TOPICS
ADVOCACY
EVALUATION
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FUNDRAISING
GOVERNANCE
LEGAL
ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT
TECHNOLOGY
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
ADVOCACY back to top
Q: Regarding 501(h) election, the general instructions of 5768 state: "This election must be signed and postmarked within the first taxable year to which it applies."
Does this mean the 501(h) election cannot be retroactive to the previous year, as some guidance text describe?
Our circumstance: we did not anticipate lobbying activity, but circumstances made it necessary for our group to lobby to change a ruling on payments for a cancer-related therapy. We succeeded in spearheading a legislative fix last year in Dec ... just one month of that year and with very low expenditures (about 300 dollars) as it was email-based. We recognize the benefits of this election, but wish to know if we can do so retroactively to cover unanticipated lobbying in 2007.
A: The IRC Section 501(h) election is for a charitable organization to use the lobbying expense "safe harbor," Section 501(h)(6) states that the election under Section 501(h) is effective for all tax years of the organization which end after the date the election is made. Consequently, the 501(h) election cannot be retroactive to the previous year, and any information the inquirer has read which states that a retroactive election can be made is incorrect.
The small 2007 lobbying expenses of his organization (he said about $300) should not cause his organization any problems with the IRS. Section 501(c)(3) describes exempt, charitable organizations, and also requires that: . . . "no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as provided in subsection (h))." (Emphasis added.)
The Internal Revenue Service has not defined a "substantial part of the activities" to influence legislation. Since the 501(h) election allows an organization which has a budget of not more than $500,000 to spend up to 20% of its exempt purpose expenditures on lobbying, $300 is highly unlikely to be a substantial part of the exempt purpose expenditures of the organization. If the organization completes and files Form 5768 in 2008, the lobbying expenditure safe harbor under Section 501(h) will be available in 2008 for the organization, and will continue in effect until the organization revokes the election.
EVALUATION back to top
Q: I work at a non profit law firm and cannot find any information on the monetary benefit non profits have on the community. We are in the process of grant writing and this information would be extremely helpful.
A: You might want to check with the two universities in your area that have centers on nonprofit and philanthropic studies for community economic impact information specific to your geographic area.
The Institute of Public Service and the Center for Nonprofit Leadership of Seattle University http://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/npl/
Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy
http://tools.evans.washington.edu/research/nbec/
You are welcome to review the Economic Impact of Nonprofit Studies done by the Community Research Institute of the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at: http://www.cridata.org/Publications.aspx
Your local area community foundation may also have related information they can share with you as well.
Q: Are you able to provide assistance in the form of samples or guidelines on peer evaluations for a board of directors in the non-profit sector?
A: BoardSource offers information and guidelines on self-assessment for boards on their site at http://www.boardsource.org/Knowledge.asp?ID=1.349. They also have an inexpensive tool available if you search on their site under http://www.boardsource.org/Bookstore.asp?Type=epolicy&Item=1035.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT back to top
Q: I need to ask about a pastor that has retired due to disability and is still provided with a "housing allowance". This is not taxable nor should he pay Social Security on it...right? I want to do it the right way. How do I file the housing for IRS? 1099 or W2s? Last year it caused a problem for him at Social Security the way I filed it.
A: Our accounting specialist has provided the following feedback to your inquiry:
Please take a look at pages 7-9 of IRS Publication 517. This information should help you with your parsonage questions. It is recommended that you read the document completely before making your accounting decisions. It details that normally the value of a parsonage or a parsonage allowance is subject to self-employment income, but not federal taxable income. However it is not subject to self-employment after the person is retired. Normally parsonage amounts are reported in box 14 of the form W-2, as an information item only. If the person is retired, no W-2 would normally be issued. You can access the entire publication at www.irs.gov.
Please seek professional accounting assistance for confirmation or clarification of this information, if necessary. This response is not to be considered professional financial assistance.
Q: I recently took over as a supervisor at a non-profit organization that provides behavior therapy to children diagnosed with autism. The way our program is set up, the parents can be put on a scholarship so they don't have to pay for any of the treatment cost. We are trying to determine a method for using financial need to determine who qualifies for the scholarship. Does your company offer any information about this issue?
A: Here's a comprehensive model we found from the: Ashe County Health Department. You might also try contacting various counseling organizations in your area to do some market-area benchmarking.
Q: Do you know what the specific rule is around making a 990 available to the public?
