Get involved or risk bad charity policies, fundraisers told

Get involved or risk bad charity policies, fundraisers told: "Fundraisers need to be more involved in policy-making or risk the government “losing the plot” when it comes to issues that affect the sector, the chair of the Institute of Fundraising’s policy advisory board said yesterday.

Mike Wade (pictured), director of fundraising and communications at the National Deaf Children’s Society, told delegates at a debate on the impact of the election, hosted by the Institute of Fundraising, that if fundraisers do not engage with developing policy they run there is a danger they will end up with bad policies that will damage fundraising. "



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Court Orders IRS to Release Computer-Readable Charity Tax Forms - Tax Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Court Orders IRS to Release Computer-Readable Charity Tax Forms - Tax Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Court Orders IRS to Release Computer-Readable Charity Tax Forms
By Suzanne Perry
A federal judge today handed open-records activist Carl Malamud a victory in his battle to get the Internal Revenue Service to release Form 990 tax returns in a format that can be read by computers, thus making information about nonprofit operations far more accessible."



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Should a not-for-profit organization incorporate? - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders

Should a not-for-profit organization incorporate? - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders: "A not-for-profit organization (NPO) has no legal requirement to incorporate; however, as an unincorporated entity, the organization would have no legal status. An unincorporated NPO is simply a group of people (members) who get together for a common purpose. What does this mean? It means the members of the organization may be personally liable for the full amount of any debts incurred by the organization. An unincorporated entity cannot sue or be sued.  The members may initiate lawsuits and, likewise they may be sued for the actions of the NPO."



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The Yeshiva World Education Tax Credits Advance on Multiple Fronts « » Frum Jewish News

The Yeshiva World Education Tax Credits Advance on Multiple Fronts « » Frum Jewish News: "Needy parents in the New York yeshiva community have reason today to be hopeful that their tuition bills may be significantly reduced.

The New York State Senate today passed the Education Investment Tax Credit (EITC). The same bill was introduced in the State Assembly. And, for the first time ever, Governor Andrew Cuomo included funding for EITC in his executive budget proposal."



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New Draft of Charity Law Submitted to China's National Legislature - China Briefing News

New Draft of Charity Law Submitted to China's National Legislature - China Briefing News: "China has been drafting a new version of its Charity Law that will significantly impact upon the manner in which foreign charities and NGOs operate in the country. The new law, the drafting of which has been in the pipeline for several years now, is understood to now be in bill format and was introduced to the NPC last month. This new draft makes significant improvements and clarifications on previous attempts, reflecting a more pragmatic approach to the status of charitable organizations by the Chinese State."



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N.Y. Governor Launches Office for Faith-Based Efforts – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

N.Y. Governor Launches Office for Faith-Based Efforts – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the creation Sunday of a state Office of Faith-Based Community Development Services to help religious organizations apply for and secure money for social services, Capital New York reports. The office’s first effort will be a $50-million grant round to support nonprofit-run job-creation and affordable-housing programs."



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Charities minister role should be abolished as it holds too little power, says former PM speechwriter

Charities minister role should be abolished as it holds too little power, says former PM speechwriter: "he chief executive of Only Connect, and former speechwriter for David Cameron, has said that the post of minister for civil society should be abolished as it is “too junior a role”, and that the Prime Minister himself should be directly responsible for the remit.
Danny Kruger (pictured) was speaking last night at the launch of a report which suggested that the Big Society has failed."



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Nonprofits Find Much to Like in Obama Tax Plan - Tax Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Nonprofits Find Much to Like in Obama Tax Plan - Tax Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Nonprofits Find Much to Like in Obama Tax Plan
By Alex Daniels
A higher estate tax, as envisioned in a proposal released by President Obama this weekend in advance of Tuesday’s State of the Union speech, would spur more charitable giving in the form of bequests and charitable trusts, according to some nonprofit tax experts."



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Sir Stephen Bubb says Acevo will reject NCVO's 'register of political interests' idea | Third Sector

Sir Stephen Bubb says Acevo will reject NCVO's 'register of political interests' idea | Third Sector: "Sir Stephen Bubb says Acevo will reject NCVO's 'register of political interests' idea
20 January 2015 by Sam Burne James, 2 comments

The chief executives group says its members described the proposal - aimed at improving transparency in campaigning - as horrific, laughable and unworkable"



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North Carolina Nonprofits in a Fight for Continued Sales Tax Rebate - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

North Carolina Nonprofits in a Fight for Continued Sales Tax Rebate - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly:



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The future of charity regulation – live Q&A | Voluntary Sector Network | The Guardian

The future of charity regulation – live Q&A | Voluntary Sector Network | The Guardian: "While the commission argues that it wouldn’t be doing its job properly if everyone in the sector liked it, critics claim it is not supporting charities.
So what does the future hold for charity regulation – does there need to be a change, or should the sector embrace greater regulation?

