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Video Q&A for Subscribers: May 2024 [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]
Ben and Mike answer questions from subscribers about Board liability exposure, deciding whether a new organization should have a broad or narrow focus, how receiving more than $50,000 in revenue impacts an organization’s Form 1023-EZ, and when nonprofits should think about changing audit firms.
Q&A #150 – Can a nonprofit change its mission without IRS approval?
A 501(c)(3) public charity is generally permitted to change its mission and purpose and undertake new program areas that were not described in its Form 1023 application so long as these changes are consistent with 501(c)(3) status and properly disclosed in the organization’s Form 990. Advance IRS approval is not required, although significant changes in mission, purpose, and programs can affect an organization’s ability to rely on the IRS determination letter approving 501(c)(3) status.
VIDEO: Describing Your Mission in the Form 990 | 5-Minute Lessons 4 Nonprofits
SE4N's A. Michael Gellman provides a short lesson on how to approach drafting a nonprofit organization's mission statement and description for the three different parts of the Form 990.
Drafting Purpose and Mission Language for the Articles of Incorporation
The “purpose” clause is one of the most important provisions in a nonprofit organization’s Articles of Incorporation. This language satisfies a core legal requirement while also establishing the organization’s main mission and permissible range of activities. However, it can be deceptively challenging to get this language right.
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Aligning Investing Purpose to Institutional Mission and Culture [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]
An increasing number of nonprofit organizations are implementing mission aligned investing and this approach may soon become an expected best practice. Core investment acumen will always be focused on safety, liquidity, and return on investment (ROI), balancing the risk/reward of these three key investment pillars. However, many nonprofits with investable funds now consider mission aligned investing as an important fourth pillar of their investment strategy.
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A Lesson for Nonprofits about Public Perception from the Crisis Text Line Controversy [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]
A controversy involving the nonprofit organization Crisis Text Line’s sharing of anonymized data with a related for-profit entity has been a major topic of conversation recently following a lengthy report by Politico. While the specifics of this situation may be unique, this story is a lesson to all nonprofits that public perception should always be considered as one of the main factors in any decision, and this public perception can be just as important as legal formalities.
Q&A #43 – Should a nonprofit conflict of interest policy address non-financial conflicts?
You are correct that perceived or actual conflicts of interest can arise in a variety of different contexts and not all of them involve financial transactions. However, it is generally best to keep your conflict of interest policy focused on financial conflicts, while addressing concerns about non-financial conflicts in other ways.
Picking Between Mission and Financial Health and Sustainability: Which Comes First?
In the short-run you must pivot to favor financial health over mission so you can make it to the long-run and deliver more on mission in the future. Ensuring your organization will be around a long time will be the single most important factor to sustaining and then increasing delivery on mission.