October 11, 2024
Great Hearts America is a nonprofit school management organization that operates a network of elementary, middle, and high schools in San Antonio, Ft. Worth, and Irving, Texas; the Phoenix, Arizona Metropolitan area; and East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with new academies planned for Florida in Fall 2025.
Unemployment Insurance Savings:
In 2017, Great Hearts America’s unemployment tax notice showed a reserve balance of over $900,000. This amount reflected the difference between what they paid in state unemployment tax (SUTA) and the actual unemployment claims filed by former employees. However, Great Hearts didn’t own that reserve. Their state’s unemployment agency used it to calculate future tax rates, essentially tying up funds that could have been used elsewhere.
Seeking a more cost-effective approach, Great Hearts America partnered with First Nonprofit’s Bonded Service Program in January 2018. Since then, they’ve cut their unemployment costs by over 60%, achieving over $1 million in savings this year alone. This financial relief has allowed them to redirect critical resources to their educational mission.
Compliance Support:
As remote work surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, Great Hearts America faced new compliance challenges. Nonprofits with employees working across state lines are often uncertain about their unemployment liabilities. Do you need to register for unemployment if only a few staff members work in different states? What are the state requirements for registering an unemployment account?
In 2023, First Nonprofit stepped in to assist Great Hearts America in answering these questions and registering unemployment accounts in four additional states outside of their Arizona headquarters. With First Nonprofit’s continued support, Great Hearts plans to register 15 more state accounts in 2024, ensuring compliance without the administrative burden.
About First Nonprofit:
With over 30 years of experience, First Nonprofit offers tailored unemployment, risk management, and HR solutions to more than 2,300 nonprofit, tribal, and governmental organizations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. First Nonprofit is committed to helping nonprofits save money and simplify compliance so they can focus on their missions.
Ready to chat? Get in touch today to request a no-obligation savings evaluation.
PORT Health Services has had a great experience with the Unemployment Savings Program offered through First Nonprofit. Throughout the years we have been involved in the program, we have increased our reserve account significantly through this program and find the reporting we receive both timely and useful. We look forward to our continued involvement with this program and our connection with First Nonprofit for many years to come.
Job One was spending a lot of money on unemployment. Our insurance broker, Mark Simcosky, recommended that we switch over to First Nonprofit. We did just that! This switch has been a huge savings for us! This switch saved us over $10,000 in the first year. Their customer service is Superior! Any time we have a question, we get a response very quickly. Any time we send them a report and they have a question; they call rather than just assuming. They were very responsive during COVID, even when they were in crisis mode their selves. They also were always there when we needed during COVID and very helpful! We would 1,000% recommend First Nonprofit to anybody that could benefit from it!
My experience with FNP has always been positive. Every time I have had to contact them, I’m always put in contact with a friendly and knowledgeable person. If something is missing from our account, they reach out to us to request it. It’s nice to work with a company that makes sure our account is current. I would recommend them to any nonprofit looking to reduce their unemployment insurance costs.
We’ve saved tens of thousands of dollars PER YEAR by changing to become a reimbursing employer, freeing funds for much needed capital investment. FNP has been a valued partner in this process, providing assurance that we have stopgap coverage for extraordinary claims and keeping claims response painless and simple. It’s a huge Win/Win!
First Nonprofit gets an A+ in my book. You are so easy to work with & very knowledgeable! Whether it is my quarterly correspondence with Kim or my random interactions with Dawn about a bond … I am so pleased that I get to work with such a helpful company. Thank you!
When I first began in my position at my organization, I hadn’t had experience working with a company like FNP. The staff was so patient and helpful in helping to explain the benefits of First Nonprofit. Anytime I reach out with a question I receive a quick, clear, and thorough response. I’m so thankful that we decided to partner with FNP. Their excellence in customer service, coupled with their variety of packages frees us up to truly serve our staff and community with a peace of mind knowing that our organization is protected against unanticipated unemployment insurance expenses.
FNP is a great resource for Daniel Kids. To have a TPA that we can count on to take point on not only managing our unemployment claims, but to support and guide any protest hearing, is invaluable. All the professional support staff we have worked with have been excellent, very knowledgeable and responsive. We are grateful for the help and support, thank you.
Chicago Children’s Theatre has greatly benefited from our partnership with First Nonprofit, and I have always enjoyed working with the staff on our filings and any complicated questions. I would not hesitate to recommend First Nonprofit to fellow nonprofits. We’re very happy customers.