With growing membership nationwide, Trust members enjoy the benefits of better cash flow, expert claims management, earned interest, savings on staff time, and stop loss protection in the event of unforeseen financial circumstances. The Trust does the work — you save. By joining the Trust, your organization can:
Reduce operational costs and saves time
In the state unemployment tax system, nonprofits often pay $2.20 in taxes for every $1 the state pays out in unemployment claims. That means nonprofits, which historically have lower unemployment rates, end up subsidizing other organizations, including for-profits, with higher unemployment cost. Dealing with state agencies to resolve claims can be incredibly time-consuming.
By opting out of the state unemployment insurance (SUI) tax system and joining 501(c) Agencies Trust, your organization saves money by reimbursing the state for unemployment claims instead of paying the state unemployment taxes. Expert Trust managers help you manage your unemployment costs, reduce your overall risk, earn interest on your investment, and get advice about claims and other HR issues.
Control unemployment claims costs
The Trust helps you reduce and handle your unemployment claims by working with a dedicated claims team at TALX, our claims administrator that is focused exclusively on Trust members. Led by an expert with 27 years' experience, our claims management team deals directly with the state on all your unemployment claims, protects you from overpayment errors, helps you contest claims and manages the hearing process while providing hearing representation, and offers expert advice to reduce future claims.
In addition to the claims management service provided by TALX, the Trust also has a staff professional who provides resolution to difficult and unique claims issues. Members can request help to resolve any claims issue they may be facing, and our claims resolution staffer will work closely with the TALX staff to address it.
Get advice on Human Resources issues
The HR Services program helps members work through HR issues that arise in any organization. From discipline to documentation, hiring to benefits, absenteeism to tardiness, and worker's compensation to leaves of absence, our HR Services program provides a cost-effective resource to your nonprofit.
As a member of the Trust, your organization will have access to a hotline that connects you to an HR professional for advice and counsel. Members can also request samples of forms and policies to help them design internal procedural documents.
Learn more about HR Services
Protect your organization against high claims risk
The Trust also provides stop loss insurance to protect your reserve account in times of unusually high claims. Stop loss insurance repays your reserve account if your unemployment claims exceed your deductible. Stop loss coverage not only protects our members from one-time catastrophes but it also prevents the budgetary crises that can result from frequent unexpected claims.
Find out how stop loss insurance works
Build a reserve account that earns investment income
The Trust helps your nonprofit become a reimbursing employer — without the risk of doing it on your own. With the Trust, you set up a reserve account that you own and that earns interest. Out of your reserve account, the Trust pays your claims to the state. If you have a protestable claim, our professional claims management team assists you every step of the way, including at the hearing. You build your safe reserve account level over time based on your actual claims experience and payroll size.
Learn how to further reduce costs
Our expert staff leads up to five workshops per month around the country to teach members how to reduce overall unemployment costs and handle common HR issues that can lead to claims. The Trust manager also produces a program manual that is updated annually and provides everything you need to know about claims management, Trust services, and planning for future unemployment costs.
Find a workshop near you
Become a member of a safe, secure program
The risk of opting out of the SUI tax system and simply reimbursing the state for your organization's claims is accurately predicting your annual claims costs and saving that money for reimbursement. In any given year, you could get stuck owing more than you predicted, and money owed for taxes and penalties is money your organization canít use to fulfill its mission.
With 501(c) Agencies Trust, you can opt out without the risk. Because the Trust is managed by a respected trust manager with more than 25 years' experience, guided by a Board of Trustees that is made up of high-profile members of nonprofit organizations, and audited annually by an independent firm, you can rest assured your organization will pay only for its own claims and earn interest on the reserve account. Our expert staff helps you determine how much money your organization needs to contribute to your reserve account based on your claim history and payroll, and we help you plan for future claims as well as reduce overall costs.
