Kremlin Declares Mogul's Science Charity a 'Foreign Agent' - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Kremlin Declares Mogul's Science Charity a 'Foreign Agent' - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "A Russian law ostensibly intended to prevent foreign interests from meddling in the country's internal affairs has ensnared a charity founded by a wealthy businessman to promote science education, Reuters writes. Russia's Justice Ministry has added Dynasty to a register of nonprofits designated as "foreign agents" under a 2012 law that had to date targeted human-rights groups and organizations critical of President Vladimir Putin."



'via Blog this'

Opinion: IRS the Wrong Place to Police Nonprofit Politicking - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Opinion: IRS the Wrong Place to Police Nonprofit Politicking - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "Opinion: IRS the Wrong Place to Police Nonprofit Politicking
The government should leave the Internal Revenue Service to its job of collecting taxes and get the agency out of the business of monitoring nonprofit groups' election activity, a fellow with a group that promotes free political speech writes in a Wall Street Journal column."



'via Blog this'

Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill introduced - Press releases - GOV.UK

Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill introduced - Press releases - GOV.UK: "The Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 28 May 2015.

The bill would protect charities from people who present a risk of abuse, and give the Charity Commission for England and Wales new and tougher powers to tackle serious abuse of charities. The bill would also give charities a new legal power to invest their funds in a way that provides a financial return and furthers the charity’s aims."



'via Blog this'

IRS Names Seven New Members to ACT Advisory Panel; ACT will Submit Recommendations at June Meeting

IRS Names Seven New Members to ACT Advisory Panel; ACT will Submit Recommendations at June Meeting:



Members continuing to serve include AFP CEO Andrew Watt  (see below lists)

ACT Members Continuing on the Committee in 2015

Employee Plans

Alison Cohen, Ferenczy Benefits Law Center, Atlanta.

Stuart A. Sirkin, The Segal Company, Washington, D.C.

Christopher W. Shankle, Capitol One, Shreveport, La.

Matthew I. Whitehorn, Dilworth Paxton, Philadelphia.

Exempt Organizations

Virginia Gross, Polsinelli PC, Kansas City, Mo.

David Moja, Capin Crouse LLP, Orlando, Fla.

Amy Coates Madsen, The Excellence Institute, Baltimore

Andrew Watt, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Arlington, Va.

Federal, State and Local Governments

David P. Augustine, City/County of San Francisco, San Francisco.

Dean J. Conder, State of Colorado, Denver.

Vandee V. DeVore, State of Missouri, Jefferson City, Mo.

Indian Tribal Governments

Stefani A. Dalrymple, Yukon Accounting & Consulting, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Tino Batt, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Fort Hall, Idaho

Tax Exempt Bonds

Floyd Newton III, King & Spalding, Atlanta

'via Blog this'

Tampa Charity Sues City Over Panhandling Restrictions - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Tampa Charity Sues City Over Panhandling Restrictions - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "A group serving the homeless in Tampa, Fla., has gone to court to block city laws that limit panhandling, saying the measures are unconstitutional and could put the charity out of business, the Tampa Bay Times reports."



'via Blog this'

Nurses and Hospitals Battle over California Charity Care Requirements - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Nurses and Hospitals Battle over California Charity Care Requirements - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: "Nonprofit hospitals continue to be a sore thumb in the debate around nonprofit tax exemptions. Critics suggesting that nonprofit hospitals may not show the kind of “nonprofitness” the public expects of 501(c)(3) public charities abound, but the problem is that states and localities—and even the federal government—have struggled to define and pinpoint what those expectations ought to be.

California is the current epicenter of the battle over what nonprofit hospitals should be and do in order to qualify for their tax-exempt status. One group of critics is organized labor, particularly the California Nurses Association, which rallied at the headquarters of the California Hospital Association to demand that nonprofit hospitals do a better job accounting for the charity care they deliver."



'via Blog this'

Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of California Donor Disclosure Requirements - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of California Donor Disclosure Requirements - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: "Without waiting to consult the full court, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy rejected an appeal from the conservative Virginia-based Center for Competitive Politics, which has sought to shield the names of its major donors in California, and refused to reveal their names to California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris."



