As defined under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), a social welfare organization is an entity operated without profit and exclusively for the promotion of public welfare. [...]
A common question for people who are new to the nonprofit world is who “owns” the nonprofit organization. Is it the people who initially organize it? Major donors? Its directors or managers? For [...]
The need for unanimity is one of the features that distinguishes nonprofit governance from for-profit boards. In a for-profit setting, directors of companies sometimes take contrary positions [...]
Nonprofits that want to expand beyond the borders of their home states can be surprised by the added complexity that can come from operating in other states. Although efforts have been underway [...]
For any nonprofit, choosing a name is an important part of getting organized. In some ways it can also be a surprisingly difficult process. Organizations that plan to interact with the public [...]
One of the ways nonprofits can tap into new resources and expand their reach is to form joint ventures with other nonprofit organizations. Working together, two organizations can share ideas, [...]
A nonprofit organization risks losing credibility and can even face charges of fraud if it misleads or misinforms donors about the tax status of their gifts. At the same time, any gift’s [...]
Volunteers are often essential to all aspects of a nonprofit’s operations. They do everything from basic administrative tasks to high level analysis. Because volunteers can be involved in almost [...]
In a twist of linguistic irony, the application of the term “mission creep” has gradually expanded from its origins in discussions of war to be used in a broad range of organizational settings. [...]
Nonprofits decide to change their names for lots of different reasons. Perhaps the old name no longer reflects the core mission or values of an evolving organization. Or perhaps the old name has [...]