Job Title: Community Outreach and Intake Navigator
Job Type: Contracted Part-Time Position
Location: For Oak Cliff Community Campus, 907 E Ledbetter Dr, Dallas, TX 75216
Start Date: 2/12/24
Contract End Date: 3/22/24
Are you passionate about combating poverty in Dallas? CPAL is launching a Free Tax Preparation pilot in partnership with For Oak Cliff to help families access over $2,500 in eligible tax credits. These tax credits enhance economic stability, children's education, and health.
Background:
Established in 2018, the Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL) is a Dallas nonprofit with a mission to halve child poverty within a generation. A key focus is ensuring eligible families access vital benefits, such as food stamps and tax credits. CPAL's Benefits Delivery team works to eliminate barriers through awareness campaigns and simplifying enrollment processes. The team is launching a pilot, the Dallas Free Tax Preparation Project, to streamline the customer experience, increase the use of free services, and recover millions in missed tax credits annually.
Position Description:
As a Community Outreach and Intake Navigator (Navigator), your role is pivotal in ensuring families have access to free tax preparation and unclaimed tax credits. Currently, families in need miss out on over $350M in tax credits. Tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) are proven to alleviate poverty, helping working individuals and families pay for necessities, build savings, and establish financial stability.
In this role, you will be trained on all necessary aspects of the first step in the tax filing process: document collection and uploading. Clients will schedule in-person appointments with the Navigator at the For Oak Cliff Community Campus and use provided technology (e.g., an iPad) to go through an initial questionnaire and collect documents. The Navigator will upload documents to a virtual portal where tax professionals from our partner organization, SimplifyCT, will virtually review, file, and contact the client via phone for signature. Navigators will ensure client responsiveness, support with marketing to the Oak Cliff community, and collaborate with For Oak Cliff staff to refer clients to additional resources.
The six-week timeline includes:
Week 1 – Training and Community Outreach (~10 hours)
Week 2 and 3- Training and Community Outreach (~10 hours)
Week 4 and 5 - Tax Intake Appointments (~35 hours)
Week 6 - Pilot Reflection and Client Follow-ups (~20 hours).
Note: this pilot is a first-time trial and requires a high level of adaptability and enthusiasm for testing new approaches daily.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
Market free tax services through outreach methods, including tabling at events, canvassing, phone calls, handing out flyers, etc.
Conduct in-person client appointments and document collection.
Assist clients in uploading additional documents via the client portal.
Collect additional data on client need and collaborate with For Oak Cliff staff to refer clients to additional programs and resources.
Track client tax filing progress using the client portal.
Collaborate with SimplifyCT to follow up with unresponsive clients.
Provide support for post-tax filing issues in collaboration with SimplifyCT and clients.
Qualifications:
Exceptional customer service and communication skills.
Proficient real-time problem-solving abilities.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Fluency in both Spanish and English is strongly preferred.
Ability to quickly learn new technology platforms.
Flexibility, adaptability, excitement for testing and learning.
Note: We encourage those with lived experience with the realities of families in Southern Dallas County to apply. We do not need a tax expert; we need someone responsive, timely, excellent at customer service, and who wants to learn and grow with us as we expand how we serve families. A CPA or accounting background is not required. Comprehensive training on essential IRS information and required documents will be provided.
Contract Terms:
Contracted salary for 6 weeks of part-time work.
Payment: $3,600 total contract (paid in three even installments every two weeks).
Expected hours: 10 - 35 hours per week (dependent on the week).
On-site position at the For Oak Cliff Community Campus.
Shifts may include evenings and weekends to accommodate client availability.
Opportunity for contract extension based on pilot outcomes, performance, and business needs.
How to Apply: Join CPAL to contribute to the local economy, ensuring working families access deserved credits and free services. To apply, kindly send your resume and a brief cover letter to sam@childpovertyactionlab.org. We appreciate your interest and look forward to reviewing your application.
