Category: not for profit

Just because you run a not-for-profit organization doesn’t mean you can function on low or no income. Although your nonprofit’s tax-exempt status prohibits certain money-making activities, you may be able to create a for-profit subsidiary that isn’t hampered by such restrictions. In addition to producing income, a subsidiary can help you reduce taxable unrelated business…

If your not-for-profit focuses all of its fundraising energy on the holiday season and end of the year, it’s not misguided. After all, 26% of charitable giving to nonprofits occurs in December, according to the 2023 M+R Benchmarks Study. But that means almost three quarters of annual donations need to be obtained during the rest of…

Almost no region of the United States has escaped some form of natural disaster or extreme weather this summer. Although wildfires, floods and unusually high temperatures have grabbed the headlines lately — for good reason — your not-for-profit also needs to be prepared for such unnatural disasters as terrorist threats and mass shootings. It’s a lot…

Employers that outsource HR are no longer outliers. Approximately one-third of U.S. employers outsource at least one HR function, according to software company ZipDo. And for good reason: Many HR responsibilities, such as benefits administration and recruiting, have recently become more complex and specialized. If your nonprofit’s HR staff is still trying to do everything…

Although conflict-of-interest policies are essential for all not-for-profits, private foundations must be particularly careful about adhering to them. In general, stricter rules apply to foundations. For example, you might assume that transactions with insiders are acceptable so long as they benefit your foundation. Not true. Although such transactions might be permissible for 501(3)(c) nonprofits, they…

If your not-for-profit sets performance goals — and most organizations should — then you need benchmarks to measure your performance. Staffers and your board may not enthusiastically embrace benchmarking at first. But if you can show its value and make the process easy, you should be able to get everyone on board. Mission-focused work Employees…

Public charities, or 501(c)(3) organizations, are fundamentally different from private foundations. They depend on support from multiple public sources, including individuals in their communities. If your not-for-profit isn’t reaching out to and engaging its broad donor and prospective donor base through the media, it probably needs to revise its PR strategy. Consider these best practices.…

Unless 501(c)(3) organizations prove they’re publicly supported, the IRS assumes they’re private foundations. The distinction is important, because publicly supported charities enjoy higher tax-deductible donation limits and generally are exempt from excise taxes and related penalties. The tax code recognizes several types of publicly supported organizations, but most 501(c)(3) charities fall into one of two categories. The…

Giving circles — generally small groups of people who make a charitable impact by pooling their money — are growing in popularity. If your not-for-profit isn’t already actively appealing to them, you need to get up to speed because they’re capable of providing substantial financial resources. Collective decision-making Giving circles sometimes are confused with crowdsourcing,…

Most not-for-profits can’t afford to turn down offers of financial support. At the same time, you shouldn’t blindly accept government or foundation grants simply because they’re offered. Some grants may come with excessive administrative burdens, cost inefficiencies and lost opportunities. Here’s how to evaluate them. Administrative and other burdens Smaller or newer nonprofits are at particular…