March 16, 2018
Unemployment Insurance can be difficult to navigate for nonprofits and determining your best options can be an overwhelming process. Here are a few common frequently asked unemployment insurance questions…answered.
A. The State Unemployment Tax Act, Better known as SUTA, is a form of payroll tax used to pay unemployment benefits for employees who lost jobs through no fault of their own. SUTA is a counterpart to FUTA, the federal unemployment insurance program.
A. In most states, employers are solely responsible for paying state unemployment insurance taxes to fund their state’s unemployment insurance system.
A. In all states, 501(c)3 nonprofit, government and tribal entities are required to pay for unemployment claims in one of two ways: through unemployment insurance taxes or as a reimbursing (self-insured) employer paying the state only for claims paid out to former employees. Nonprofits are exempt from FUTA.
A. The main advantage of opting-out is cost savings. While savings numbers vary, most organization can save between 30-50% a year. Take a look at this REAL savings example from one of our members.
A. Reimbursing provides no insurance against excessive unemployment claims, creating unprotected liabilities and the cost of reimbursing the state for large UI claims can place an organization’s programs at risk for cutbacks and lead to more unemployment.
A. The two safest options for nonprofits are enrollment in First Nonprofit’s unemployment programs. The First Nonprofit Unemployment Savings Program grants membership to a limited-liability corporation that provides access to professional claims management services and stop-loss insurance. The Bonded Service Program provides first-dollar coverage plus the same excellent professional claims management services.
A. Click here to request a savings evaluation for your organization. The analysis is free and there is no obligation to join!
Ready to chat? Get in touch today to request a no-obligation savings evaluation.
We’ve been a member of First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program since 2011 and highly recommend joining. The program is terrific and allows us to earn interest on our own funds while still meeting the state’s requirements on unemployment payments. In addition, the staff are great and always helpful sorting out any questions we may have. Thank you all!
CCSCT was approached by First NonProfit to discuss its Unemployment Savings Program and ways the program could significantly reduce the amount of unemployment taxes we were paying. At the time, our agency was paying approximately $80,000 per year. First NonProfit conducted an analysis to determine if making the switch would be in our best interest, and it clearly was based on our circumstances. The first year on the program, CCSCT saw a 70% reduction in its unemployment costs and each year, continues to experience further reductions as a result of having minimal claims. Some additional benefits of the program including having a fixed annual cost, an interest-baring reserve account, professional unemployment claims management and representation at all unemployment hearings. This has been one of the best decisions we have made.
We first started using First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program when we were a small startup nonprofit. We didn’t have an HR department and needed expertise in the event that an unemployment claim was made. We knew we were eligible to be a reimbursing employer, but weren’t sure how to navigate that process. They made it easy to set things up, plan for, and then manage claims when they came at a very reasonable cost. The amount of time and stress they’ve saved us dealing with all this has been worth way more than the cost. We’ve now grown to a large nonprofit and do have an HR department but have no plans to stop using their services. I highly recommend them to every nonprofit I come into contact with!
Throughout our membership in the Unemployment Savings Program, First Nonprofit understood our demands, community dynamics, and the importance of seamless services; that allowed us to serve our constituents better.
Because INCS advocates for the operating conditions that allow charter public schools to provide high quality public education, partnering with First Nonprofit was an easy decision. First Nonprofit’s unemployment programs provide our member schools two operating elements crucial to their ability to provide high quality public education: savings and budget certainty. Capable, committed teachers are the key to student success. By participating in the unemployment insurance savings plan, charter public schools gain peace of mind and are able to invest more money in their teachers.
It has been our sincere pleasure to maintain a strong, vibrant business partnership with First Nonprofit. We greatly admire their strong industry knowledge, technical expertise, constant professionalism, knowledgeable and dedicated staff. They are always extremely responsive, personable and provide us with the necessary guidance and recommendations on a numerous variety of employment scenarios.
NYCON members who use First Nonprofit’s programs enjoy enduring savings and improved efficiency. Our association knows that success, because from the beginning, we achieved the same great benefits. Great savings, seamless technology, and responsive service. NYCON highly recommends First Nonprofit’s remarkable unemployment solutions.
Visually Impaired Preschool Services has been a client of First Non-Profit since it was first offered as a benefit of VisionServe Alliance. We completed a thorough evaluation of cash savings to our agency before taking advantage of this wonderful benefit and it has been a very wise decision. Our experience with the processes from accounting to claims have been professional, expeditious and easy.