A: This resource covers all of the information you’re looking for:
990s in the Spotlight
http://www.mcf.org/MCF/forum/2004/990s.htm
FUNDRAISING back to top
Q: A particular high-net-worth individual who will be a donor to our 501(c)(3) organization is in a position to bring many other such high-net-worth donors. This person wants to enter into a contractual relationship that establishes the % of the donor amount to be paid to him as compensation. He’d like the contract put in place as quickly as possible. Do you have any guidelines on this?
A: A contractual relationship with this donor would change the relationship to one of employee/employer, with the contracted employee undertaking the role of a commission-paid fundraiser. This is not a decision to be rushed into making. Careful and thorough due diligence considering the ethical and potential legal issues involved would be appropriate. Two resources currently on the Nonprofit Good Practice Guide speak to the ethical considerations involved in this kind of practice are listed below.
Why Good Fundraisers are Never Paid on Commission: Advice for Start-Up Fundraising Programs
http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/research/rfrm24.html
This article discusses fundraising ethics and compensation
Argument Against Paying Development Professionals Based Upon the Amount of Funds Raised
http://www.raise-funds.com/898forum.html
This article discusses the ethics of paying development professionals based on a percentage of the money raised, commission-based compensation, and performance bonuses.
Also, The Association of Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethics has several principles to consider. Read here: http://www.afpnet.org/ka/ka-3.cfm?content_item_id=1068&folder_id=897
Q: I am a full time student presently taking business ethics and upon graduation plan to become a professional grant-writer. A paper I am writing involves stating ethical dilemmas I am likely to encounter in the field to which I aspire which is grant writing for nonprofits. Could you please send me information relating to this or suggest other research engines which may help me out?
A: People who help to raise money for charities are often faced with ethical dilemmas. A fundraiser's job is to cultivate relationships that can lead to a donation to his or her charity. These relationships often result in the fundraiser learning a great deal of extremely sensitive information about the donor's wealth, business dealings, and family relationships. This information can cause harm if it ends up in the wrong hands.
Grant writers should be aware of these situations, but they have other concerns. They usually work on projects that may occur many years in the future and that can have a impact the lives of co-workers and community members. Another problem can come from the fact that fundraising is a small community and people either know someone or have worked for nearly every major charity in a community.
For example, confidential plans to build a new medical school downtown could be used for personal gain. That is wrong. You might learn about a new project by your charity that could impact a competing charity. You need to keep that information private. You may want to withhold from applying for a grant because you want another charity to win it. That is very unethical.
When writing grant proposals, an ethical grant writer will make sure that:
* the need is accurate and respectful of the people being served
* a majority of stakeholders have input into the design of the project
* the proposed project is described clearly and succinctly
* promised outcomes are possible given the current capacity of the charity
* evaluation is built into the project design
The grant writer is also usually responsible for reporting on the actual outcomes of the funded project. The report should be an objective analysis of the project's successes and failures. This fair evaluation will help the charity and the donor decide whether to replicate the project to help others in communities around the country or the world.
Q: Do you offer, or do you know of an organization that offers an electronic template for a Fund Development and giving policies manual?
A: A quick search of the Nonprofit Good Practice Guide’s Fundraising topic area resulted in the book listed below as the first resource, which includes a CD-ROM containing electronic sample forms for your use.
Complete Guide to Fund-Raising Management
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471200190/ref=ase_nonprofitgood-20/103-5516741-9914266?v=glance&s=books
The next two resources are samples located on the internet, which could be used as a reference to develop and generate your own templates.
OCHS Fund Development Manual
http://www.ochs.org.uk/friends/documents/OCHS_Fund_Development_Manual.pdf
CCRI Gift Policies Manual
http://www.ccri.edu/foundation/wordfiles/Policies&Procedures_Manual-061218b.doc
Q: How do you turn pledges into cash? Or, how do you start building with pledges from donors but no cash in the bank? Are there special loans one can acquire or are there other options institutions have used?
A: The feedback from one of our development specialists was more along the lines of philosophy and advice:
Turning pledges into cash is a hard thing to do until those pledges are realized. Depending on your organization and the type of reporting you do, you are most likely obliged to report those pledges as pledges and nothing else. Therefore, you can not "show" cash or reserves, based on pledges.
What you can do, is use those pledges as proof of donors' belief on your organization. You may be able to petition granting agencies and other donors by using these pledges as a testament to your viability. Some Grantors specialize in start-up or initializing grants in order to get your program started.
