The Foundation for Climate Restoration is a nonprofit organization focused on restoring a safe and healthy climate by 2050. With a small, fully remote workforce across multiple states, the organization needed a payroll solution that could simplify compliance and reduce administrative burden.
With ADP, payroll is super intuitive. They automatically process all the state filings. And anytime I have a problem, I can just upload a document and say, “Take care of this, please,” and it gets handled.
Erica Dodds,
Chief Operating Officer
The Foundation for Climate Restoration
| Challenge | ADP capability | What we did | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managing compliance across multiple states created gaps for a six-employee remote nonprofit | RUN Powered by ADP® | Automated managing compliance through RUN Powered by ADP® and supported changing tax and regulatory requirements | Reduced compliance risk and helped the nonprofit stay current with multi-state tax requirements |
| Payroll tax delinquencies created costly fines and extra bookkeeping fees | RUN Powered by ADP® with ADP Time & Attendance | Automated state filings and handled compliance documents through RUN Powered by ADP® | Helped eliminate costly errors and delivered cost savings by managing compliance with state requirements |
| Lack of responsive support from the previous payroll provider left the team with a high administrative burden | RUN Powered by ADP® | Provided hands-on implementation and responsive support when needed | Simplified issue resolution and gave the chief operating officer confidence that any issues would be handled |
THE PROBLEM
Compliance gaps and rising costs with the previous provider
Before switching to ADP, the organization used Gusto for payroll. While it handled basic payroll processing, it lacked support for multi-state tax filings, which is a critical need for the foundation’s remote workforce, which is spread across different states. Because of this, they faced repeated compliance issues, including delinquency notices. Since their bookkeeper had to spend extra hours sorting them all out, they ended up with a lot of fees — late fees, and fees for the bookkeeper’s extra time.
How can a small nonprofit manage payroll taxes for employees in multiple states?
A small nonprofit can manage multi-state payroll taxes more effectively by using a payroll platform that automates state filings and provides compliance support. The Foundation for Climate Restoration, a six-employee environmental nonprofit with a fully remote workforce across several states, switched to [RUN Powered by ADP®](https://www.adp.com/what-we-offer/products/run-powered-by-adp.aspx) after its prior provider struggled with multi-state filings. RUN automatically processed state filings, reduced compliance risk and supported document handling when issues arose. For lean nonprofit teams, automating jurisdiction-specific payroll work can reduce administrative burden and help leaders spend more time on the mission.
What support should a small organization expect when switching payroll providers?
A small organization should expect hands-on implementation, responsive problem resolution and a clear way to submit documents when switching payroll providers. The Foundation for Climate Restoration, a six-employee environmental nonprofit, selected RUN Powered by ADP® after lack of support from its previous provider added to the administrative burden. With ADP, the organization could upload a document, ask for help and have the issue handled, alongside receiving assistance during implementation. For small teams without dedicated payroll specialists, accessible support can be as important as the payroll technology itself.
What payroll features are most useful for a small environmental nonprofit?
The most useful payroll features for a small environmental nonprofit are automated tax filings, intuitive processing, document management, employee self-service and responsive support. The Foundation for Climate Restoration, a six-employee organization headquartered in California with a fully remote multi-state workforce, combined those capabilities through RUN Powered by ADP® and benefited from simpler reimbursements, easier payroll updates and proactive compliance assistance. Leaders evaluating payroll for small organizations should prioritize workflows that reduce back-office effort without adding complexity. This approach is especially relevant to mission-driven teams with limited administrative capacity.
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