Volunteer Opportunities

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The Florida Institute of CPAs' strength is in its members and their sense of contribution and volunteerism. The FICPA needs you. There are several areas you can give back to your profession.

  • Answer questions from other CPAs through listservs and online communities
  • Serve on a Sections steering committee
  • Serve on one of the FICPAs' many member committees
  • Assist during a CPE course
  • Offer your expertise during peer reviews
  • Write a technical article for Florida CPA Today
  • Talk to students about our profession
  • Provide guidance to students and adults on personal finance

Below are additional opportunities to volunteer within your community.

Standing Committee Call for Applications
Application Form
  • At this time, the FY 2012-13 application process is closed.
Information Regarding Service On:

 

Community Service Opportunity Through AARP Tax-Aide

Do you want to support a worthwhile community service program and perhaps even volunteer as a tax preparation counselor? AARP Tax-Aide is the nation's largest free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service available to taxpayers with low-and middle-income, with special attention to those age 60 and older. They also encourage younger taxpayers who may qualify for Earned Income and/or Child Tax Credits to come in and file at one of their sites. Over 35,000 volunteers are available at approximately 6,500 sites nationwide every year from February 1 through April 15.

Professional CPAs can be a valuable resource in helping to e-file tax returns as a Tax Counselor, being a Site Coordinator, or filling other roles. Tax Counselors and Instructors must be IRS trained and certified every tax season in January. To volunteer, please visit their website now at http://www.aarp.org/taxaide to register for next season. You can also refer individuals who need to locate a site near them to their website or have them call toll free 1 (888) 227-7669. AARP Tax-Aide is a nationwide service of the AARP Foundation offered in conjunction with the IRS.

A flyer and more information is available on the program.

Tax Aid Fact Sheet 01
Tax Aid Fact Sheet 02

For more information, please contact Brenda Hubbard at hubbardb@ficpa.org or (850) 224-2727, Ext. 419.

Teach Floridians About Financial Literacy

Thousands of Florida families are stressed about financial decisions, struggling to prepare for retirement, and dealing with managing debt. We encourage our members to join the American Institute of CPA’s national 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy initiative, which equips CPAs to improve the financial understanding of Americans in every life stage.

Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement (JA) empowers young people to own their economic success. JA's volunteer-delivered, K-12 programs foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and use experiential learning to inspire kids to dream big and reach their potential.

The FICPA encourages CPAs to get involved by volunteering with JA. JA makes it easy and provides the training and materials! Whether you have an interest in mentoring elementary, middle or high school students JA has many opportunities available.

There are more than 120 JA Areas operating across the United States with 14 in Florida! To volunteer and find the area closest to you, use the interactive map at http://www.ja.org/near/near_map.asp

Florida Master Money Mentor Program

The Florida Master Money Mentor Program is a coordinated referral network of volunteer mentors who provide basic personal finance coaching. University of Florida IFAS Extension serves to provide the infrastructure for this program throughout the state of Florida, thanks to a gift from Bank of America.

CPA volunteers must attend training on facilitation, coaching, and connecting families to community resources. Following the training, each volunteer provides financial mentoring to at least 24 individuals within one year of completion of training.

CPA volunteers are also needed to share their expertise and help train mentors in various areas of financial management. For more information about the program and to connect to a local IFAS Extension office, please contact Dr. Michael Gutter, UF IFAS Extension at msgutter@ufl.edu.

Financial Literacy for Teens

The Financial Literacy for Young Adults series developed by the FICPA’s Financial Literacy Committee has six modules on basic money management aimed at students and young adults. The stand-alone modules can be delivered through schools, community groups, public libraries, and other venues. The content is organized around the US Treasury's core financial literacy competencies – earning/income, spending, saving and investing, borrowing, and protecting – and linked to Florida's Sunshine State Standards 9-12 for education.

The six modules on basic money management are as follows:

  • Module 1: Careers and Earning
  • Module 2: Spending and Budgeting
  • Module 3: Savings and Investing
  • Module 4A: Managing Debt - Credit Cards
  • Module 4B: Managing Debt – Buying a Vehicle and Paying for College
  • Module 5: Protecting your Assets

Presentation and Handout Materials
Volunteers may print the PowerPoint as a handout.  Depending on the module and time available, you may also want the accompanying worksheets, exercises, and evaluation forms.

Each audio-based lesson walks you through the slides and key points. These lessons were designed to help you prepare or give you a refresher before your presentation. Note: You will need PowerPoint 2010 and speakers to hear the audio portion.  For assistance or call (850) 224-2727, Ext. 419.

Online Training Support
Need some help with delivering the Financial Literacy for Young Adults modules? The FICPA is grateful for your personal finance expertise and will guide you on the best way to share it with your audience.

Each audio-based lesson walks you through the slides and key points. These lessons were designed to help you prepare or give you a refresher before your presentation. Note:  You will need PowerPoint 2010 and spearkers to hear the audio portion. If you have an earlier version of PowerPoint, please contact AccountingCareers@ficpa.org for assistance or call (850) 224-2727, Ext. 419.

Reporting your Presentation
After making a presentation, please report it to the FICPA so we may track our outreach progress and acknowledge outstanding service towards this volunteer effort.  Below are online reporting forms (for school based and non-school based) and a printable form for your convenience.  We encourage you to share your outreach efforts with us!

Also, take a moment and thank your host. Content examples are below.