Nonprofit Law & Governance For Dummies.

Table of contents

- Nonprofit Law & Governance For Dummies (Page 3)
- About the Authors (Page 5)
- Dedication (Page 7)
- Authors’ Acknowledgments (Page 7)
- Contents at a Glance (Page 9)
- Table of Contents (Page 11)
- Foreword (Page 21)
- Introduction (Page 23)
- About This Book (Page 23)
- Conventions Used in This Book (Page 24)
- What You’re Not to Read (Page 24)
- What We Assume About You (Page 24)
- How This Book Is Organized (Page 25)
- Icons Used in This Book (Page 27)
- Where to Go from Here (Page 28)
- Feedback, Please (Page 28)
- Part I: Nonprofits in the 21st Century (Page 29)
- Chapter 1: Defining and Scrutinizing the Nonprofit Sector (Page 31)
- Characteristics That Nonprofits Share (Page 32)
- Comparing Small Nonprofits to Small For-Profit Businesses (Page 36)
- Surveying the Latest Legal Landscape (Page 37)
- Focusing on Good Governance (Page 42)
- Chapter 2: Regulating Nonprofits: Who’s in Charge? (Page 43)
- The IRS: The Primary Federal Regulator (Page 43)
- U.S. Postal Regulations (Page 45)
- Federal Election Laws (Page 45)
- State Regulations (Page 46)
- Regulations in Counties and Municipalities (Page 54)
- Chapter 3: The State of the Nation’s Nonprofits (Page 55)
- Unprecedented Scrutiny (Page 55)
- Lessons from Nonprofits in the News (Page 56)
- New Federal Legislation: The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (Page 63)
- Part II: The Nuts and Bolts of Nonprofits (Page 67)
- Chapter 4: Starting Up and Staying True to the Mission (Page 69)
- Making the Mission Matter (Page 69)
- Getting Tax-Exempt Status (Page 72)
- Choosing an Entity Type (Page 81)
- Incorporating as a Nonprofit (Page 84)
- Getting Leaders on the Board (Page 86)
- Chapter 5: Getting Tax-Exempt Status (Page 91)
- Checking Out the “Eligible” List for Tax-Exempt Status (Page 91)
- Applying for Tax-Exempt Status (Page 101)
- Appealing an Adverse Determination with the IRS (Page 105)
- Chapter 6: Paying Nonprofit Directors, Officers, Staff, and Volunteers (Page 109)
- Convening a Compensation Committee (Page 109)
- Following IRS Guidelines (Page 113)
- Cooking Up a Compensation Package (Page 115)
- Governance Issues and Compensation (Page 119)
- Avoiding Tax for Volunteers (Page 121)
- Part III: Structuring a Nonprofit to Meet Its Mission (Page 123)
- Chapter 7: Filing the Dreaded Form 990 (Page 125)
- Introducing Form 990: What It Is and Who Has to File It (Page 125)
- Figuring Out Which Form to File (Page 128)
- Satisfying the States with Form 990 (Page 130)
- Avoiding Common 990 Nightmares (Page 131)
- Researching Form 990s Online (Page 132)
- Sampling Some Form 990s (Page 134)
- Chapter 8: The Responsibilities of the Board (Page 139)
- Introducing the Basics of the Board of Directors (Page 139)
- Understanding a Director’s Responsibilities (Page 143)
- Your Rights as a Director (Page 150)
- SOX Policies and Nonprofit Boards (Page 152)
- Chapter 9: Creating the Right Committee Structure (Page 157)
- Basic Committee Structures (Page 157)
- Forming a Committee (Page 158)
- Types of Committees (Page 160)
- Chapter 10: All About Audit Committees (Page 163)
- The Role of the Audit Committee (Page 164)
- Audit Committee Membership Guidelines (Page 167)
- Serving on an Audit Committee (Page 168)
- Part IV: Some Special Types of Nonprofits (Page 173)
- Chapter 11: Forming a Solid Foundation (Page 175)
- Why Form a Foundation? (Page 175)
- Comparing Private Foundations to Public Charities (Page 177)
- The Types of Private Foundations (Page 178)
- Establishing a Foundation: Time to Jump Through Some Legal Hoops (Page 181)
- Running Your Foundation (Page 184)
- Terminating a Private Foundation (Page 185)
- Chapter 12: Capitalizing on Cooperatives (Page 187)
- Cashing In on Collaboration: How Cooperatives Work (Page 188)
- Categorizing Cooperatives (Page 189)
- Members Only: Who Can Be Part of a Cooperative? (Page 193)
- Collaborating for Tax Benefits (Page 194)
- Forming a Cooperative in Five Easy Steps (Page 195)
