San Antonio, Texas, United States
Alex Holler, FSA’s Data Analyst, has worked at Family Service Agency since 2018. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Policy from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Her education in sociology, policy, philosophy, and statistical research—and a passion for logic and analysis, sparked in high school Comp Sci classes—led to her career in non-profit data. Since joining FSA as a Data Assistant, she has supported direct service staff, leadership, and partner organizations with their data collection and reporting needs, working to facilitate their ease of use, generate meaningful insights, and cultivate continuous quality improvement.
Analyze and quality-review program-wide and individual participant data to compile reports and assist with continuous quality improvement.
Out of the office: prepare and deliver presentations in both English and Spanish about the Financial Empowerment Center's services in order to inform and connect with potential clients (e.g. HeadStart parents, retired seniors, and clients of partner or other local non-profits). Prepare for, set up, and staff tables at fairs and other events to answer passerby's questions, hand out flyers and brochures, and sign people up for referrals to receive more information and offers to schedule an appointment. At the office: assist with the appointment intake process in both English and Spanish by answering the phone and questions from clients or potential clients as they come, booking appointments over the phone, giving appointment reminder calls, greeting and signing in arriving clients, phoning the financial counselors upon clients' arrival, giving the appropriate intake paperwork to the client, and checking over the intake paperwork for completeness with the client. Assist with intake paperwork by creating and organizing client files, entering client data into grant spreadsheets, dismissing files, and performing follow-up satisfaction survey phone calls. Order office supplies, care for our office plant, replace our drinking water container, and other miscellaneous duties as needed. At all times, professionally represent the Financial Empowerment Center.
Prepare low-income clients' tax returns using TaxSlayerPro software, engaging each taxpayer by explaining each step of the process and in particular walking through the 1040 (main tax document) with them. Review each client's intake paperwork to ensure return is in scope. Maintain a cheerful, positive, tactful, and professional attitude throughout too-high demand for our (free) services and other potentially stressful situations, such as when the taxpayer owes the federal government. Assist taxpayers with qualifying them for all tax credits and exemptions to the healthcare mandate legally available to them. Continually learn from fellow (offsite) tax preparers by calling with a question when there is a situation I cannot professionally handle without experience. Arrive early and leave late to prepare the computer lab, conduct quality reviews, transmit returns, review any rejected returns, and contact taxpayers to resolve reject codes. Supervise other paid staff and volunteers, keeping track of their hours, answering their questions, and assisting with both tax experience and conflict deescalation throughout the day (e.g. calmly explaining a tax return to someone who is unhappy with their refund amount). Restock supplies such as intake paperwork (Form 13614-C), sign-in sheets, VITA brochures, printer paper, pens, staples, etc. as needed. To help mitigate the number of people we must turn away, refer qualifying taxpayers to try MyFreeTaxes (doing their own returns) on our computers. Throughout the day, assist MyFreeTaxes users with questions they have while completing their return. Ensure our site receives a copy of each MyFreeTaxes return completed here to compile demographic data. Track and enter VITA and MyFreeTaxes data into spreadsheets to report weekly and monthly.
Researched recent laws, relevant outside organizations, and best practices; coordinated and prepared events; conducted community outreach; and compiled information into Windows Explorer, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint for internal and external use.