In 2020 I will coach smaller nonprofit projects to organize without formal standards and use a $1,000 fee payment as the arbitrary benchmark at which it makes sense for me to get involved. I made a strategic error in the early years of my accounting business and am taking steps now to correct it. When […]
Rapidly evolving business technology makes it easier, faster and less expensive for a nonprofit organization to pursue its goals. Technology can help spread the message, recruit new supporters and board members, expand the target audience and deepen communications within the stakeholder groups. But every new technology should be vetted for consideration of how it will […]
This month of September 2019 was one of the most productive I’ve had in decades of small business. I helped launch (or re-launch) five new businesses. Three of them are nonprofits. One is already a financially “profitable” nonprofit so the tax and social benefit impact is impressive. I’ve proven that by offering free assistance to […]
Revenue Procedure 2018-38 remains controversial. Lawmakers (mostly Democrats) are concerned that it could encourage the flow of dark money into the tax-exempt sector. Their concern is valid. I know of private foundations that have already reorganized as public charities to take advantage of the secrecy rule change for their own benefit. No doubt, this rule […]
My largest block of clients are charitable organizations. In that nonprofit field the company TechSoup is a popular vendor of technology services. A few recent events cause me to ask more questions. I’ve made a few purchases for clients through them. TechSoup markets “donated and specially discounted technology offers”. But lately I’ve noticed that specific […]
There are more than a million nonprofit businesses in the U.S. with more every day. State requirements that new cannabis companies be in nonprofit form bring more attention. Yet most nonprofit organizations are small volunteer-driven businesses with small budgets. They still need to make smart business management decisions, beginning with the business start-up. Starting out […]
The accounting treatment of services donated to a nonprofit frequently comes up in conversation. This blog post is meant to simplify three of the most common scenarios if those discussions: Should a nonprofit include the value of donated services in its reported revenue? No, unless the contributed service either: 1) creates a new non-financial asset, […]
The treatment may vary slightly under different states but this is how we set up clergy payroll in New Jersey: 1) Ordained clergy typically get a W-2 with Box 1 and 16 (federal and state) wages only. 2) Federal, State income taxes may be withheld. 3) FICA should be handled as if they are self […]
This isn’t directly tax related but it might be critical to the planned local tax-free small business investment program. One of our angel investors wants me to run for local political office and might make his financial support dependent on it. With millions of public and private reinvestment on the line and local government facing […]
Executive Summary: Smaller Pennsylvania charities face revised state requirements for their submitted financial statements that may require additional advance planning. May 16, 2018 is the IRS filing deadline for filing 2017 information with the federal government for most nonprofit organizations. Some organizations haven’t had a need to focus on the details of recent legal changes affecting […]