomes natural.

Aim Beyond Donations

When speaking about your exempt organization, donations should be the bonus - not the goal. Your objective should be to get the donor enthusiastic about your nonprofit as much as you are. Nonprofits typically establish and maintain relationships with potential donors - you might not get that check right after the first meeting, but in the long run, the money will come as others begin to believe in you more.

After you’ve built donor relationships and start receiving donations, visit us at ExpressTaxExempt.com where you can enter or bulk upload your list of contributions, gifts, and grants. According to the IRS, you must report donations greater or equal to $5,000 on your IRS Form 990/990-EZ - you also need to submit donor information such as name and address for each contribution you report.

Our U.S. - based, customer support team are available to assist you with contributions or any other questions about the e-filing process. Give us a call at 704.839.2321, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. You can also contact us via email with support@ExpressTaxExempt.com.

Related Blog: Tax Tips for Nonprofit Volunteers

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4 Effective Blog Ideas for Nonprofits

There are many things you can do to increase community engagement with your nonprofit or charity. A least expensive and less time-consuming option is to create a weekly or bi-weekly blog.

Blogs are an excellent way to update donors, attract new contributors, and showcase your organization’s accomplishments all at once.

Blogs have the potential of reaching a larger audience than your regular lists of contact emails, but only if your blogs contain engaging and concise content. Here are four ideas for blogs from the Internet you can quickly use to increase your exempt organization’s outreach.

Stories from Communities
The most attractive thing your nonprofit or charity can do is display how it invokes positive change within the community. These stories can highlight how your organization meets community needs - you can interview a city leader, a donor, or a long-time resident. If possible, be sure to include photos and videos.

A Compilation Report
A small, summarized report can keep your audiences informed about the progress your organization makes - this can include statistics from donations, fundraising events, volunteers, or services. Feature about five stats from your organization’s activities and use one of those numbers each time you re-post the blog to your social media pages.

Important: A blog detailing a report should be brief and straight to the point. Keep it short to retain your audience’s attention - inform readers of only the significant numerical facts from your activities. Save the minuscule details for your major annual meetings.

Useful Resources or Advice
Your blogs should be able to connect with others outside your donor’s list - sharing tips and resources can put your brand in front of people who have never heard of you. For example, if your organization seeks the restoration and preservation of plant life, create a blog about building or maintaining a backyard garden. Or if your nonprofit is about art, point of some of the best art places in the community.

Behind the Scenes Coverage
Give your audiences an insightful look into the inner workings of your organization. You can significantly express the goals of your nonprofit, fundraising events, and other activities along with the people who help make it happen - use interviews or stories from staff, volunteers, or board members. Visuals are always important, so include various multimedia.

Whether these blogs bring in more contributions, volunteers, or even spark new ideas for fundraising events or program services, you’ll still need to report these changes to the IRS with your annual tax return. With ExpressTaxExempt.com, you can e-file your IRS Form 990/990-EZ a lot quicker than paper filing. Our service uses simple, interview-style questioning and cloud-based technology so you can access and complete your form on any computer.

Contact our U.S. - based support team for any questions or assistance with the e-filing process. You can reach us at 704.839.2321, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST or email us 24/7 with support@ExpressTaxExempt.com.

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Get More Done in Less Time! Bulk Upload Your Information

E-filing tax returns for your nonprofit or charity takes a considerable amount of time - that’s no surprise. But the time you’re dedicating to remain compliant with the IRS could be spent running your organization.

With ExpressTaxExempt.com, we understand how important time is for exempt organizations. We also know the severity of filing promptly with the IRS, which is why our service streamlines the e-filing process to get your IRS Form 990/990-EZ finished and transmitted as soon as possible.

One of our unique, cloud-based features that allow for time-efficient filing is our Bulk Upload option.

Upload Information All At Once
Our bulk upload feature caters to those of you who receive numerous contributions throughout the year. Many tax-exempt organizations receive hundreds of donations and entering each one, as required by the IRS, is a daunting task.

With ExpressTaxExempt.com, you have the option to upload all your contributions at once by clicking the “Bulk Upload” button on the “Contributions, Gifts, Grants, and Similar Amounts Received” screen. Our program enters your entire list in your account while you are free to continue filling out the rest of your form.

Easy Steps To Upload
Submit your contributions list in three simple steps and get back completing the rest of your return while ExpressTaxExempt.com works for you.

All you need to do:

• Step 1 - Download our pre-made spreadsheet template
• Step 2 - Enter or transfer your contribution details within the template and save
• Step 3 - Upload the saved template from your computer

Important: If you already have all your donations listed on a spreadsheet, you can skip the first two steps and just upload your file into the program. Make sure your file contains all the required information to report correctly to the IRS.

Our U.S. - based, customer support team is happy to answer any questions you may have about bulk uploading or reporting contributions in general. Give us a call at 704.829.2321, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. You can also contact us at any time of the day with support@ExpressTaxExempt.com.

