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Good Governance: Tax-Exempt Organizations to File Forms Electronically

sign here on phone

From online donations to individually-tailored policies and procedures there’s a lot for nonprofit professionals to stay on top of. One of the ways I like to serve my mission of promoting and maximizing charitable giving in Iowa is to help nonprofits leaders in the state understand the ever-changing regulatory landscape to be the most successful they can.

In December 2019 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that tax-exempt organizations are now required to electronically file certain documents. This comes after the passage of the Taxpayer First Act in July 2019, which affected tax-exempt organizations in tax years beginning after July 1, 2019. This is a change from the previous option where organizations had the option to mail in paper forms. Organizations that have previously filed paper forms should receive a notice from the IRS telling them of the change.

The following IRS forms should now be filed electronically:

• Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax
• Form 990-PF, Return of Private Foundation (or Section 4947(a)(1) Trust Treated as Private Foundation)
• Form 8872, Political Organization Report of Contributions and Expenditures
• Form 1065, U.S. Return of Partnership Income (if filed by a Section 501(d) apostolic organization)

I’ve written about Form 990 in-depth before. While nonprofits don’t generally file annual tax returns (hence the tax-exempt status) most nonprofits need to file an important annual information return (a version of Form 990). If you want to learn more, I recommend giving these posts a read:

Interested in other aspects of successful nonprofit operations and great governance? Confused about any other regulatory changes? Don’t hesitate to contact me for a consult at gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com and 515-371-6077.

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New Year’s Resolutions: Tips for Setting Charitable Goals

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man with fireworks - charitable giving

With ringing in the new year comes the inevitable resolutions to be happier, healthier, more productive…all good intentions. But, what if this year you make a different kind of resolution—an actionable goal that could make a difference in the causes you care about? How about a goal that goes beyond yourself and could also have a positive impact on your community? This year I implore you to make at least one charitable giving goal. A giving goal can be a “resolution” you actually keep after the snow melts. How? With the right plan in place!

woman looking at fireworks

Similarly, I encourage my clients to determine their estate planning goals. These goals help guide me in drafting a personalized estate plan and determining which documents and provisions are needed. After all, every Iowan, family, and business is unique. Charitable giving goals can work the same way as a guiding blueprint for the who, what, when, and why of giving.

Use the following information to set your charitable giving goals for the new year!  

tips for setting charitable giving goals

Set a budget.

Of course, to begin, you’ll need to examine your entire budget including income, committed expenses (such as rent/mortgage payments, all bills, healthcare costs, etc.), to determine your discretionary income—this is the money you have left over after your committed expenses.

Along with your budget you should also consider whether larger one-time donations or recurring (perhaps monthly) donations work better for your budget, personality, and spending habits. A one-time donation may help prevent money from being spent on other discretionary choices. On the other hand, a repeated, monthly donation may help divide the total amount up into manageable sums. And, monthly donations can often be configured to automatically be made from your account which makes it easy to set the figure at the beginning of the year and make it a regular expenditure. Nonprofit organizations are grateful for all charitable contributions, but recurring, monthly gifts make their budgeting easier.

Look at the big picture.

big picture giving

Step back from the accounting weeds for a moment and sit down with a plain piece of paper. Write down the causes and organizations you care about. If you feel passionate about a certain issue, but don’t know of a specific charity off the top of your head that is addressing the issue, make a note of it. Your list doesn’t have to be long, just true to you.

Then, commit to research to determine which organizations are going to invest your money toward a mission that aligns with your own ethos. Some things to consider about a charity:

  • Financial health. Tax-exempt organizations have to file Form 990 (officially, the “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax”)  with the IRS. This form details the organization’s financial information and is available to the public. Do a search on a database such as the Foundation Center, for a charity you’re considering donating to, and review the financial data.
  • What’s the charity’s commitment to transparency? How about accountability?
  • What’s the organization’s Charity Navigator rating, if any? Charity Navigator’s rating system examines a charity’s performance in the areas of financial health and accountability/transparency, and presents it in an easily discernible way.
  • Is the organization a public charity or private foundation? This will have an impact on your federal income tax charitable deductions.
  • Is the organization based in the U.S. or is it a foreign charity? (Generally, if the donee is a foreign charitable organization, an income tax deduction is unavailable.)

Of course, if you’re personally involved with an organization through volunteering, fundraising, or the like, that’s a good way to “know” the charities as well. Research will empower and embolden your charitable goals if you know your donation is going to an upstanding, trustworthy operation.

Seek advice.

If you made a goal to increase muscle mass, you would likely seek the services of a personal trainer. If your goal is to eat healthier? Maybe a nutritionist. When the goal is to be committed to smart charitable donations, you’ll want to enlist the likes of your lawyer, accountant, and/or financial advisor. Seek out a professional who has experience working with nonprofits, the tax code, and strategies for intelligent giving. This pro can and should be able to help you put your plan into action.

