Here's a request I received from a reader regarding an issue that has become increasingly important with the proliferation of collaborative efforts among nonprofits: Q: We are starting up a new organization and my board members are all leaders in other organizations that have an interest in the issues this...
Nonprofit Governance Seminars – April 23 (SF) and May 8 (Modesto)
Cherie Evans and I will be presenting a program on the Duties and Responsibilities of Serving on a Nonprofit Board at the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) on Thursday, April 23, from noon to 1:30 p.m. The focus will be on the corporate governance of California nonprofit public benefit...
Nonprofit Finance Fund Survey: America’s Nonprofits in Danger
On March 26, 2009, the Nonprofit Finance Fund released its survey of 986 nonprofit professionals designed to assess the real-time challenges faced by nonprofits. The findings exposed a startling degree of financial vulnerability by a large majority of respondents: Only 12% expect to operate above break-even this year. Just 16% anticipate...
Donation Policy – Controversial Donations
Nonprofit organizations should not feel obligated or compelled to accept every donation offered; there are donations that may not benefit the organization. A “controversial category” of donations can come in many forms and will often be specific to the organization. Therefore, every nonprofit should have a donation policy in...
2009 Georgetown Exempt Organizations Conference – Day Two
Here are my tweets from day two of the Georgetown Representing & Managing Tax-Exempt Organizations Conference: Nonprofit lawyers James Hansen, Peter Holiat (IRS), and Virginia Richardson (IRS) speak on current UBIT issues at Georgetown EO Conf 2008 PLR: Community foundation sells unique grantmaking consulting svcs (related income) and admin...
2009 Georgetown Exempt Organizations Conference – Day One
I tweeted day one of the 2009 Georgetown Representing & Managing Tax-Exempt Organizations Conference today. The absence of wireless access in the Hyatt conference rooms prevented live tweeting, but I posted the following tweets during breaks and in the evening: IRS Director, Exempt Organizations, Lois Lerner, noted an increase...
NCRP Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best
In March 2009, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy ("NCRP"), an independent watchdog of foundations and institutional grantmakers, released the Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best: Benchmarks to Assess and Enhance Grantmaker Impact. NCRP claims that the Criteria is "the first ever set of measurable guidelines that will help foundations...
Serve America Act & GIVE Act
The Serve America Act (S. 277) is a Senate bill that would triple the number of volunteers in national service programs like AmeriCorps to 250,000 by 2013, expand service opportunities for people of all ages, create several new service programs, and support innovation in the nonprofit sector by social...
President Obama’s Charitable Giving Plans
As part of his 2010 budget plans, President Obama proposes to cap the tax rate at which high income taxpayers can take itemized deductions at 28 percent. This cap is projected to raise $318 billion over 10 years, which would help to fund the $633.8 billion reserve for health care reform. For more details and the...
San Francisco Foundation Center – Free Form 990 Seminar – March 17
My friend and tax-reporting expert Terry Miller is giving a FREE seminar on What Your 990 Says About You! The seminar will be held at the San Francisco Foundation Center Library on Tuesday, March 17 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. I urge all local charities who have not attended any seminars on...