The IRS released final regulations that clarify (i) the substantive requirements for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and (ii) the relationship between the substantive requirements for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) and the imposition of section 4958 excise taxes on excess benefit transactions. The...
AAPIP Conversation with Leaders: Gordon Chin and Jan Masaoka
On March 13, the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), an affinity group of the Council on Foundations, held a program featuring two prominent nonprofit leaders: Gordon Chin, founding Executive Director of the Chinese Community Development Center (CCDC), and Jan Masaoka, former Executive...
The Carissa Project – Bay Area Screening
On March 18, I attended the Bay Area screening of Carissa, a documentary about Carissa Phelps, an incredibly strong young woman who went from being an abandoned and victimized street kid to a graduate of UCLA with both a law degree and an MBA. Carissa brings Ms. Phelps back...
Google for Non-Profits
Google launched Google for Non-Profits on March 19, 2008. As Dorothy Chou, a Google Global Communications and Public Affairs Intern, informed me, "the site features tutorials and examples of how nonprofits use Google tools to operate more effectively." The home page lists tools in two categories: Save time and...
IRS Releases “Governance and Related Topics – 501(c)(3) Organizations”
On February 4, 2008, the IRS posted Governance and Related Topics – 501(c)(3) Organizations, a document that updates an earlier IRS discussion draft, Good Governance Practices for 501(c)(3) Organizations. The policies and practices recommended by the IRS for a charity’s consideration are divided into the following topics: Mission Organizational...
IRS e-Postcard (Form 990-N) Disclosure Site
The IRS has a new page on its website allowing for visitors to conduct an e-Postcard search. Click here for the search page. Small tax-exempt organizations whose gross receipts are normally $25,000 or less may be required to electronically submit the e-Postcard, also known as Form 990-N. An IRS...
California Assembly Bill 624 – Amended on February 12
The controversial California Assembly Bill 624 was amended on February 12, 2008 to delete the requirement that large private foundations (those with assets over $250 million) report information pertaining to the sexual orientation of its board and staff members. The amendment was passed presumably in response to the concern...
Pro Bono Partnership’s Employment Law Guide for Nonprofits
While searching for employment law resources with a nonprofit perspective, I discovered the site of the Pro Bono Partnership, a leading provider of free business legal services, educational workshops and other legal resources to nonprofits in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. The site includes what appears to be...
California Assembly Bill 624 – Foundation Diversity
The California Assembly passed Assembly Bill 624, introduced by Assemblyman Joe Coto (D – San Jose), on January 29, 2008. AB624 requires every private, corporate, and operating foundations with assets over $250 million to collect and publicly disclose certain ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation data pertaining to its governance,...
Form 990-N (ePostcard) Up and Running
Charities that qualify may now file Form 990-N (also known as the ePostcard) online for tax years ending on or after December 31, 2007. The due date for 2007 calendar year filers is May 15, 2008. Click here to file Form 990-N online. This site is hosted by the...