IRS Raises Fees It Charges for Nonprofit Applications
TAX WATCHBy Elizabeth SchwinnBeginning July 1, the IRS will raise the fees it charges charities to apply for tax-exempt status, the revenue service has announced. Organizations seeking first-time rulings that they qualify as charities generally will pay $750, up from the previous rate of $500. A…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
Senate Urges Investigation of Pay at Smithsonian
TAX WATCHBy Elizabeth SchwinnA key lawmaker has asked the Smithsonian Institution’s internal watchdog unit to look into executive pay and perquisites throughout the nonprofit museum. Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, asked the inspector general’s office at the museum to expand its…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
Tax Agency Investigates Nonprofit Hospitals
TAX WATCHBy Elizabeth SchwinnThe Internal Revenue Service has begun looking into how well nonprofit hospitals are complying with federal law requiring them to provide social benefits, such as free or low-cost health care for the poor, in exchange for their tax-exempt status. The tax agency has sent…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
A Former Minister Learns the Power of Asking for Donations
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned about running a nonprofit organization came from my experience in the for-profit world. That lesson? Put simply — make sure you ask for money. I’ve found that for many in the nonprofit world that proves to be a difficult task. However, I believe it’s an…
Volunteering in the United States: a Snapshot
NUMBER OF AMERICANS WHO VOLUNTEER In millions 2002 59.8 2003 63.8 2004 64.5 2005 65.4 PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS WHO VOLUNTEER 2002 27.4% 2003 28.8% 2004 28.8% 2005 28.8% WHERE VOLUNTEERS GIVE TIME Activities Volunteers Perform Coach, referee, tutor, teach, or serve as a mentor: 35% Fund raise or sell…
Red Cross’s Actions After Hurricane Katrina Criticized in Congressional Watchdog’s Report
By Elizabeth SchwinnAs the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struggled last year to find food and housing, relief was delayed by a bureaucratic squabble between the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency over what duties the nonprofit group and the government agency…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
Almost 29 Percent of Americans Volunteered in 2005, Government Survey Finds
The typical American volunteer is a white woman who donates her time to a religious organization as a ALSO SEE:Charts: Volunteering in the United States: a Snapshot tutor or other position helping children, says a new government study. The wide-ranging report, which examines national volunteering…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Bits: Katrin Verclas Appointed Executive Director Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network
The Community Technology Centers’ Network will hold its 15th annual conference in Washington July 27-29. The meeting will highlight the history of and changes and innovations in the field of community technology. For more information: Go to http://www.ctcnet.org. Katrin Verclas has been appointed…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Mass. Company Adds Online Fund-Raising Service
For the past 17 years, the Target Analysis Group has analyzed and compared direct-mail fund-raising data for charities to show them how they fared relative to other organizations. Now, the Cambridge, Mass., company is incorporating online fund-raising into its analysis. Target expects 12 to 15…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Charities Urged to Monitor Congress Internet Debate
A contentious debate about how to regulate the Internet, now before Congress, is full of technical jargon and confusing dueling slogans, such as “Hands Off the Internet” and “Save the Internet.” But media-policy experts are urging charities not to tune it out, because the outcome could have a major…
By SUZANNE PERRY
Contributor