On the whole, it is important to gauge the viability and feasibility of your organization's mission and legitimacy of purpose. In other words, if you are unable to raise cold hard cash, or obtain any substantial grants to get the organization off its feet, you might want to reconsider your mission or your message. Perhaps tweaking your approach will create a greater case for support with potential donors.
If you haven't checked out www.foundationcenter.org to identify which foundations make grants related to your mission yet, you'll want to take a look.
Q: We've just learned that a recently deceased member of our church has left us bequest. The lawyer for her estate tells us we need to create "an endowment fund" to receive the gift. We don't know how to create an endowment fund, can you advise us?
A: Our CPA recommends you contact your local community foundation. Many community foundations help small nonprofits set up and manage endowment funds. In addition, there may be matching funds available depending on the organization and type of endowment.
For example, the church that she attended growing up set up an endowment fund through their community foundation. The endowment is actually managed by the community foundation, which is a bonus. In addition, the community foundation matches any funds that the church raises for the endowment.
Your organization could go through a money manager for assistance, but it may be easier and less expensive...especially since they are probably a small organization... to go through their community foundation.
Q: Can a donor who made a gift directed to a particular fund in the second quarter of 2007 change his mind in September 2007 or January of 2008 and move his donation to a different fund? Our standing resolution states that both funds have very different purposes.
A: If the receipt for the gift is based upon a calendar year-based fiscal year, then the gift would be receipted for 2007. Attempting to re-direct the gift to a different fund effective January 2008 would not be legal under IRS rules.
If the fiscal year in which the gift was receipted is not based on the calendar year, and the change falls within the same fiscal year, it is an institutional decision. Two important considerations to keep in mind are the donor's intent and whether moving the gift would change any matching gift opportunities. It may be in the best interest of the donor relationship to move the contribution as long as it's legally possible.
Q: Our organization is trying to hire someone to do some fundraising. She currently works for another organization, doing fundraising. She would like to work for us both, but has heard that it is illegal to raise funds for two groups at the same time. I have never heard of such a thing and am wondering if you know if this is true. I did some Internet searching and couldn't find anything. We are in California so perhaps it is a California law. Do you have any idea?
A: Based on the content of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Ethical Principles (printed below) it might not be illegal in theory, but it would seem extremely difficult for it not to be a conflict of interest. It would certainly depend on the specific work the individual was being contracted to execute.
You might start by asking yourself:
· How would the fundraiser separate knowledge of the donor relationships of the employer organization from those of the contracting organization? The fundraiser would have access to privileged information from both organizations, as well as both donor databases.
· Would this person be directly involved in soliciting donations? Or would they work on helping the contracting organization by designing a fund development plan or fundraising campaign, etc. and be kept out of donor relations and informational databases?
Conflict of interest is not always done intentionally. However, soliciting funds for multiple organizations in the same community could create an unavoidable ethical trap.
ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
Adopted 1964; amended Sept. 2007
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) exists to foster the development and growth of fundraising professionals and the profession, to promote high ethical behavior in the fundraising profession and to preserve and enhance philanthropy and volunteerism.
Members of AFP are motivated by an inner drive to improve the quality of life through the causes they serve. They serve the ideal of philanthropy, are committed to the preservation and enhancement of volunteerism; and hold stewardship of these concepts as the overriding direction of their professional life. They recognize their responsibility to ensure that needed resources are vigorously and ethically sought and that the intent of the donor is honestly fulfilled.
To these ends, AFP members, both individual and business, embrace certain values that they strive to uphold in performing their responsibilities for generating philanthropic support. AFP business members strive to promote and protect the work and mission of their client organizations.
AFP members both individual and business aspire to:
· practice their profession with integrity, honesty, truthfulness and adherence to the absolute obligation to safeguard the public trust
· act according to the highest goals and visions of their organizations, professions, clients and consciences
· put philanthropic mission above personal gain;
· inspire others through their own sense of dedication and high purpose
· improve their professional knowledge and skills, so that their performance will better serve others
· demonstrate concern for the interests and well-being of individuals affected by their actions
· value the privacy, freedom of choice and interests of all those affected by their actions
· foster cultural diversity and pluralistic values and treat all people with dignity and respect
· affirm, through personal giving, a commitment to philanthropy and its role in society
· adhere to the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable laws and regulations
· advocate within their organizations adherence to all applicable laws and regulations
· avoid even the appearance of any criminal offense or professional misconduct
· bring credit to the fundraising profession by their public demeanor
· encourage colleagues to embrace and practice these ethical principles and standards
· be aware of the codes of ethics promulgated by other professional organizations that serve philanthropy
Q: My daughter came home from school cheer practice last night and told me that their coach told them that they were having a "mandatory" fund raiser. If the girls do not sell a certain amount of promotional product each, they cannot participate. Isn't this wrong?
