July 16 - September 30, 2013 | Nonprofit Issues

July 16, 2013 - September 30, 2013

Lead Stories

Booster Club Loses Exemption Because of Fundraising Program

City Loses Right To Appoint Hospital Board

Hospital amended bylaws to eliminate City Council’s right to name directors

Directors Accused of Personal Benefit May Not Be ‘Independent’ to Decide on Suit

Court questions role of accused directors in deciding whether derivative action should proceed

Ready Reference Page No. 2

IRS Requires Substantiation of Contributions

Donors must obtain acknowledgment from charity for gifts worth $250 or more, must file Form 8283 for gifts of property over $500, with appraisal over $5,000

Our 501(c)(3) booster club board decided to institute a new volunteer policy this year. All parents automatically become members of the club if their child is in the sport (gymnastics). There are required volunteer hours and failure to meet the hours equals a fine of $25/half hour. Parents can buy out of the volunteer hours by paying $500 up front. Does this policy violate the club's 501(c)(3) status? Does the penalty money received by the club constitute taxable income for the club?

Lessons from Litigation

Court refuses to pierce corporate veil of hospital and foundation

Officer/director entitled to indemnification from foundation

Tax Matters

Court reduces deduction for clothes and housewares

Court finds conservation easement has no value

Employment Law

Nonprofit food distributor may be subject to FLSA

No worker’s comp for employee injured at charity Bowl-A-Thon

May Webinar

Getting Beyond a
Semi-Functional Board
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
1:30-3:00 PM ET

Do you have a rockstar board?

Or does it limp along listlessly performing the minimum necessary to keep the organization going? Pushed by the CEO because no one on the board wants to be responsible for leadership.

Most boards are somewhere in between. Functional perhaps, but not fully functional. More like what you would call semi-functional.

This webinar will help you get beyond a semi-functional board. By acting intentionally at every step of the governance process, you can improve your organization’s capacity, resilience and effectiveness.

Learn more and register

Nonprofit bylaw review

Don Kramer will review and comment on your own current or proposed bylaws

Do your Bylaws reflect the way you actually operate? Do they protect the interests of those who should be protected? Do they spell out clearly how to deal with governance issues? Or do they create uncertainty for those who have to implement them?

Most nonprofits don't spend a lot of time looking at their Bylaws until there is a question or a dispute. That's when you need bylaws that are clear and unambiguous, so your questions on how to proceed are already answered. That's when bad bylaws can lead to unnecessary controversies or even costly litigation. Nonprofit Issues editor Don Kramer will review your current or proposed Bylaws to see if they work for you.

Learn more

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SAY THAT AGAIN?

April 21, 2025

Those old enough to remember what it meant to say a story appeared “above the fold” on the front page of a newspaper may appreciate this story. People used to want to place stories above the fold because readers would at least glance at the story in the top half of the page that was visible when they picked up the paper before they looked at stuff that was below the fold and not immediately visible.

The printed version of the Philadelphia Inquirer had a four column picture and article about Pope Francis on the day after Easter that was written and printed before the Pope had died but seen by morning readers after his death had been widely reported. The fold divided the two-line headline so only the top line was visible. The top line said: “Pope meets Vance, then”

We can only imagine what readers were thinking before they flipped the page to read: “decries ‘the logic of fear’”

See our "Say That Again" collection

Special Report Available

Increasing Gender Diversity on the Boards of Nonprofit Eds and Meds: Why and How to Do It

This report provides a rare inside view on barriers women face to selection and success that are particular to nonprofit organizations and makes specific recommendations on how to improve the gender ratio.
Download the full report free

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July 16 - September 30, 2013