Volunteer

Intro | Ways to Donate | Job Opportnities | Volunteer

Volunteer Tax Preparer
Each year during tax season, PACE BDC serves as a certified IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, offering free tax return preparation for qualified individuals. The VITA Program offers free tax help to those of low- to moderate-income who need assistance preparing their own tax returns and claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).  And each year we need volunteers to help us deliver the services to our community!

How to Become a VITA Volunteer
Volunteering your time as a tax preparer is a great way to give back to your community.  But, it does take a bit of work on your part to be qualified to volunteer.  The IRS has instituted a fairly rigorous training program that volunteers must pass before being allowed to prepare taxes for the community.  There are 3 levels to the training (Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced) and the level of training that you complete will determine the kind of tax returns that you will be able to prepare.  A volunteer must at least pass the Basic level test before beginning to prepare taxes for individuals.  And just to give you an idea of the time commitment involved, it takes approximately xx hours of preparation to pass the Basic level.  For more information about the IRS self-paced Link & Learn training program click here.   

Benefits of Being a VITA Volunteer
• Help low income individuals and families claim all of the deductions and tax credits that they are entitled to
• Save low income taxpayers hundreds of dollars on tax filing fees
• Gain a new skill and learn how to prepare taxes
• Meet members of the community and be a part of the PACE BDC team

Time Commitment
PACE’s VITA site will be open every day at our Downtown and El Monte offices from 3 pm–7 pm and we will have some Saturday hours at satellite sites located in the communities that we serve. Ideally our volunteers would come in at least 2-4 hours per week during the 3 month long tax season.  However, it is up to you how often and how many hours you volunteer. 

For more information about becoming a qualified VITA volunteer please contact Carol Wu, VITA Program Coordinator, at 213-989-3151 or cwu@pacela.org. 

PACE MicroTeam
If you have specific business skills and are looking for an opportunity to use them to help local micro-enterprises then PACE’s MicroTeam is the thing for you!
MicroTeam members are recruited to meet one-on-one with PACE BDC clients to work on the issues that are crucial to small business success.  Depending on their background and level of expertise, MicroTeam members can choose to specialize in a single area of technical assistance, or can consult on a wide range of issues.  All meetings are scheduled by PACE BDC staff, and occur at our Center in Downtown Los Angeles. MicroTeam members can choose to conduct meetings on a bi-weekly, monthly, or as needed basis.

PACE BDC is recruiting skilled MicroTeam members who can provide hands-on technical assistance in the following areas:
• Business Plan Development
• Feasibility assessment
• Strategic Planning
• Market Analysis
• Web Development / E-Commerce
• Branding
• Advertising & Promotions
• Cash Flow Planning
• Cost Analysis and Pricing
• Recordkeeping & Accounting
• QuickBooks

MicroTeam provides the opportunity for you to:
• Use your skills to directly impact small businesses
• Provide 1 on 1 technical assistance to low/moderate income entrepreneurs
• Contribute to economic development in Los Angeles as part of a dynamic business development team
• Meet other professionals at our networking events
• Have fun and provide a service to your community!

Here’s how it works:
• You tell us how you can contribute…
• You tell us how often/when you can volunteer…
• We set up and confirm appointments with the clients that need your assistance!

How to get started:
Please download and fill out the MicroTeam application and email the form, along with your resume, to Jackie Jones at jjones@pacela.org.
 
PACE MicroMentor
Help Small Businesses Grow
MicroMentor is a free online service that connects small business owners with business mentors. MicroMentor puts your skills and experience to work, and gives you the opportunity to engage in a meaningful one-on-one relationship with an entrepreneur. Whether you want to volunteer locally or virtually, sharing your expertise will help produce measurable results for small businesses.  The MicroMentor network has over 1,400 small business owners and 1,200 mentors in 48 states. Our mentors have helped entrepreneurs achieve greater business survival rates (74%) and increase their annual business revenues by 63%.

How It Works
Our smart matching tools make it easy for you to find targeted mentoring opportunities. Once a connection is made, we exchange contact info (email and, optionally, phone) between the mentor and the entrepreneur and the match begins. Most relationships progress over email and telephone, though face to-face meetings are possible (see MicroTeam volunteer opportunities) if this works best for you and your match. Some entrepreneurs need a sounding board or general industry advice, while others are looking for targeted mentoring or advising around a particular functional issue or coaching towards a specific business goal.

How to Get Started
Your first step is to sign up at PACE’s MicroMentor website: http://www.micromentor.org/groups/view/109/req:1

Skills & Experience
Whatever your skills, there is likely an entrepreneur who could benefit from your professional experience. Commonly requested areas of expertise include business planning, marketing strategy, increasing sales, time management, analyzing cash flows, managing finances, and website development. We ask that mentors have either 3 years of business ownership experience, 5 years of management experience, or several years of professional experience in a specialized skill such as graphic design, law, or green business.

Time Commitment
While each relationship is unique, we ask that you dedicate three hours a month for three months to each mentoring relationship.

Share your business expertise and help an entrepreneur succeed today!