The IRS has forged ahead in the face of opposition from charity regulators and several nonprofit associations and introduced a short form exemption “application.” To be eligible to use the form, an organization must be able to answer “No” to each of 26 yes or no questions, including the following 3: Do you project that …
Posts Categorized: News
Florida Enacts Tighter Regulations on Charities and Fundraisers
Do you remember when, in April, we told you that Florida’s lawmakers were concerned that 11 of the 50 worst charities were based in Florida. Now they are following through on their promise to do something about it. Last month Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law a comprehensive revision of the state’s charitable solicitation …
NY Attorney General Announces $25 Million Settlement
Earlier this month, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the $24.6 million settlement his office secured after an investigation into direct mail fundraising abuses at one of the country’s largest veterans’ charities, the Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF). The AG’s Charities Bureau, which conducted the investigation, determined that the abuses were perpetrated by DVNF’s two …
IRS Releases Progress Report on Exemption Application Backlog
It may be hard to remember now why the scandal surrounding Lois Lerner started. Late last week the IRS reminded us. On Thursday it released an update on its progress reviewing the social welfare organization backlog. The backlog included organizations identified in May, 2013 as being selected by the IRS for additional scrutiny based on …
Dog Ate My Tax Receipts Act
In a surprising twist to the Lois Lerner saga, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) recently announced the Dog Ate My Tax Receipts Act. The proposed bill reflects Stockman’s belief that the IRS must allow taxpayers to offer “a variety of dubious excuses” for missing documentation as the IRS has done for the Lerner emails it has …
Salary Increases at Grantmaking Organizations
According to a new survey by the Council on Foundations, the median salary for full-time positions at grantmaking organizations grew almost 3% from 2012 ($72,000) to 2013 ($74,061). The Council on Foundations compiled the results from 936 U.S. grantmaking organizations, with 8,404 full-time paid positions. The organizations included 35% community funds, 28% private foundations, and …