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Nonprofits: Is Your Tax Preparer Registered With The IRS?

It is an unfortunate reality:  many self-described tax professionals are not professionals at all.  They are more than willing to take a customer’s money for “professional” work that often results in a nightmare situation for the taxpayer.  This includes those who advertise services to help nonprofits with IRS Form 1023, the application for 501(c)(3) status [...]

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Foundation Group To Present Fundraising Workshop

Foundation Group To Present Fundraising Workshop

I’ve got some great news to share.  We just finalized the details on an intensive day-long, hands-on workshop that will give you the tools and know-how necessary to make 2012 the best fundraising year your nonprofit has ever had.  Sounds bold, you say?  Well, it may be bold…but come to this workshop and I suspect [...]

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Merry Christmas from Foundation Group

Merry Christmas from Foundation Group

The Christmas Story (Luke 2: 8-14) 8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10  And the [...]

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Our New Website Is Finally Launched

It’s been a long time coming, but our new and improved website has finally launched! There is no denying that our website has been a key factor in our growth over the years.  Let’s be honest:  For us, our web address is the equivalent of a car dealer having “cars.com”!  That, combined with our unmatched [...]

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IRS To Publish Revocations of Tax Exemption

IRS To Publish Revocations of Tax Exemption

The day some nonprofits have dreaded is coming soon.  The IRS announced on February 24, 2011 that it will soon publish the list of 501(c) nonprofit organizations that had their tax exemption automatically revoked for nonfiling of Form 990 information returns.  This list, officially called the Nonfiler Revocation List, will be updated monthly once it [...]

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Thoughts on Nonprofit Leadership Part II

Thoughts on Nonprofit Leadership Part II

This is installment #2 in our ongoing series on leadership.  Our first installment was more of an introduction.  In this post, we are going to explore the concept of governance vs. management. Governance and management:  For many, these are interchangeable terms.  They shouldn’t be.  And in far too many nonprofits, the leadership fails to understand [...]

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You Get What You Pay For

You Get What You Pay For

One of our staff members was rummaging around in the back of a closet here in the office the other day looking for some Christmas decorations.  She came across a framed quote that someone stuffed into a box years ago.  I don’t remember ever having seen it before, so I don’t really know where it [...]

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New IRS 1099 Rules Set to Hit Charities Hard

New IRS 1099 Rules Set to Hit Charities Hard

It seems like the hits just keep on coming.  First it was the Form 990-N rule changes that will cost a yet-to-be-determined number of nonprofits their tax exemption.  Now organizations are waking up to the news that the controversial new Health Care Law is bringing more draconian rule changes their way…namely the new requirements regarding [...]

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Following Up on Form 990 Schedule O

Following Up on Form 990 Schedule O

It seems that there has been some confusion regarding last week’s article on IRS Form 990, particularly Schedule O.  In this short article, I want to expand a bit on that discussion and clear up some misconceptions. We had a caller last week take us to task for hyping Schedule O as some kind of [...]

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What is Your Nonprofit Thankful For?

What is Your Nonprofit Thankful For?

Thanksgiving is a wonderful, home-grown holiday.  It is a time for family and friends, eating way too much and, most importantly, a time for reflection about all the things we have to be thankful for.  I heard someone mention this a few days ago, and it is very true:  Thanksgiving is about the only major [...]

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