Meet the Team!
Chitra Aiyar
(she/her/hers)
How to pronounce Chitra’s name
Chitra has spent the entirety of her 25-year career in the nonprofit sector - working as an organizer, attorney, educator, and executive director. At the start of the pandemic, she began consulting with FMA (now BDO FMA) and discovered a new talent - as PPP loan whisperer! Chitra was part of the team that developed the PPP Toolbox and designed and led the PPP Forgiveness Racial Equity Initiative from September 2020 - March 2021, which supported over 300 nonprofit leaders of color to secure PPP loan forgiveness and apply for tax credits.
Chitra was recognized as an Institute for Nonprofit Practice 2021 Changemaker for her efforts to support nonprofits secure pandemic relief.
Justine González!
(she/her/hers)
Justine González is a skilled natural connector who brings over a decade of management experience in youth development and youth justice systems-change from within the nonprofit sector. Most recently she directed a young adult workforce development program at the Red Hook Initiative.
She is known (in-person and now on Zoom) for her dynamic personality, enthusiasm for simplicity, and genuine commitment to the people she serves. She is a problem-solver with a knack for harnessing collaboration and getting it done.
Justine is here to make your engagement with us as pleasant and productive as possible. She manages our listserv, shares helpful resources, upcoming events, and webinars, and is eager to make sure you leave with answers instead of more questions.
You can ask her anything from questions on how payment works, or if you need an invoice, to where you can find the best pizza in NYC. She can be reached Justine@nonprofitcovidrelief.net.
Testimonials
“Chitra Aiyar is an EXPERT in this area and unbelievably helpful. She helped my organization Cause Effective recoup more than $100,000 from these tax credits - much of which we would have had no clue about how to get otherwise”
Judy Levine, Executive Director, Cause Effective
"I feel incredibly lucky to have had a chance to work with Chitra. She was able to explain the complex, nuanced, and intersecting financial opportunities we have with the PPP and ERTC with clarity. Truly, we would not have been able to take full advantage of these financial opportunities without her."
- Michael Pope, Esq, Executive Director, Youth Represent
“I highly recommend working with Chitra to navigate the Employee Retention Tax Credit. When I first learned about the credit it looked like a great opportunity for the small nonprofit organization I consult for, but the process seemed much too daunting. Chitra's detailed knowledge was immediately apparent, and the support she provided made it possible to navigate the process from start to finish, including working through the complications of coordinating the tax credit with two PPP loans the agency had received and other forms of reimbursements that affect the credit [OR you could change this to just say working through details specific to the nonprofit]. She provided detailed written materials and instructions to explain and simplify the process as well as drop-in hours via zoom and individual consultations as needed. The agency looks to receive a significant payment as a result. It is no overstatement to say that this could not have been accomplished without the assistance and moral support Chitra provided.”
- Jan Sager, Accounting Consultant for Nonprofits and Small Businesses
“The presentation was truly outstanding. I previously had discussions with our accounting firm, our auditors, our payroll provider (ADP) and attended another seminar and none of them were able to as clearly state how companies qualify and how to proceed with securing the refund/credit. As a non-profit whose operations were deeply impacted by COVID due to stay-at-home orders in California this information is life-changing to our company.”