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Boost Online Donor Retention

How do you boost online donor retention? It’s a big question. Currently, 40.5% of nonprofits surveyed said that less than 10% of their fundraising came from online donations.

So we know there’s quite a swath of exempt organizations out there who aren’t utilizing online donations.

But for those who are, how do you make sure you are following best practices? How do you retain those awesome, web-savvy donors?

Communication

When it comes to communicating with your online donors, you are pretty much tied to both email and social media.

Before you get to those steps, you should probably have a solid online presence. Start by creating a website and a blog! Your blog can range from personal stories about your nonprofit to tips and tricks. Anything goes, as long as you communicate organization updates too!

After that, you simply need to design an email campaign. Let this take form as newsletters, donation emails, or even deals.

Your social media presence is crucial now. With online donation movements like #GivingTuesday, there are just too many opportunities out there. Get social now! It’s low hanging fruit.

There are some special skills you can tap into for your nonprofit marketing, including using video to boost donations.

Every communication channel you open is there for you to retain a relationship with your donors. That should be your top goal.

Appreciation

The most important thing you can do for your retention is to thank your donors. By showing appreciation, your people will feel a swell of gratification that will ask them to keep on.

And don’t just issue blanket thank yous, personalize them to your givers! If you have a database of names and email addresses, this could be easily automated within an email service.

Use your communication channels to feature the philanthropic work people have done for and with your organization.

Connection

Donors aren’t ATMs, they’re people. Don’t bombard them with constant requests for money.

Your best strategy will be to get their voices involved, so that you can establish a connection.

So we suggest using your social media to really spark up discourse. Polls, open ended questions, and contests will involve your followers in a way that gives you insights about them.

And form an emotional connection! If your exempt organization cares deeply, show it. If there’s a funny and comical way to get your message across that matches your tone, do it!

With the exempt organization tax filing deadline soon approaching, it’s a good idea to get those donor records in order.

Head over to ExpressTaxExempt and start your free account today! With multi-user account access, bulk data uploading, and a simplified format, ETE is the premier choice for nonprofit 990 filing.

Have any questions? Give us a call at 704.839.2321.

What are you doing to boost online donor retention?

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Tales from the Nonprofit

There’s nothing better than a good story - except maybe food and a good story. But even without the food, a story has it’s own worth. A great story can stir emotions, create a call to action, or simply entertain. For nonprofits and charities, a story can inspire to give. Of course we don’t mean just any story, but a story of the work done by your organization that has influenced or helped others within the community.

As much work as your organization accomplishes, there’s probably a story or fascinating experience for every staff member or volunteer. Ironically, the most challenging part of sharing these stories is first finding them. Here are some ways to boost your organization’s storytelling to share with donors.

Be Specific

• You need to know exactly what kind of story you’re looking to share from your programs - broadly asking for any story will give you just that. And your staff member or volunteer may have numerous unique experiences within the nonprofit per day. Help them select the best choice by requesting for a specific story.

Stories at Staff Meetings

• Can’t make rounds to everyone? Take a few minutes during regular staff meetings and ask your members to share a special, impressionable, or surprising moment from the previous week. The entire story doesn’t have to be told at that very moment - just a minute or two. You can meet up with the member later to gather details. This will allow you to get great stories straight from the source rather than spending the day randomly going from person to person.

Strategic Listening

• Another way to find great stories is to simply listen to what is going on around you. And no, we don’t mean eavesdropping, or what we affectionately refer to in our office as “ear hustling,” but instead to pay close attention to the many conversations you have with your staff and volunteers each day. Listen well and strategically ask questions that reveal further information.

Story Submission

• Maybe the problem isn’t coming up with stories, but rather what to do with them. With so much to do, your staff can’t possibly drop everything to express a worthy experience. A paper or online form can allow anyone to quickly submit their story. You can find online resources about creating forms.

Show Them the Way

• A great way to get others to openly express themselves is for you to openly express yourself. Share your own stories of the donors you speak with, the people you’ve helped, or any thoughtful, impressionable moments. Not only does it add value to the relationships of those working around you, but it also establishes connections to those who graciously fund your programs.

Getting your organization’s message and efforts known by the masses is a team effort, but sharing more stories can lead to more donations, allowing you to make even more of an impact in our world.

So while your nonprofit or charity is out changing the world, let us help you with our tax-exempt returns and extension forms made easy. With ExpressTaxExempt, you can e-file your 990 forms and extensions faster and more accurately than with paper filing. With our easy, online interview process, we lead you from start to finish with helpful prompts and step-by-step instructions to e-file your annual tax-exempt return.

Link up with our live support team in Rock Hill, South Carolina, for questions or further assistance. We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST at (704) 839-2321. Or contact us 24/7 at support@expresstaxexempt.com.

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