Blog - Page 20 of 46 - Charity Lawyer Blog

Fundraising in the New Normal

If your annual gala, donor breakfast, or poker night benefit is responsible for more than 30% of your annual operating costs, it may be time to overhaul your organization’s fundraising plan. COVID-19 has taught us many lessons, one of which is that the unexpected can and does happen. Limitations on in-person gatherings have shuttered many key fundraising events heavily relied on by nonprofits. In the aftermath, some are now struggling to keep their doors open.

September 8, 2020 No Comments

How to Ensure the Legality of Virtual Board Meetings

Today, many charities are unable or unwilling to hold board meetings or membership meetings in person due to the pandemic and social distancing requirements and are considering, perhaps for the first time, holding their meetings electronically. In between the complexity of mastering Zoom and figuring out the most flattering lighting, many may not realize that their organization’s articles or bylaws do not permit virtual meetings.

September 1, 2020 No Comments

Fundraising Regulation

What You Need to Know About Endowment Restrictions

How you can use a gift is generally controlled by donor restrictions written into a gift instrument; the instrument can be as simple as an email or a memo line in a check. If there is no restricting language in the gift instrument, the terms of the solicitation (i.e. whatever the charity advertises as the purpose of their solicitation) will govern what you can or cannot do. As to the length of the restriction, any donor restrictions that use the word endowment are considered to create a fund of permanent duration unless other language in the gift instrument limits the duration of the fund.

August 10, 2020 No Comments

Does Your Nonprofit Need a Business Continuity Plan?

The unexpected has increasingly become¦.well, expected. And failure to adequately plan for anticipated risks can subject directors to scrutiny for breaching their fiduciary duties. Having a business continuity plan is increasingly important; not only for ensuring the continued operation of essential services but also to shield directors from liability for failing to plan for such disruptions. Here’s what you need to know:

August 7, 2020 No Comments

Four Keys to a Successful Online Giving Campaign

The popularity of online fundraising was already on the rise before COVID; Blackbaud reports that online fundraising has grown 17% in the U.S. since 2016. Now COVID lockdowns have shattered fundraising expectations for nonprofits who rely heavily on special events, admissions, and fees for service to fill out their budgets. As a result, nonprofits are being challenged to quickly and effectively pivot fundraising efforts to the online space. Here are some of our best tips for success.

July 27, 2020 No Comments

Contracts, Waivers, and Releases

What Every Nonprofit Needs to Know About Contracts

Quite simply, a contract is an agreement between two parties that can be enforced by a court. It involves an offer by one party to provide something of value to another party, followed by the other party’s acceptance of the offer and exchanging money or something else of value in consideration for the services or goods that are to be provided.

July 13, 2020 No Comments

Business Interruption Insurance and COVID-19

Business interruption insurance is most commonly designed to replace lost income in cases where a business premise is physically damaged or where access to the insured’s property is prohibited by closure orders from a civil authority because of damage to property surrounding the insured’s business.

June 28, 2020 No Comments

How to Use an Employee Assistance Fund to Aid Employees During COVID

As the economic hardships of the pandemic continue to mount, many are looking for ways to help employees weather the crisis. After 9/11, the Internal Revenue Code was amended to allow employers to make direct payments to employees for qualified disaster relief under Section 139. Likewise, employee assistance funds are also commonly used vehicles to provide disaster relief and/or emergency hardship financial support for people affiliated with a particular employer. Both vehicles serve not only to protect one of your business’s most important assets — your people — by getting them back to work, but they also serve to boost morale, build community, and reduce employee turnover in the long-run.

June 15, 2020 No Comments

Fundraising Regulation

Black Lives Matter; Make a Difference By Giving

AdHoc said it best: For everyone that is feeling outraged by the multiple lives that have been lost at the hands of the police, we’d encourage you to channel that anger into action. For some, that action looks like self-education and awareness, or protesting, or speaking out amongst their friends and community. Another consideration may be giving to one of several organizations working diligently in the fight against systemic racism and violence.

June 8, 2020 No Comments

Diversify Your Nonprofit Board

While nonprofits may have a much different endgame in mind than their corporate counterparts, they can glean many benefits by incorporating a more diverse cadre of community members on their board rosters. The fresh perspectives and experiences that new and different members bring to the table result in organizations that are more nimble, effective, and ultimately better equipped to carry out their mission.

May 25, 2020 No Comments