A: Here is the response received from one of our Development professionals...
There are really two issues in this question:
1. What if any fund-raising ethics are in question?
2. To what degree can raising money be tied to sports participation?
It is difficult to determine the source of the so-called quota imposed on the cheerleading team members from the information in the inquiry. One is also limited in generating a response without such details. Given the limited details in the inquiry, the following can help guide the mother through next action steps.
First, an important question must be answered; Is the cheer team affiliated with a school?
If this team is not affiliated with a school, it will be difficult to contest the methods by which the team organizers decide to fund the team. Private organizations have the freedom to raise money in the method they find appropriate as long as any donors are informed as to the ways their money is used. But, if the team raises money through a fund-raising sales method, the cheer team is essentially selling something and the methods used by the company can run the gamut. Whether the company uses ethical business practice and fund-raising practices is impossible to determine.
If the team is affiliated with a school, the first recommendation is for this mother is to ask the coach if this is a school-wide requirement. If it is, then the next place to go is to the athletic director or principal of the school. Such a requirement, imposed school-wide may constitute a hybrid version of a 'pay-to-play' system used by public and private schools in order to supplement funding decreases to extra-curricular activities such as sports teams and the arts. However, whether or not such a version of "pay-to-play" is legal is unclear. The following articles refer to the increasing controversy over 'pay-to-play.'
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0920/p12s01-alsp.htm
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0902/p03s01-usec.html
http://www.lowell.k12.mi.us/pay_to_play.htm
If this parent finds that it is only this coach that is imposing the quota, it is important for the coach to disclose such details as what will be funded through this activity, what percentage of the sales actually come back to the team, and how sales are reported. In any fund-raising activity, donors have the right to know what will be done with their money. Depending on the regulations in the school district, such a quota may not be sanctioned by the school or district. But the same challenges with the outside fund-raising company as mentioned above may hold true even if the method is sanctioned by the school.
If the cheer squad is affiliated with a school, the parent has every right to contest her daughter's right to be part of a cheer team against her requirement to raise money. Perhaps the solution is as simple as the parent covering the amount of money that would be made by sales of the candles.
In any case, this mother faces the new reality of increasing costs and demands for children who participate in activities. Many parents are surprised when first presented with a financial stipulation that in their generation was essentially free.
GOVERNANCE back to top
Q: Who determines the agenda of a board assuming all information about an agency comes from administration to the board?
A: Here's a resource you can reference:
Meeting Wizard
http://www.meetingwizard.org/meetings/effective-meetings.cfm
Item #2 recommends the meeting agenda be developed by key participants.
It is common practice to have appropriate input for agenda items submitted by any board member by a pre-set time and date (e.g. 24 hours prior to the meeting time). Agenda items that a member wants to discuss that arise after that time and date can be allowed into the meeting discussion during a "New Business" or "Other" item on the agenda.
Q: We have the Robert Rules of Order in our church, and we have some members that want to do away with them. They think by doing away with the Roberts Rules will also do away with the Rules and Bylaws of our church. Are they right? Do you think it be wise to do away with the Robert Rules of Order?
A: If the Bylaws do not state Robert's Rules of Order must be used you can simply agree stop using them. If it is written in the Bylaws that Robert's Rules of Order are to be used, the Board can vote to change the Bylaws.
Secondly, here are a couple of resources you may want to consider as you move forward:
Roberta's Rules of Order
http://www.robertasrules.com/book/toc
Breaking Robert's Rules
http://www.breakingrobertsrules.com/
Q: Is it ethical for a Board President to also be a paid Executive Director for a 501(c) (3) organization?
A: All charitable organization officers and directors are required to conduct themselves exclusively for the benefit of the organization, and in ways consistent with the charitable purposes of the organization. Whether or not it is ethical for the board president also to be a paid executive director depends on the particular facts concerning the organization, the executive director’s employment arrangements, including compensation and benefits, and the methods by which the paid executive director’s performance is reviewed and his or her compensation and benefits established. It usually is not prudent to have the Executive Director and the Board President be the same person.
The board should consider the qualifications and experience of its board president before naming that person to the post of paid executive director. In some situations, the board president could be the best possible person to serve as a paid executive director. If the board president has served as board president before coming executive director, I suggest the board of directors consider asking that person to resign as board president before beginning his or her duties as executive director. If this person already holds both positions, the board should consider naming another person as board president.
