Avoiding Nonprofit Tax Traps
If your organization has met the IRS qualifications to be considered tax-exempt, the income you receive — such as donor contributions — is exempt from federal income tax. However, it's still possible for not-for-profits to Read More
Aug 04, 2022
6 Common Tax Deductions for Nonprofits
Revenue generated by 501(c)(3) organizations is generally exempt from federal income tax. But in some cases, your not-for-profit may incur unrelated business income tax (UBIT) on revenue. The good news is your annual tax return Read More
Jun 08, 2022
Preparing Form 990: Pay Attention to These Eight Items
If your not-for-profit organization operates on a calendar-year tax basis, the deadline for filing your 2021 Form 990 (Form 990 EZ for certain small organizations) is right around the corner — May 15, 2022. Besides filing Read More
Apr 14, 2022
Don’t Run Afoul of Private Inurement Rules
Most not-for-profit executives are aware of the prohibition against private inurement. Generally, nonprofit directors and executives — and their family members — aren't allowed to personally benefit from their positions while putting their organization at Read More
Aug 04, 2021
Danger! How Nonprofits Often Lose Their Tax-Exempt Status
With all the legal hoops involved, it can be difficult for a not-for-profit to secure its tax-exempt status. The last thing you want after gaining this critical designation is to lose it. In the current Read More
Jun 24, 2021
How to Approach Succession Planning
Does your organization have a succession plan in place? And, if it does, is it well documented? Some not-for-profits delay detailed succession planning, thinking of it as a project they'll get to "someday." But that's Read More
May 27, 2021
Five Ways to Inspire Nonprofit Innovation
Many not-for-profit organizations have been hanging on for dear life for the past year. But the days of survival mode are coming to an end. Now, nonprofit leaders need to be innovative to position their Read More
May 13, 2021
How Your Nonprofit Can Act on 2021’s Biggest Trends
What can not-for-profit organizations expect in 2021 and beyond? One recent report, "11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2021," offers some answers. Produced by the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University (Grand Read More
Mar 04, 2021
Nonprofits Need to Educate Donors About New Tax Benefits
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) enacted in December 2020 extends and modifies several key tax provisions originally included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided several forms of Read More
Feb 04, 2021
When Should Not-for-Profit Organizations Return Donations?
A donor makes a cash contribution to a nonprofit community health organization. The donor itemizes income tax deductions and meets the IRS's substantiation requirements. So he's entitled to take a deduction for the donation. The Read More
Jan 07, 2021