Join us on Thursday 22 January from 12–1.30pm to debate the future of charity regulation. During the debate we will be looking at:

how charities should be regulated and areas that need to be focused on;
the role of the Charity Commission and its powers;"



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How does Social Enterprise translate to the Charitable Sector? Part 8 - Activities of Registered Charities: Related Business - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders

How does Social Enterprise translate to the Charitable Sector? Part 8 - Activities of Registered Charities: Related Business - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders: "Content about related business is perhaps the most referenced CRA policy in SE resources.  It is mentioned often as it presumably opens the door to unrestricted business activity for charities as long as a ‘connection’ can be established.  If a SE is mission-related, i.e. it delivers an essential service or a employs marginalized population, then funding and donations can seemingly be solicited to support a SE’s ‘double bottom line’.   "



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Nonprofits Win Key Victory in Overhead Battles With Government - Opinion - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Nonprofits Win Key Victory in Overhead Battles With Government - Opinion - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Rather than focusing on what Congress will (or won’t) do in the new year, foundations and other nonprofits would do well to take a close look at a little-noticed overhaul of federal grant-making rules—in the works for three years and that took effect the day after Christmas—that could provide meaningful traction for ending the so-called nonprofit starvation cycle.

Last month, the federal Office of Management and Budget formally recognized in new rules called the Uniform Guidance that when governments hire nonprofits to provide services, those nonprofits legitimately need to incur and be paid for their "indirect costs"—which is government-speak for overhead and administrative expenses."



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Maine Gov. Proposes Towns Tax Nonprofits to Offset State Cuts – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Maine Gov. Proposes Towns Tax Nonprofits to Offset State Cuts – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "Hospitals and private colleges in Maine are responding with cautious concern to Gov. Paul LePage’s proposal that cities and towns be allowed to tax large nonprofit institutions, the Portland Press Herald and the Bangor Daily News report. Mr. LePage unveiled a two-year budget plan Friday that would grant t"



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Improve the Form 990: Take the Questionnaire and Help AFP Advise the IRS - Member News - Member - AFP

Improve the Form 990: Take the Questionnaire and Help AFP Advise the IRS - Member News - Member - AFP: "You’ve been using the redesigned Form 990 since 2008. Now tell the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) how it can improve the document to make it more effective and easier to use."



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Sen. Grassley Asks Red Cross to Explain Its Finances - Government - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Sen. Grassley Asks Red Cross to Explain Its Finances - Government - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Sen. Charles Grassley has asked the American Red Cross to explain how it calculates figures showing how much of a donated dollar goes to services after recent media reports uncovered apparent discrepancies in how the organization portrays its overhead costs."



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IRS Says New ‘Dark Money’ Rules Still Months Away – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

IRS Says New ‘Dark Money’ Rules Still Months Away – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "The Internal Revenue Service is unlikely to propose new regulations on political activity by nonprofit groups before late spring, decreasing the chance that any changes will affect the 2016 elections, ProPublica reports."



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Case Could Cost Nonprofit NJ Hospitals Millions -- and Their Tax-Exempt Status - NJ Spotlight

Case Could Cost Nonprofit NJ Hospitals Millions -- and Their Tax-Exempt Status - NJ Spotlight: "A long-running legal case in Morristown could lead to millions of dollars in additional property taxes for New Jersey hospitals, as well as more revenue and tax relief for municipalities."



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Conn. City Weighs Ethics of Gift for Mayoral Staff Hire – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Conn. City Weighs Ethics of Gift for Mayoral Staff Hire – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "Conn. City Weighs Ethics of Gift for Mayoral Staff Hire
Stamford, Conn., officials are debating whether it is appropriate for the town to accept a $25,000 donation from a local businessman and philanthropist to fund a City Hall staff position, the Stamford Advocate reports. The town’s Board of Representatives voted Monday to return the proposal to a committee, with some members saying the offer by property developer Richard Freedman could create the appearance of impropriety because he has regular legal dealings with local government."



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How can 501(c)(3) unwind merger? | Nonprofit Issues

From Don Kramer



How can 501(c)(3) unwind merger? | Nonprofit Issues: "How can a 501(c)(3) that previously merged with another 501(c)(3) unwind that merger for the purpose of re-establishing the separate existence of the entity that merged out of existence?
Assuming that there was no unwind provision in the original merger agreement, there are basically two ways it can be done.  If you are lucky enough to be in a state (such as Pennsylvania) that permits “divisions” of nonprofit corporations, "



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