'via Blog this'

Parliament Hill Day Builds Trust, Sets Stage for Future Advocacy - Press - AFP

Parliament Hill Day Builds Trust, Sets Stage for Future Advocacy - Press - AFP: "Last Thursday, May 14, 2015, more than 35 representatives from a variety of nonprofit organizations and associations, including AFP, participated in the first Hill Day in Ottawa to educate Parliament about the importance of Canada’s charitable sector and the impact it has upon society."



'via Blog this'

Litigation over donor disclosure will head to the Supreme CourtThe NonProfit Times

Litigation over donor disclosure will head to the Supreme CourtThe NonProfit Times: "The Center for Competitive Politics (CCP) will appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States a California Circuit Court decision that would require nonprofits to file un-redacted Schedule B forms with the California Attorney General’s Office."



'via Blog this'

Shumlin decries plans to limit deductions : Rutland Herald Online

Shumlin decries plans to limit deductions  : Rutland Herald Online: "But Shumlin says he has no interest in tinkering with deductions — especially charitable contributions. Doing so “would be really bad public policy for Vermont,” he said.

“I feel very, very strongly that Montpelier should not limit in any way Vermonters’ ability to give to charity both in and outside of Vermont,” the governor said. “"



'via Blog this'

IRS Scandal Still Simmers after Two Years - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

IRS Scandal Still Simmers after Two Years - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: "Two years later, there are at least six independent government investigations of what has become known as the “IRS scandal,” and the investigations continue. NPQ has published more than 30 articles on various aspects of the IRS scandal since Lerner’s acknowledgement of the issue. (NPQ’s Rick Cohen was in the room with Lerner when the story broke.)"



'via Blog this'

Calls for Fixing the Tax Exemption Follow NFL’s Decision to Drop 501(c)(6) Status - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Calls for Fixing the Tax Exemption Follow NFL’s Decision to Drop 501(c)(6) Status - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly:



'via Blog this'

Boards under Greater Regulatory Scrutiny for Lack of Care - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Boards under Greater Regulatory Scrutiny for Lack of Care - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: "The result could be that increased scrutiny will be placed upon nonprofits that often fly under the radar. With nonprofits making up over five percent of America’s gross domestic product and nine percent of all wages, this could mean a big impact.

“I consider it my responsibility to promote and protect the nonprofit sector,” the New York Times recently quoted New York’s attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman as saying. “In part, we do that by aggressively investigating and prosecuting fraud. But we work just as hard to prevent mismanagement before it starts and, whenever possible, get troubled charities back on track.”"



'via Blog this'

As Clock Winds Down, VA AG Herring Offers Help to Sweet Briar College Stakeholders - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

As Clock Winds Down, VA AG Herring Offers Help to Sweet Briar College Stakeholders - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: "A few days after Virginia’s governor publicly expressed a willingness to try to help resolve the situation at Sweet Briar College and lawmakers called for an AG investigation into the college, Attorney General Mark Herring has also publicly offered to facilitate a conversation between the board who voted to close the college and stakeholders who are trying to stop the implementation of that decision through litigation.

In the letter, Herring indicates that he had reached out previously for the same purpose, but at least in this case, it appears both the board and the stakeholder group Saving Sweet Briar have accepted the invitation."



'via Blog this'

Watchdog Says IRS Has Improved Handling of Tax-Exempt Status Requests - Oversight - GovExec.com

Watchdog Says IRS Has Improved Handling of Tax-Exempt Status Requests - Oversight - GovExec.com: "Nearly two years after the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found the Internal Revenue Service inappropriately targeted Tea Party and other organizations for scrutiny, the IG on Thursday released a report citing the tax agency’s progress in reducing roadblocks for such organizations seeking tax-exempt status."



'via Blog this'

Another Misuse of Nonprofits? Local and State Agencies “Transform” - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Another Misuse of Nonprofits? Local and State Agencies “Transform” - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: "The trend to create nonprofit organizations to do work that had once been the responsibility of a government agency continues despite questions about effectiveness, transparency, and accountability. Recently, NPQ reported on a situation in San Diego where a development program is being questioned for its ability to spend public dollars on projects with no requirement to get approval or demonstrate that it fits an impact plan. Now, Illinois appears poised to join the ranks, considering creating a nonprofit agency that would replace the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, overseeing economic development in the state."



'via Blog this'