Card Carrying Nerd Making a Difference

I will be matching donations 1:1 up to a total of $400. Go ahead, spend my money!

If you donate at the $100 level you will receive a deck of playing cards featuring me as the 9 of diamonds!

It is so important to me that Prepare + Prosper exists. Each year, tens of thousands of tax payers in the Twin Cities count on them for free income tax preparation. I have been involved with P+P for 4 years now, both as a seasonal tax manager and a volunteer tax preparer/reviewer. In 2019, 623 volunteers donated their time to help complete close to 30,000 income tax returns. These are people in the community helping people in their community make tax time a little less stressful. 

I have seen first-hand the impact that the tax services provide. As a tax preparer, I ask my clients a lot about their financial life and often get a deeper story. I often hear about other aspects of their life like losing jobs, messy divorces, juggling multiple jobs, starting a business, and their savings aspirations.  I am endlessly impressed by the clients I serve.

Taxes are not the only service that P+P provides, however. They are constantly striving to financially empower those in the community. P+P offers a mentorship program for people wishing for help to create a financial plan to improve their credit score or establish an emergency fund. They also partner with local banks to offer low-cost checking, savings, and credit builder products. My studies in community and economic development have taught me that empowerment is the way to make a difference.

I really cannot gush about this organization enough. The staff is incredibly hard working! They have been hard at work to figure out how to provide tax preparation services for the 2020 tax season in this COVID environment we find ourselves in. The organization really depends on volunteers and donations. I can tell you that they know how to show their appreciation and they make us volunteers and donors know they are thankful.