By NEO Law Group
The 20th annual Western Conference on Tax-Exempt Organizations (WCTEO) will take place at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles this Thursday and Friday, December 1-2, 2016. The WCTEO has been my top go-to conference every year since starting NEO Law Group, and I’m particularly excited about this year, my...
An environmental purpose is not one of the seven exempt purposes specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). However, many environmental organizations qualify for exemption under 501(c)(3) because their activities further charitable, educational, and/or scientific purposes. Although there is no explicit mention of environmental purposes...
Last week, the IRS Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) division issued their 2017 work plan. The document summarizes strategy and compliance from fiscal year (FY) 2016, as well as a plan for the coming FY 2017. As covered by the Nonprofit Law Blog last year, TE/GE currently focuses...
Introduction A donor-advised fund (“DAF”) is a charitable vehicle housed within a 501(c)(3) public charity that allows a donor to make a gift, take an immediate charitable deduction, and recommend, typically with strong persuasive authority, future grants made from funds in the DAF. Unlike private foundations that require a...
Program-related investments (PRIs) are investments (different from strictly donative grants) made by private foundations in which: The primary purpose is to accomplish one or more of the foundation’s 501(c)(3) exempt purposes (other than testing for public safety), Production of income or appreciation of property is not a significant purpose,...
Economic development may not immediately come to mind as an activity that furthers a charitable purpose, but it doesn’t take long to think of circumstances where helping a depressed community in its economic development can help in the relief of poverty and distress, and in the combat of community deterioration,...
The Johnson Amendment refers to the law codified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code prohibiting organizations exempt from taxes under 501(c)(3) from participating in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Churches & Political Activity: The Call to Repeal the...
On July 8, 2016, the IRS issued final and temporary regulations and published Revenue Procedure 2016-41 relating to the immediately effective requirement that organizations notify the IRS of their intent to operate under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”). Form 8976, “Notice of Intent to Operate Under Section...
In this next post in our series on election-related activities and 501(c)(3) organizations, we are taking a closer look at nonpartisan voter guides and candidate questionnaires. Despite the fact that such guides and questionnaires are election-related, 501(c)(3) organizations can prepare and distribute them without fear of jeopardizing their exempt status...
While 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from intervening in elections, they are permitted to engage in certain nonpartisan election-related activities if they structure such activities appropriately, which we’ll address in this next post in the series. This includes sponsoring candidate debates and forums and inviting candidates to speak at...