Raffles. Bingo. Poker Nights. Auctions. These are fundraising favorites; donors enjoy them, and charities love the results. There are tough rules and restrictions under California law for special events in the first three of these four categories. Charity auctions are a different story, though. It’s relatively smooth-sailing...
Fundraising is central to the success of public charities. It takes an enormous amount of time, effort, and resources to raise the money needed to accomplish an organization’s mission. And it’s certainly quite a bundle that’s raised. For example, in 2013, total charitable giving in the...
There’s an important update to the rules about unpaid internships that we discussed last year in “The Crackdown on Unpaid Internships: Do Nonprofits Have to Worry?” Our answer to this question was “yes.” For the last few years, internships have been a hot topic in the...
It sounds like it could be the title of a 1960’s-era teen mystery novel, and it’s no wonder the story went viral. It had everything: schoolgirls excited about summer camp, an angel donor who turned into a Scrooge, Caitlyn Jenner, thin mint cookies, and a...
It’s not uncommon these days to read news reports about corporate whistleblowers. Since 2002, these brave people who report wrongdoing have had substantial protection under the federal Sarbanes-Oxley Act. That landmark legislation emerged in the aftermath of high-profile corporate corruption cases in the early 2000s; most...
In “What Happens When A Huge Donation Begins to Smell?” we told you about “tainted donors.” Two of the most infamous scoundrels, Bernie Madoff and Allen Stanford, made huge gifts to charities before their misdeeds were discovered. The recipients had to make difficult decisions about...
“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” - Mario Puzo -The Godfather The Internal Revenue Service “encourages a charity’s board of directors to adopt” specific written policies on matters including executive compensation, fundraising, and investments. The agency also advises organizations to put together...
Staff of a nonprofit are brainstorming possibilities for next year’s fundraising gala. Someone mentions that a group down the road just held a successful Monte Carlo Night. “Sounds good,” say staffers. They consider logistics: venue, food, entertainment, and overall costs. “Let’s go for it,” they...
Welcome a favorite local politician at your offices with a banner emblazoned: “Good luck on your reelection, Congressman. We love you!” That’s a sure-fire way to jeopardize your tax exemption. What’s another way? Have a shoddy accounting system and forget to file federal and state information...
Two friends enter a deli in downtown San Diego for some take-out. One orders a ham and cheese sandwich and is charged $5.95. The other orders the same, but her sandwich is toasted. She’s charged $6.43. Same food, same store - but the hot sandwich...