The National Center for Charitable Statistics and Guidestar have created a wiki for those who would like to view or add comments with respect to the redesigned Form 990, which is currently in the discussion draft stage. This is a nice opportunity to give your input on the draft...
“Nonprofit Governance in the United States” – Urban Institute (Part Two)
Here are additional observations from the Urban Institute study on nonprofit governance: Board Performance Executive directors were asked to assess their boards on a variety of performance factors using a four-point scale: (A) not at all active, not very active, somewhat active, very active; or (B) poor, fair, good,...
“Nonprofit Governance in the United States” – Urban Institute (Part One)
Late last month, the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization, released a study conducted by Francie Ostrower – "Nonprofit Governance in the United States: Findings on Performance and Accountability from the First National Representative Study." The study, based on a survey of over 5,100 public...
Craigslist Foundation Nonprofit Boot Camp – August 18
Best bang for your buck: the Craigslist Foundation Nonprofit Boot Camp. Recommended especially for those new to the sector. But even if you’re a nonprofit veteran, you’ll find quality speakers covering essential topics. The following is the promo piece for the San Francisco Bay Area: Join 2,100 emerging and...
Nonprofit Governance Program
On July 26, 2007, Cherie Evans, of Evans & Rosen, and I presented a program on nonprofit corporate governance sponsored by the Taxation Section and the Pro Bono Issues Committee of the Barristers Club of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Cherie led off with a very informative overview of a...
IRS Commissioner’s Letter to Sen. Grassley
IRS Acting Commissioner Kevin M. Brown’s letter to Sen. Charles E. Grassley dated June 28, 2007 responds to the Senator’s request for information about compliance issues within the responsibility of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the IRS. While the letter concentrates on compliance issues, Brown emphasizes...
IRS Exemption Application Procedures Updated
Earlier this month, the IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2007-52 setting forth procedures for issuing determination letters and rulings on the exempt status of organizations under Sections 501 and 521 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), with certain exceptions. These procedures also apply to revocation or modification of determination letters...
Congressional Hearing on Tax-Exempt Charitable Organizations – July 24
The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing on Tax-Exempt Charitable Organizations on July 24, 2007. Among the witnesses testifying before the Subcommittee were Steven T. Miller, Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division (TE/GE), IRS; Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director, Forensic Audits and Special Investigations,...
Form 990 – Discussion Draft
On June 14, 2007, the IRS released a discussion draft of a substantially redesigned Form 990, Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax. The redesign of the Form, the first since 1979, is based on three guiding principles: Enhancing transparency by providing the IRS and the organization’s stakeholders with...
New York Times on the “Fourth Sector”
In the May 6, 2007 edition of the New York Times: "Businesses Try to Make Money and Save the World." Here are some interesting points made in the article: Bay Area attorney R. Todd Johnson is working on creating an online wiki focused on "for-benefit corporations" Goldman Sachs has...