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Selected by Crain's Detroit Business:

Accounting Aid Society is 'Best-Managed Nonprofit'
December 21, 2008

DETROIT – Crain’s Detroit Business has named Accounting Aid Society the Best-Managed Nonprofit for 2008. Accounting Aid Society earned this distinction for the way it has improved operations and the delivery of its services through successful, long-standing collaborations. Through its network of partnerships, the agency helped return $10.8 million in tax refunds and credits to struggling families this year.

Accounting Aid Society provides free income tax and related services to more than 12,000 low and moderate income families in southeast Michigan each year. It accomplishes this mission through collaborations with more than 700 individuals and 100 community partners that include nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, foundations, businesses, corporations and government agencies. In addition, more than half of the agency’s expenses are donated products and services, including over 14,000 hours of volunteer service.

The number of collaborations Accounting Aid has “successfully brokered” impressed the judges who reviewed entries for the Best-Managed Nonprofit contest.

“Not every organization needs to have 50 collaborations, but Accounting Aid does and they made it happen,” said Paul Good, community and government relations manager for the Detroit Zoological Society, who helped judge the Crain’s nominations.    

Accounting Aid Society is a national leader in developing services that go beyond traditional tax preparation for low-income residents. It is participating in four national pilot programs, including the Corporation for Enterprise Development for the Self-Employment Tax Initiative, the Real Economic Impact Tour for Tax Assistance for the Disabled, Doorway to Dreams Savings Bond, and the Center for Economic Progress to develop best practices for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs throughout the country.

In addition to tax-season services, the Detroit-based nonprofit operates two year-round neighborhood tax centers that link tax help with wealth-building tools, education and resources offered by community partners; a year-round low-income tax clinic that offers representation and referrals for English Second Language clients; a summer tax program; tax support for five pilot Centers for Working Families; tax preparation and planning for the self-employed; and the only comprehensive training program in Michigan that offers customized classroom instruction in federal, state and local taxes as well as hands-on computer lab training for the IRS-designated tax preparation software

Accounting Aid provides more than 80 percent of free VITA services in southeast Michigan, and 30 percent of all VITA services in the state.

“We are thrilled to receive this honor and share it with all of partners, including our dedicated volunteers, generous funders and supporters, board and staff,” said Kathleen Hatke Aro, who has been president of the Detroit-based agency since 2004. Accounting Aid has a $1.8 million operating budget, 12-member staff and a 16-member board of directors.

“Accounting Aid Society has a well-deserved reputation for integrity and leadership,” said Audrey Harvey, president of the agency’s board of directors and vice president and controller of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. “It’s an organization where you can see the direct connect to giving back to the community. You can see where the money goes – thousands of people benefit from its services every year and millions of dollars are returned to the community.”

Since 1976, Accounting Aid Society has returned more than $157 million to low and moderate income households.

Accounting Aid begins its annual volunteer tax training January 6. From late January to mid –April, Accounting Aid will operate 25 tax sites throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Livingston counties. For more information call 313-647-9620 or visit www.accountingaidsociety.org.

Crain’s Detroit Business has identified the best-managed nonprofits in metro Detroit for the past 19 years. Judges for this year’s contest, in addition to Paul Good, were Kyle Caldwell of the Michigan Nonprofit Association, Gary Dembs of the Non-Profit Personnel Network, Karla Hall of the DTE Energy Foundation, Robert Inskeep of Lawrence Technological University, Richard Martin of Lutheran Social Services of Michigan and Deanna McGraw of Detroit Executive Service Corps. Financials were judged by Sue Perlin of Plante & Moran P.L.L.C.