Nonprofits that are tax-exempt as N 501(c)(3) organizations, including charities and churches, are barred from participating or intervening in any political campaign for or against a candidate for public office. Organizations that violate the prohibition risk losing their tax-exempt status. They also could find themselves on the hook for an excise tax. Here’s what you […]
Category: Nonprofit
How Nonprofits Can Take Advantage Of Corporate Volunteers
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 47% of companies offer a community volunteer program for employees. Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose has found that large companies are even more likely to sponsor volunteer activities: 61% offer paid-release time volunteer programs or a structured corporate volunteer program. If your not-for-profit suffers from a chronic volunteer […]
FASB Simplifies Merger Accounting for Nonprofits
FASB Simplifies Merger Accounting for Nonprofits The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently issued guidance that should ease the financial reporting burden on nonprofits that enter “business combinations,” such as mergers and acquisitions. The title of the guidance is a mouthful, but it probably tells you everything you need to know: Accounting Standards Update (ASU) […]
Mandatory Tax E-Filings Are Right Around The Corner
Under the newly enacted Taxpayer First Act, all nonprofits will soon need to file their information returns electronically. Depending on the size of your organization, the requirement could take effect as soon as next year. What’s required? The Taxpayer First Act requires nonprofits to file their report statements or returns in the Form 990 series […]
Keep these 5 points in mind when raising funds
Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was enacted in late 2017, some aspects of charitable giving have changed, but not exactly in the way some nonprofit watchers predicted. Because the TCJA widely reduced the motivation for donating to charity, many observers forecast that annual donations might plummet. But so far that hasn’t been […]
Multiple income streams: The key to sustainability
When the so-called Great Recession hit the nation over a decade ago, many nonprofits found themselves struggling to stay afloat financially. Not all of them survived. Organizations with only one or two sources of revenue were particularly vulnerable, yet, more than a decade later, some nonprofits continue to struggle. It’s only a matter of time […]
IRS guidance: Publishing relationship didn’t produce UBTI
You’re no doubt aware of the risk of generating unrelated business taxable income (UBTI). But you might not realize that the terms of your relationship with an outside publisher for your membership magazine or journal can trigger the tax on UBTI by creating an agency relationship. Some recent guidance from the IRS sheds light on […]
Attesting to your nonprofit’s ability to survive
Are you certain that your organization is financially stable enough to be operating in a year? U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) give your nonprofit a reason to evaluate that proposition. Evaluating your organization Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 205-40 requires management to perform a going-concern evaluation each time annual or interim financial statements are issued. […]
New overtime rules could inflate payroll expenses
A proposed rule, issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), would update the overtime exemptions for so-called white-collar workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act. If finalized, the new rule could lead to higher compensation and payroll tax expenses for employers, including nonprofits. What are the current rules? Under the existing regulations, an employer […]
Best practices for effective board meeting minutes
Meeting minutes may seem like the least important aspect of your nonprofit’s board meetings. But these records of attendance, discussions and votes are critical to protecting your organization and demonstrating your directors’ proper execution of fiduciary duty. Minutes also lend structure to meetings and motivate members to act on board decisions. So it’s important to […]