Appreciating Volunteers: How Much is Too Much?
At a recent presentation we gave to nonprofit practitioners, the topic of providing gift cards to say “thank you!” to volunteers arose. Most attendees were
A Second Way to Get Noticed by the California Attorney General
Great news! You’ve formed your nonprofit organization in California and you’ve just sent in your application for federal tax exemption. So you rush right out
A Recipe for How To Get Noticed by the California Attorney General
Recently, two fellows in Napa, California, have been cooking up a hearty feast of trouble. But the saga began in 2004 when an elderly gentleman
Attorneys on Nonprofit Boards
Sometimes, it boils down to a question of hats. Two hats, to be exact. And understanding that wearing both of those hats at once can lead
The Charity Oversight Role of the California Attorney General: An Introduction
California charities and trustees know that there are multiple government agencies poking around in their affairs. We explained in “Say What? We’re Monitored by How
The Fourth Way to Sink Your Tax Exemption: Too Much Unrelated Business Income
In “5 Ways to Sink Your Tax Exemption,” we listed the sure-fire ways to jeopardize your 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. We’ve already introduced four of them:
What Happens When a Charitable Gift Begins to Smell?
The money doesn’t actually acquire a bad odor. But a charitable gift that starts out smelling like a rose may sometime later wilt from a
Volunteers: A Primer on Possible Perils
Volunteers. For many nonprofits, they are key to success of the organizational mission. They provide valuable assistance and are vital links to the community at
A Reminder to Nonprofit Employers
Nonprofit charities get lots of perks: tax savings, deductible contributions, and preferred postal rates, to name just some. This preferential status lulls many boards and
Who Could Have Predicted . . .?
The website has disappeared. After almost 15 years of philanthropic leadership in the City of Chicago, including grants and pledges worth more than $100 million
Whose Opinion is it, Anyway?
In “One of Those Days,” we introduced a hypothetical board chairman who – loudly and proudly – told his social media circles about his key
A New Accounting Rule: But Don’t Sleep Through This One
It comes from one of the least exciting agencies in the nation’s capital. Buzzwords are “overhead” and “reasonable indirect costs” and “cost allocation rules.” It’s