With Internal Revenue Code Section 4958 taxes on excess benefit transactions, a charitable organization board of directors should make compensation payments to a disqualified person (such as an officer or director) according to the following requirements:
1. The compensation arrangement must be approved in advance by the board of directors of the organization, which is composed of individuals who do not have a conflict of interest concerning the transaction. This means that the executive director who is also board president should not participate in the decision about his or her compensation and benefits as executive director.
2. Before making its determination, the board of directors must obtain and rely on appropriate data as to the comparability of the compensation and benefits it intends to provide to its executive director. The survey the Johnson Center prepares every year or so concerning 501(c)(3) organization compensation and benefits for Michigan organizations is an excellent example of the kind of appropriate data that a board of directors should consider.
3. The board should adequately document the basis for its determination concurrently when it makes that determination. The minutes of the board of directors meeting should include references to the information from other organizations, comparability studies, consultants opinions, etc. that the directors considered and relied on in order to establish the compensation package for its executive director.
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a 16 point checklist to help charitable organizations establish the “rebuttable presumption” that its compensation arrangements are reasonable under Internal Revenue Code Section 4958 and thus not subject to the immediate sanctions of Section 4958.
Q: When presenting financial statements at a Board Meeting do you require a motion to accept the financial statements or is it just for information?
A: We checked two resources and found the closest results to your inquiry among the Frequently Asked Questions of www.parlipro.org:
Does a treasurer's report need to have a motion of approval? No motion is needed - or proper. A treasurer's report is simply "received" as it is given and no motion should be made to "adopt", "accept" or "approve" it. An annual auditors' report, on the other hand, is "accepted" or adopted, but not the treasurer's financial report itself. For more information, refer to RONR 10th ed. p. 461.
FROM OUR LEGAL EXPERTS IN RESIDENCE back to top
Q: I would like to offer a "free" "safe ride" to high school students in my town who may have been drinking or came with someone who is drinking and does not want to ride home with someone too intoxicated to drive home. I'm looking for legal issues and anything that may help. A.Z. ~ New Jersey
A: Our Legal Expert in Residence believes the place to begin is by speaking with your auto insurance agent. The rules in operating a program like this are likely to be restrictive based upon the New Jersey statutes, which your insurer should be thoroughly aware of. Though your intentions may fall somewhere along the continuum of the "good Samaritan laws", transporting intoxicated minors can be fraught with liability (what if they become extremely ill or unconscious during the ride?).
Your inquiry suggests the rides would be free of charge, but without additional details we're not clear whether that means they would be underwritten by a grant, or some other funding source. We're also unable to ascertain whether you are intending to use your personal vehicle, or if the transportation will be provided by a vehicle that belongs to a nonprofit organization. Lastly, what would the process be? How would you be notified of the need?
One of the best "models" to look at is Mother's Against Drunk Drivers. You may want to talk with someone there regarding the issues and best practices involved in setting up a local program. It may be more expedient for getting your program under way to consider partnering with them.
National Site
http://www.madd.org/home.aspx.
New Jersey Chapter
http://www.madd.org/nj
Q: Can a non-profit organization earn income through a multi-level marketing company without risking their non-profit status.
A: Your question was referred to our legal expert in residence for feedback. Here is their response:
We have received the question, "Can a non-profit organization earn income through a multi-level marketing company without risking their non-profit status." We assume that the question is based on the assumption that the nonprofit organization will actually conduct business through a multi-level marking company, rather than simply receive contributions from a donor or donors who operate a multi-level marketing company.
If our assumption is correct, it is likely that the income the nonprofit earns through the MLM will be income from the conduct of an unrelated trade or business as defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 513 (www.irs.gov). If this activity is conduct of an unrelated trade or business, that is conduct which is not substantially related, aside from need of the organization for income or funds for its charitable activities, to the performance of its charitable purposes, then the income from that activity will be considered to be unrelated business taxable income under Internal Revenue Code Section 512. Under Internal Revenue Code Section 511, the corporate income tax is imposed on the unrelated business taxable income of charitable organizations.
The unrelated business taxable income of the nonprofit organization can be large enough to cause the nonprofit organization to lose its nonprofit status, although a small amount of unrelated business taxable income will not cause the organization to lose its nonprofit status.
The Internal Revenue Service has issued extensive, detailed regulations concerning the unrelated business income of charitable organizations.
ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT back to top
Q: I am on the board of a private operating foundation with a budget of $100,000 per year. Our focus is improving teacher training in marginalized communities in Latin America. My goal is to determine the appropriate amount to pay a part time director with grant making and grant analysis responsibility and experience. Where can I find guidance on pay guidelines?
A: Many factors go into the determination you’re trying to make. For free data, you might want to start with:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, and more specific to your inquiry check: http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm. Other resources (including fee-based) can be found at:
Pay Rates in Nonprofit Organizations
http://www.nonprofitexpert.com/salary.htm
Q: I'm trying to assist a 501c3 organization develop some operational guidelines regarding expenditures for items such as board member travel, meals, accommodations while at retreats. Are there any regulations governing this area? Where can I find a good reference for establishing sound policies?
A: There are a variety of considerations used by nonprofits to determine travel and expense policies and expenditure guidelines, but they are not regulated, other than by the IRS. Here is a good sample policy we have on the Nonprofit Good Practice Guide you may want to use as a model.
Travel and Other Expense Reimbursement Policy
http://www.ag.state.mn.us/pdf/charities/TravelPolicy.pdf
Q: How do I incorporate a non-profit organization in Pennsylvania? What paperwork is needed?
A: Here is the link to your state's support organization:
Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations
http://www.pano.org/tipsuccess.php
Although PANO does not provide direct assistance to start-ups, they have tips and resources to help guide you through the process.
Below I added the information we provide to users that are considering starting a nonprofit in Michigan, though much of the information is federal:
The Internal Revenue Service Web site on Tax Information for Charities and other Non-Profits has the latest forms and information for starting a nonprofit. The publication, The Life Cycle of a Public Charity, includes information on starting up, application forms, annual filings, ongoing compliance and significant events.
You can access the IRS free online workshop, Stay Exempt - Tax Basics for 501(c)(3)s, which covers tax compliance issues confronted by small and mid-sized tax exempt organizations.
The State of Michigan, Department of Attorney General website on Charitable Giving Information has forms and information on procedures and requirements for starting a nonprofit.
The Michigan Nonprofit Association's Nonprofit Start Up Resource Page provides the tools required to starting your nonprofit organization. It contains a guide, necessary forms, and even classes to better managing a nonprofit organization.
The State of Michigan's Department of Labor & Economic Growth also offers from March through October, a monthly, inexpensive session covering: director and officers duties and responsibilities, indemnification, charitable solicitations, financing, tax issues, filing requirements and record keeping. More information and registration.
Finally, anyone interested in starting a nonprofit is advised to consult an attorney to ensure all documents are accurate and to save a considerable amount of time and effort.
Q: I need a scale to measure the emotional intelligence of students for my research. Can you help?
A: Please take a look at these links to see if any of these test sites are of the quality and level of reliability you are looking for.
Queendom
http://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=1121
Psychetests.com
http://www.psychtests.com/tests/iq/emotional_iq_r2_access.html
Institute for Health and Human Potential
http://www.ihhp.com/testsite.htm
Test Cafe'
http://www.testcafe.com/ei/?affil=
iVillage: Work & Money/Work and Career
http://quiz.ivillage.co.uk/uk_work/tests/eqtest.htm
TECHNOLOGY back to top
Q: I work for a very small nonprofit with multiple software needs and would like a few recommendations if possible. Please keep in mind that we are not tech savvy.
A: We are not able to make product recommendations, but find the Web site www.techsoup.org to be most valuable in situations like yours. They have product evaluations and information on nonprofit pricing.
Q: Under the topic of Information Management, I am looking for examples of Data Policies and Data Standards in the non-profit/philanthropy field. E.g. - policies or standards around Data Capture, Data Retention, Data Access, Data Management, etc.
A: There are no hard and fast standards around data capture for the nonprofit sector. There are some federal rules for some types of data out there where information has to be kept secure (particularly around domestic violence situations). The federal rules follow the federal grant guidelines. Some states also have passed legislation around policies and standards. For example, there is a new database system in place by HUD called HMIS which hopes it will increase understanding of homelessness in America. You can visit http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page5099.cfm?cg=searchterms&sg=data standards to learn more.
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT back to top
Q: I work for a non-profit organization and would like to know the current "in-kind" pay rate for volunteer hours to add to grant applications.
A: Here's the latest: http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/volunteer_time.html
Q: I am looking to obtain a copy of the VOLUNTEER LEGAL HANDBOOK and am looking to you for assistance!
A: Volunteer Legal Handbook, 8th Edition, http://www.iciclesoftware.com/vlh7/