- Running a Cooperative: Is It Any Different Than a Corporation? (Page 197)
- The Typical Operations of a Cooperative (Page 198)
- Dealing with Some Cooperative Conundrums (Page 199)
- Part V: Legal Landmines (Page 201)
- Chapter 13: Existing in a World of Sarbanes-Oxley (Page 203)
- A Quick and Clean Overview of Sarbanes-Oxley (Page 204)
- Applying SOX to the Nonprofit Arena (Page 210)
- Implementing Standards Logically: A Balanced Approach (Page 216)
- How SOX-Savvy Is Your Nonprofit? (Page 217)
- Chapter 14: Some Sticky Accounting Issues That All Nonprofits Face (Page 221)
- “Tax Exempt” Doesn’t Mean “ Tax Free” (Page 221)
- Valuing Donations Realistically (Page 227)
- Dealing with Donations, Deductions, and Donors Who Overvalue Their Items (Page 233)
- The Requirements of the Pension Protection Act (Page 235)
- Chapter 15: Communicating Comfortably with the IRS (Page 239)
- The Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the IRS (Page 239)
- Soft Contacts: Friendly Notes from the IRS (Page 241)
- Sending a Determination Letter (Page 243)
- Surviving an IRS Audit (Page 244)
- Part VI: The Part of Tens (Page 249)
- Chapter 16: More Than Ten Web Sites Every Nonprofit Should Visit (Page 251)
- Guidestar (Page 251)
- The Internet Nonprofit Center (Page 252)
- USA.gov (Page 253)
- CompassPoint (Page 254)
- NASCOnet.org (Page 254)
- Other Worthwhile Sites (Page 254)
- Chapter 17: Ten Questions to Ask Before Agreeing to Join a Nonprofit Board (Page 257)
- Who’s on the Current Board and How Did They Get There? (Page 257)
- How Long Are the Director’s Terms? (Page 258)
- How Many Board Members Does It Take to Get Anything Done? (Page 259)
- What Committees Does the Board Control? (Page 259)
- Can I See the Books and Records of the Organization? (Page 260)
- What’s the Organization’s Financial Situation? (Page 260)
- Is the Organization Current on Its Payroll Taxes? (Page 261)
- What Are the Responsibilities of the Directors? (Page 262)
- When, Where, and How Often Does the Board Meet? (Page 263)
- Is the Board Being Sued or Has It Ever Been Sued? (Page 264)
- Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Lose Tax-Exempt Status (Page 265)
- Engage in Plenty of Nonexempt Activities (Page 265)
- Get Involved in Prohibited Political Activities (Page 266)
- Become a Partnership (Page 267)
- Divert Some of Your Organization’s Earnings to Private Individuals (Page 267)
- Farm Out Control of Your Operations (Page 268)
- Fail to Limit Your Commercial Activities (Page 268)
- Require Donations in Exchange for Your Organization’s Services (Page 268)
- Skip Filing IRS Form 990 for Three Years in a Row (Page 269)
- Support Terrorist Activities (Page 269)
- Pay Your Executives Exorbitant Salaries (Page 270)
- Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Dealing with the Media (Page 271)
- Acquaint Yourself with Your Local Media (Page 271)
- Create Your Message (Page 272)
- Be Prepared When Being Interviewed (Page 272)
- Keep Control of the Story (Page 272)
- Don’t Avoid the Press (Page 273)
- Hire Professional PR Help When Necessary (Page 273)
- Remember That Nothing Is Ever “Off the Record” (Page 274)
- Gather the Forces When Appropriate (Page 274)
- Know the Difference between News and Advertising (Page 274)
- Surf the ’Net (Page 275)
- Part VII: Appendixes (Page 277)
- Appendix A: Sample Nonprofit Bylaws (Page 279)
- Appendix B: Sample Audit Committee Report (Page 283)
- Appendix C: State Regulatory Authorities for Nonprofits (Page 285)
- Appendix D: Selections from the Revised Model Nonprofit Corporation Act (1987) (Page 297)
- Chapter 2: Organization (Page 297)
- Chapter 7: Members’ Meetings and Voting (Page 299)
- Chapter 8: Directors and Officers (Page 300)
- Chapter 10: Amendment of Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws (Page 311)
- Chapter 11: Merger (Page 319)
- Chapter 12: Sale Of Assets (Page 324)
- Chapter 13: Distributions (Page 326)
- Chapter 14: Dissolution (Page 326)
- Chapter 15: Foreign Corporations (Page 338)
- Index (Page 347)