Once you’ve done your non-profit research and created a business plan, you know the what and why of your organization. […]
Get Your Non-profit Up And Running: 4 Things To Do First
Have you ever had an idea you can see so clearly, so precisely, that you know it has to be shared with the rest of your community, state, country, or even the whole world? You’ve probably thought about starting a non-profit organization as a way to turn your dream into a reality.
It’s important to remember that a non-profit organization is a business, just like all the for-profit companies out there. You should think like a CEO right from the start. With the proper tools and support, you can start giving back to your community and changing lives. In this post, we’ll explore four things you should do as you make plans to get your non-profit organization up and running.
Fiduciary Responsibility of Nonprofit Boards
The recent high-profile ouster of Southern Poverty Law Center CEO and Founder Morris Dees, and the resignation of Board Chair Richard Cohen, show how things can go awry when a board does not provide appropriate oversight.
The board collectively, and directors/trustees individually, owe fiduciary duties to the nonprofit organization they serve. In essence, exercising fiduciary duties means that board members have a duty to act with care and in the best interest of the organization and remain loyal to its mission, as opposed to acting in their own interest or the interest of the CEO/Executive Director they supervise.
4 Questions You Should Consider Before Giving Abroad
Whether your interested in giving abroad because you’ve traveled to distant parts of the world and were inspired by the inventiveness of the communities you visited, read about an issue in a news article, or maybe just feel a special kinship with a given place, the desire to help can quickly move to the top of your priority list.
Fingerprinting for Nonprofit Volunteer Background Checks
A nonprofit can never be too careful when screening its employees and volunteers. As such, more are conducting due diligence on their employees and volunteers. This is particularly true for those that serve vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, or abuse victims. Part of that diligence is having the volunteer fingerprinted for a background check. If your organization is considering adding this step to its due diligence, do you know where to go for fingerprint background checks?
Registering to Fundraise in Each State
A charity generally is required to register with their state in order to solicit charitable contributions if state law requires. Currently, there are 39 states and the District of Columbia that have such requirements.
Role of the Nonprofit Board
For a nonprofit organization to succeed, it must have a high functioning Board. While management deals with the day to day operations (planning, organizing and executing the organization’s programs), the Board of Directors provides oversight over the organization’s management, finances, mission, and strategic goals.
Can Non-Profits Earn Business Revenue?
With the market volatility of the last six months, funding sources and non-profits alike may be uneasy given memories of the 2008 recession. Although predicting future macro-economic forces may be impossible, it is always a good idea for 501(c)(3) non-profit corporations to seek to diversify revenue streams to prepare for shifts in funding.
Nonprofits and Political Activities
There are 27 different types of non-profits in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code, but the most numerous categories are IRS 501(c)(3) corporations (charitable organizations) and IRS 501(c)(4) corporations (social welfare organizations).
Nonprofit Asset Purchase vs Merger – Which Makes Sense for You?
When considering acquiring another nonprofit, there are two types of acquisitions that are typically considered – an asset purchase and a merger transaction. Several factors, including due diligence, payment of consideration, assumption of liability, assignment of contracts (including endowment agreements), existence of planned gifts, future operating goals and applicable state and federal laws, should be considered in determining the structure of the potential transaction.
The Benefits of Starting a Family Foundation
Have you ever considered starting your own private family foundation? For those who have causes you are passionate about, creating a […]
Do Tax-Exempt Organizations Have To Report Changes To The IRS?
Tax-exempt organizations must report changes to their name, address, changes to their articles and bylaws, and major operational changes to the IRS.
Best of the Blog 2018
At the end of each year we like to review our most popular posts to see what our readers are most interested in.
Board Member Contracts
All Boards make recruiting mistakes. They carefully vet and enthusiastically elect a new Board member. They hold an orientation, provide […]
What is an Unincorporated Nonprofit Association?
An “unincorporated association” means a group of people who act together in a joint enterprise and for a common purpose.
2019 IRS Work Plan for Tax-Exempt Organizations
Each year, the IRS Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) division releases a letter outlining their work plan for the upcoming year. On October 3, 2018, the TE/GE issued their Fiscal 2019 Program Letter.
Hurricane Relief – Donor Beware!
Familiarize yourself with the organization, its mission, and its effectiveness before giving. Always ask for information in writing – be wary if an organization will not provide information about charitable programs and finances upon request. Any legitimate organization will be happy to send you information. Check guidestar.org to review the organization’s financial data and learn more about its mission and finances. Understand that its common for scammers to set-up websites with confusing similar names to well-known charities to steal personal information from those trying to donate. Scammers are also known to set up fake GoFundMe accounts.
Nonprofits Going Global
Increasingly, US NGOs seek to operate overseas. When a US nonprofit expands its activities across borders, whether by making grants or running programs, the compliance obligations of multiple countries can quickly become overwhelming.
Arizona Corporation Commission – Online Services
In May 2018, the Arizona Corporation Commission released a major update to their website’s online services. Users can create an […]
IRS’ Debuts New and Improved Exempt Organization Search
The IRS has debuted a new and improved exempt organization search page. Previously, the public could use the IRS’ Select Check tool to lookup an organization by name or EIN. However, Select Check only permitted confirmation of an organization’s tax-exempt status and whether the organization was a public charity or private foundation.