When a little dab of
creative will do ya
Photo credit: Visit Pensacola / visitpensacola.com
The individual and community benefit of charities and other tax-exempt organizations together with the contagious tenacity, enthusiasm of mission driven members and volunteers many times mask the legal complexity of the continued existence and operation of those organizations. Governmental and non-governmental scrutiny of charities and other tax-exempt entities has increased over the years. Competition amongst organizations vying for the available public and private support has become more challenging. Really, it is just not as easy to be a charity any more these day in many cases.
The reality is that most charities and other nonprofit tax-exempt organizations seldom survive an organizational, tax, fund-raising or personnel calamity. Broken private and public trust can lead to an early end to something that was to be special, needed and rewarding.
My experience with charities and tax-exempt organizations can help provide proactive and effective solutions to a multitude of issues presented at any time.
Sound and solid planning of the organizational foundation, including formation, initial applications for federal and state tax exemptions and fine-tuning governing boards and committees, are services I provide to assure my clients efforts are effective, efficient and successful from the start.
My services then focus on continued corporate governance, compliance with state and federal reporting and efforts to meet those expanding requirements. Assistance and formulating fund development and planned giving programs with all the right organizational objectives and maximum benefits to donors is a regular portion of my services.
Taxation of unrelated business income, unchecked conversion from a public to a private foundation, seemly innocent public engagement on community issues that ripen into restricted political lobbying and running afoul of other restrictions can terminate the treasured tax-exempt status of an organization. These issues get my special attention since tax exemption is the purpose for the organization’s existence while its mission is its reason for active operation.