This year the Chicago Chapter teamed with local nonprofit Ladder Up and the Tax Assistance Program to provide tax assistance to low-income families in the greater Chicagoland area. TEI invited employees and board members of Ladder Up to speak at a few Chapter meetings to introduce the organization and its mission to attendees. The Chapter then sent out links for registration to training sessions and reserved slots for members who wanted to train together. TEI also worked with Ladder Up to reserve slots at the preparation sites, again so TEI could use this as a team-building experience while simultaneously helping members of the community. The Chicago Chapter plans to strengthen its partnership with Ladder Up in this and future tax seasons. The experience has proven to be an effective way for TEI members to give back to the community.
