Protecting Yourself and Your Organization
Why is this topic here? Because all too often simple mistakes can lead to disastrous outcomes; you have worked hard to go through the organizing process for your organization, and obtaining that important tax exemption.
Having a nonprofit status brings with it a number of obligations to keep in good standing with the IRS, your state franchise tax board and corporate laws.
However passionate or mission-driven you maybe, you are in business now and have to follow business practices. They may not be terribly fun or sexy, but not addressing these requirements could result in a suspension of your business license or at worst, losing your tax-exempt status.
With a little preparation and attention, protect yourself, your board and your organization.
Topics:
Corporate laws: required officers, annual meetings, minutes
State Nonprofit Filings: state charity office, AG, statements of info, state tax on sales of nonrelated goods
Tax Returns: 990, state return
Insurance: state mandated, D & O
Internal records: donor acknowledgments, financial reports, HR
I want to Protect My Org and Hard Work NOW!
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If a public Wi-Fi hotspot does not require a password, it probably is not secure, and if it does, be thoughtful about what information you choose to send over that network. As with many public facilities, watch and wash carefully.
In fact, federal payroll taxes were due and by the time the taxes, interest, penalties and fees were assessed, the bill was $75,000. That was not in the budget so that amount had to be raised in addition to the other development targets.
Just because you have received an exemption from federal taxes as a nonprofit doesn?t mean the tax man don?t cometh. Nonprofit organizations do not have to pay taxes on income they generate, but there is a big BUT here?some of the ways you may be using to bring in money does require a tax payment to your state. It goes by the simple name of UBIT, but the sounds are right on: this can bite you.
The truth of the matter is that the single biggest danger to your security is not some strange guy hunched over the electronic glow of a screen surrounded by fast food trash in the Ukraine, it is someone in your office. Over 65% of IT security problems are the result of human mistakes and problems within the system. *
Probably no legendary sea monster was as horrifying as the Kraken. According to stories this huge, many armed, creature could reach as high as the top of a sailing ship’s main mast. A kraken would attack a ship by wrapping their arms around the hull and capsizing it. The crew would drown or be eaten by the monster.
Sometimes, InformationTechnology and all its arms, like those of the Kraken, can scare or defeat even the bravest among us.
At first the bad guys would go after what they thought would be a more vulnerable population: people that didn’t speak the language well, older people who may be more easily tricked or businesses that are new to the US and/or the IRS. But the bad guys have cast their net wider, and now everyone is a potential target.
A letter came offering me one year of some kind of identity protection, but only after the fact. The horses have fled, closing the barn door is a little late. And those are just the big deal hacks into huge databases; there are the smaller hacks, such as putting a virus on an attachment so someone can do something bad with whatever information they steal, or just mess up your computer.
Bad news needs to be delivered promptly and directly; don?t sugar coat it and don?t avoid it. Of course the first few days you don?t make that call can feel a bit uncomfortable, but after that you kind of forget, or deliberately put it out of your mind. But I guarantee the person waiting for your answer will not forget that they never got any response from you.
But how can you tell? Running any nonprofit organization is tough and has many special considerations from fundraising to advocacy to the expectations of your board, membership and programs. The solution is paying attention to the details, being aware of how those around you perceive how well you are driving the management car.
development and fundraising, donor advice, Financial Reporting, Protecting Yourself
NonProfit, taxes, donors, Donation, documentation
Cindy Lauren
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development and fundraising, donor advice, Financial Reporting, Protecting Yourself
NonProfit, taxes, donors, Donation, documentation
Cindy Lauren
Comment
development and fundraising, donor advice, Financial Reporting, Protecting Yourself
NonProfit, taxes, donors, Donation, documentation
Cindy Lauren
Comment
development and fundraising, donor advice, Financial Reporting, Protecting Yourself
NonProfit, taxes, donors, Donation, documentation
Cindy Lauren
Comment
I do give, but with care. It can be a dangerous web world out there; take a moment to make sure your gift is acknowledged properly for both you and your organization.
The Basics
Below are some simple steps you can take to make sure your holiday giving gets where it needs to and you receive the legal acknowledgments as well as the tax deduction for the IRS.
development and fundraising, donor advice, Financial Reporting, Protecting Yourself
NonProfit, taxes, donors, Donation, documentation
Cindy Lauren
Comment
development and fundraising, donor advice, Financial Reporting, Protecting Yourself
NonProfit, taxes, donors, Donation, documentation
Cindy Lauren
Comment