Once a potential founder has read our post on Nonprofit Business Planning “ Steal All the Underpants, and has determined that a new nonprofit organization would serve a legitimate need in the community and can be supported without stealing any underpants, she must then consider the steps necessary to form the nonprofit corporation in Washington State and obtain tax-exemption from the IRS.
Newly formed charities often encounter a chicken and egg problem. They wish to begin their operations before they receive formal approval of their tax-exempt status but they can’t attract funding until they receive their federal 501(c)(3) determination.
In practice, a NGO is an organization that is neither a part of a government nor a conventional for-profit business. Therefore, NGO is a broad term that encompasses traditional private nonprofits as well as many other forms of mission-based organizations.
The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has modified the rules that apply to requests for additional information from the IRS Exempt Organizations Determinations unit (“EO
Exempt organizations that wish to change their name often secure a trade name or do business under a fictitious name. Presumably they opt to use a fictitious name rather than formally change their name because they believe a legal name change is too much trouble or they don’t know how to accomplish it. . . . A better approach is to change the organization’s legal name with both state and federal authorities to present a unified and cohesive brand to donors and supporters.
There are many reasons nonprofit organizations find it in their mutual best interest to work together to deliver services.
The group exemption permits a central or parent organization to certify that each subordinate qualifies for exemption and to include it under its umbrella for tax-exemption purposes. The process is designed to reduce paperwork for both taxpayers and the IRS where affiliated entities are similar in their purpose, structure and operations.
Too often, we see nonprofits signing contracts that are presented to them by vendors without appropriate legal review. Many vendors use form contracts that are extremely one sided in the vendor’s favor on the theory that many clients will sign whatever is given to them without scrutinizing the terms.
Going into effect January 1, 2015, the Arizona benefit corporation statute will enable entrepreneurs to form a corporation unlike anything Arizona has seen before. Benefit corporations enable social entrepreneurs to create a corporate structure requiring the corporation to create a general public benefit. As with anything new, its details are untested and some confusion surrounds it. Below we dig into the statute and detail what you will and will not be able to do in 2015.
Many founders feel guilty accepting reasonable compensation from the nonprofit they have nurtured but if they continue to forgo a reasonable salary, they risk erecting a house of cards that will fall apart as soon as they burn out.
Most states require you to register your organization if you solicit donations from their residents. Many states also require registration if your organization collects substantial or ongoing donations from their residents, even if you aren’t specifically targeting donors in that state. Download our comprehensive list of each state’s requirements.
Download our free guide to learn about the many elements needed to run a successful nonprofit organization, as well as how to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.