The Way You Leave A Job

The Way You Leave A Job Is As Important As The Way You Start One The way we leave a job is as important as the way we begin one. Often there so much excitement about beginning a new position that you have mentally left your present job before beginning the new responsibilities with your new employer. While the excitement is understandable, it is not professional. It is essential to complete all tasks before leaving one job to begin another; the way you tie up loose ends often says more about your professionalism than anything else you may have done during your tenure with the non-profit organization. Having received the offer for the new position is a very exciting time and anyone who has been through this process knows what it feels like to be excited not only about having been offered the job but... Continue Reading

Tainted Donors

from The Nonprofit Quarterly: When a Donor Becomes Tainted “How should a nonprofit react when a benefactor becomes embroiled in scandal?” What would and should prompt a nonprofit to return a donation that has been accepted in good faith? This article considers the forces that prompt nonprofits to keep, reject, or compromise on a gift. It walks your organization through ways to sort through the “taintedness” of a donor and the potential forces that influence the decision to (1) keep a donor’s money and name on a building;? (2) return the donation and remove the name;? or (3) adopt a compromise position. Ultimately, the article helps your organization weigh the factors and determine the most appropriate outcome for the “tainted donor” scenario you face. [Translate] Bookmark:  Read More →

Consulting with Others and Developing Connections

Partners in Thinking: Consulting with Others and Developing Connections Organizations often wonder about where they are heading when they determine strategic directions for policies, procedures, programs, and especially when they think about future plans. Sometimes they find themselves thinking about what the organization will look like 5-10 years down the road and who their constituents will be and who their clients will be. Often they engage a consultant and develop a strategic planning process, which provides an opportunity for them to simultaneously provide services to the community and focus on the longer term. However, what should the organization do before it engages in a formal planning process? How does the organization develop a sense of what is on the minds of the people whose opinion they... Continue Reading

Privacy Risk is Real

Highlights from recent media coverage of privacy-related incidents and trends shows increased risk for the nonprofit sector related to privacy. Many nonprofit leaders aren’t prepared to deal with this issue and that could mean dire consequences should the proper safeguards not be in place and a breach or theft occur. from NTEN, the Nonprofit Technology Network: Calling All Nonprofits: Its Time for a Privacy Upgrade More and more, nonprofits rely on technology to fulfill our missions. We connect with members using e-mail and social networking, carry out research on search engines and Web sites, and use online services to purchase supplies and produce and store documents. And our members also rely on technology to take part, booking reminders in online calendars or using GPS-enabled cell phones... Continue Reading

Organizations Planning for Succession

Who’s Up Next? Organizations Planning for Succession Non-profit organizations depend very heavily on the chief executive officer (CEO) or executive director. This is the person who leads the agency and turns the mission statement into a reality. When the top leadership is creative, energetic, charismatic, and successful the non-profit experiences a period of wonderful growth and development. It is very hard to think about replacing the person who has not only built the organization through his/her leadership but has been an inspiration to volunteer leadership and professional staff. It is not easy for an organization to think about and develop a plan for replacing a successful executive and sometimes the circumstances can make the task even more difficult. When the incumbent CEO gives notice of... Continue Reading

StL Federation Investments Show Strong Return

from jewishinstlouis.org: St. Louis Jewish Federation’s Investments Show Strong Return in ’09; Reflects a Consistent, Balanced Approach Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Foundation of St. Louis (JCF), which holds the endowment funds and planned gifts for Jewish Federation and many of our community agencies, has shown a very strong investment return in 2009 of 24.7% over ’08. Although not a full recovery, assets have reached a total of $99.2 million. … While Federation is investing to grow long term, we are also providing an annual source of revenue for our community, said Judy Abrams, Jewish Federation’s chief administrative officer, who is the lead staff person on the committee. “It is important that the committee keeps apprised of the cash needs of Jewish Federation and... Continue Reading

Transparency: An Enduring Component of the Non-Profit World

by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin The Jewish and non-Jewish media have offered various opinions and news reports about non-profits and their financial behaviors. After reading “Raising The Bar”, a provocative editorial in New York’s Jewish Week recently and a highlighted posting on eJewish Philanthropy (February 8th) we feel compelled to further discuss the importance of financial transparency. Today the “new normal” demands that the philanthropic world respond to contemporary measures that serve to protect donors and force non-profits to diligently follow rules that are sometimes difficult to swallow. And these rules impact all Jewish non-profits including (or especially) houses of worship. One impending deadline is approaching that impacts non-profits and addresses financial transparency.... Continue Reading

Nonprofit Organizations Under the Microscope

What are not-for-profit organizations doing – or not doing – in the face of declining revenues, growing governance and disclosure expectations, and closer scrutiny from regulators and donors? Each year since 2003, Grant Thornton’s National Board Governance Survey for Not-for-Profit Organizations has examined the governance of not-for-profit organizations in order to learn how they are handling these increased demands. According to the 2009 survey, the vast majority of organizations have responded to these challenges by cutting costs, seeking new revenue streams, reducing endowment spending, enhancing their governance practices and reassessing their strategic plans. For example: Nearly nine in 10 (87%) respondents reduced expenses, while more than half (54%) reduced personnel. Boards... Continue Reading

Raising The Bar

an editorial from The Jewish Week ‘Transparency” and “good governance” are two popular phrases these days in regards to policies of nonprofit organizations, particularly in the aftermath of the Madoff scandal. It is worth noting a recommendation high on the list of the Jewish Funders Network’s recently issued guidelines for nonprofit and religious organizations seeking support from members of the JFN. It says that even religious organizations, which are not required by law to file 990 tax information reports, should perform an independent audit or financial review by a certified public accountant “regularly in a timely manner appropriate to the organization’s size and operations.” The guidelines add that “current financial statements should be made available to the donor upon request.” Such... Continue Reading

IRS Reminder: File 990 On Time to Preserve Status

The Internal Revenue Service today reminded tax-exempt organizations to make sure they file their annual information form on time. In 2010 the tax-exempt status of any non-profit that has not filed the required form in the last three years will be revoked. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 requires that non-profit organizations that do not file a required information form for three consecutive years automatically lose their Federal tax-exempt status. This requirement has been in effect since the beginning of 2007. A list of revoked organizations will be available to the public, as well as state charity and tax officials on the IRS.gov website. If an organization loses its exemption, it will need to reapply with the IRS to regain its tax-exempt status. Any income received between the revocation date... Continue Reading

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