Foundation Group—50+ staff, 3000+ clients, and one of Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing US companies: “TaxDome has been a huge success for us”

We’re pleased to introduce you to Foundation Group, a leading US firm specializing in non-profit organizations that’s served upwards of 25,000 clients since its inception in 1995. Now at its largest with over 50 staff and more than 3,000 active clients, Foundation Group was also recognized on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies, two years in a row.

Foundation Group’s journey to TaxDome is a unique story, spearheaded by Andrew Payne, Senior Compliance Specialist for Foundation Group, who used TaxDome to successfully manage his tax firm for more than 3 years.

Recognizing that TaxDome offers a comprehensive practice management solution for firms of all sizes, including advanced tools and support for large firms, Andrew pitched TaxDome to Chris Farris, Chief Operating Officer at Foundation Group, after Chris realized their in-house software wasn’t meeting their needs and expectations — negatively impacting client and employee satisfaction.

TaxDome helped Foundation Group migrate during the 2024 tax season. Streamlining its operations with TaxDome didn’t just boost client retention and employee satisfaction; it also resulted in the firm’s first year where all clients were completed and filed 2 weeks ahead of the IRS tax deadline.

Chris and Andrew kindly sat down with us to share the valuable benefits Foundation Group gained using TaxDome. Hear what they had to say and read the full success story right here.

Problems

Inefficient client communication, reducing client satisfaction

Managing client communication on their previous system was a major challenge that presented a number of problems. Chris explained why: 

First, the system made it hard to track client communication and progress, which resulted in overlooked client inquiries and updates.

On top of that, intake forms were confusing for clients to use. This meant that clients often submitted incomplete forms, preventing the team from processing vital information and completing their tasks.

We were dealing with a system that wasn’t quite meeting our expectations and our needs. When it became apparent that we were impacting our clients and our employees, we knew we had to make a change. — Chris Farris, Chief Operations Officer for Foundation Group

As a large firm with more than 3,000 clients, the team knew that improving client communication was essential for increasing client trust and bolstering their reputation — both critical to their success.

Excessive manual work, hindering team efficiency

Manual processes were another reason Foundation Group’s prior system didn’t meet their needs. “One of the most tedious tasks was sending reminders to clients,” Chris told us — but that wasn’t the only inefficiency. 

Automations on their in-house system didn’t always trigger as configured, which meant the team had to manually intervene to update and advance tasks.

Staff also had to manually search for and identify missing information when clients submitted incomplete intake forms — a result of the confusing, manual steps their forms involved. “Our staff spent way too much time trying to find information,” Chris said.

This repetitive, time-wasting manual intervention didn’t just put a strain on the team’s productivity; it also reduced staff satisfaction.

Solutions

Streamlined communication for staff and clients

TaxDome enhanced client communication for Foundation Group, streamlining each touchpoint while improving the team’s oversight of all messages and updates, ensuring nothing is missed.

Staff now find it much easier to communicate with clients, stay on top of requests, update client tasks as needed, and see in real time when important client actions are completed, enabling them to better manage both their work and time.

Chris noticed the impact this had on the team’s quality of life: “[It] has completely changed the attitude of our staff. They actually feel on top of their work and are able to stay focused on client delivery rather than feeling constantly behind and defeated. They are a much happier group.”

For their clients, the simplified, personalized interactions through TaxDome’s secure, user-friendly client portal and mobile app — rated 4.9/5 across 8,500+ reviews on App Store and Google Play — positively impacted the client experience, increasing loyalty.

Our client communication has greatly increased, which has improved client retention and employee satisfaction.  — Andrew Payne, Senior Compliance Specialist for Foundation Group

Superior, scalable workflow automations

TaxDome’s superior workflow automations empowered Foundation Group to automate more processes efficiently and reliably. This eliminated the tedious manual work staff had to do before while ensuring accurate and efficient progress of all tasks — improving oversight and freeing up their time.

Additionally, Andrew praised the automations’ ease of customization, which has allowed them to tailor and optimize TaxDome’s automations to their specific needs as a large firm, priming their operations for growth.

TaxDome has greatly enhanced our daily operations as a company. We’ve been able to reduce a lot of manual, tedious input that we had to do [with] prior systems.  — Andrew Payne, Senior Compliance Specialist for Foundation Group

Ease of migration and implementation 

Foundation Group not only found the solutions to its problems with TaxDome but also implemented them swiftly during the tax season thanks to TaxDome’s hands-on support.

One key factor was having the assistance of a dedicated account manager, who, working alongside Andrew, developed a custom-tailored implementation plan to address all their needs — from initial setup to workflow optimization — and ensure a seamless adoption for their clients.

You do become part of the TaxDome community. You’re assigned an account manager who will walk through the process with you at every step of the way. And then, after implementation, will continue to offer assistance and be there as a sounding board to help you with any issues. — Chris Farris, Chief Operations Officer for Foundation Group

Andrew, whose enthusiasm for TaxDome also led him to become a certified TaxDome consultant, added, “It’s easy to use, it’s easy to implement, it’s easy for our clients to use. There’s not a big learning curve internally or externally, which is huge.” 

Results

Boosting its operational efficiency and enriching the client experience with TaxDome helped Foundation Group boost staff happiness, elevate productivity and collaboration, and increase client satisfaction and retention.

With TaxDome, the team now feels ready to take its client base and service to the next level. “Our ability to scale and grow is now only dependent on our internal processes and outreach to new segments of the market,” Chris told us. “We feel like we are poised for some rapid growth.”

Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies, it’s fair to say that Foundation Group is already making big strides.

[TaxDome] has been a huge success for us, and meeting not only our client expectations but our employee expectations as well… As we continue to grow as a company, TaxDome is able to grow with us.  — Chris Farris, Chief Operations Officer for Foundation Group

TaxDome is proud to be the platform powering Foundation Group’s operations and supporting its growth as it continues to drive success for non-profit organizations. From the entire TaxDome team: here’s to even greater success ahead!