(This tip also applies to practicing charitable giving through your estate plan—something you should definitely hire an estate planning lawyer to make sure the estate plan is properly, legally executed.)

9 Reasons You Need a Lawyer to Write your Estate Plan

Focus efforts / limit charitable targets.

Smart charitable giving means a vested commitment toward a cause or organization’s advancement, as well as financially beneficial tax deductions for you. Unlike investments where the general advice is to diversify to reduce risk, in the realm of charitable giving the opposite may well be true. You may well receive the greatest “return” by concentrating your giving on a fewer, rather than more, organizations. Consider giving to two or three nonprofits to magnify your impact.

If you’re ready to commit to charitable giving goals you can actually keep I’m happy to offer advice and strategy. Don’t hesitate to reach out via email (gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com) or by phone (515-371-6077).

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25 Days of Giving: Last Minute Year-End Fundraising Tips

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For better or worse, for most nonprofits in the U.S., end-of-year giving comprises a significant portion of the charitable donation pie. In fact, between October and December nonprofits receive half of all annual donations! Yes, you read that right.

The last quarter of the year accounts for donations equal to those raised the other nine months out of the year. Even more intriguing? 33 percent of donations made in December occur on the 31st of the month and 12 percent of all giving happens in the last three days of the year….talk about last-minute donors!

snow-globe-christmas

Why is this the case? There are multiple reasons. First, time is of the essence for donors to make a tax-deductible charitable gift before January 1 of the new year. Nonprofits are also racing to meet annual fundraising goals and typically spend a significant portion of resources in order to exceed fundraising levels of the previous year. Additionally, the holiday season is synonymous with the actions of gifting, love, peace, joy, and a time to be generous. This means donors can be extra receptive to a charity’s marketing campaign that extolls these feelings that now is the best time for giving.

This is all to say, last-minute fundraising efforts can and should be used to target prospective last-minute donors. It’s a busy time of year for all, but the return for a strong end of year fundraising push can be well worth the time and energy. Consider these quick tips:

What are you Doing New Year’s Eve?

new year sparkler

Because New Year’s Eve day is such an important day for charitable donations, do not hesitate to keep fundraising through the very end of the year. Make those calls and get out the digital media campaigns. Reinforce to donors that December 31 is not too late and they’ll qualify for the charitable deduction federal income tax benefits on 2017 taxes.

Make Your Homepage Your Home Base

Your website should be the home base for year end giving. If you don’t have one yet, publish a dedicated page (or site) specifically for end-of-year giving information and brand it with your associated year end campaign. It doesn’t have to be complex, just consolidate the basics of who you are, what your mission is, and how donations help solve an issue or advance a cause on one campaign page.

homepage Mac fundraising

To that point, also take a review of your online donation page. If you can, brand it to fit with your end-of-year campaign…branded donation forms can mean up to seven times more than a non-branded, generic donation portal. Also, make sure the online donation portal is easily accessible no matter “where” the donor is coming from. Also, ensure all giving and donations portals are optimized for mobile access. (18 percent of all digital-made donations come from mobile devices.)

Ready, Set, Action

If you haven’t already, make a 60-second (or shorter) video explaining how donations to your charity can make an impact. A video can be an incredibly powerful tool for cutting through the end-of-year giving noise; videos can leave a lasting impact of imagery and tell an emotional story often better than just words or photographs can. According to a Google survey on online donation patterns, 57 percent of online donors make a charitable donations after watching a fundraising video that tells an inspiring story. This is exemplified through the ever-growing crowdfunding platforms; crowdfunding pages that have a video promo component raise four times as many donations as those that don’t. Just like your website and online donation pages need to be optimized for mobile, more than half of all videos happen on mobile.

video on iphone

Video content creation can sound scary at first if you don’t have a marketing team in place to facilitate, but it doesn’t have to be. Consider these tips, bust out your iPhone, acquire a tripod if possible, and use your laptop’s basic editing software. If you don’t have enough “last minute” time for that, shoot a video like you would for your own personal Instagram story or Facebook page.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Remind your prospective donors what you stand for and what benefits they stand to gain with at least one weekly email each week before the end of year. Also, send out a special dedicated email early on both December 30 and December 31. As most year-end donors know they will in fact donate, they’re just undecided about how much they will actually give. Make it ridiculously easy for donors to “see” what their donation could do.

In terms of timing, for example, on December 31  send out follow-up emails to only those donors who didn’t open the first iteration of the communication. Stay on message with all social media postings and branded links back to your donation page.  

Celebrate!

After the year-end fundraising push, don’t forget to reward your nonprofit’s hardworking staff and volunteers! Refresh, refocus, and get ready to tackle your next year’s fundraising goals.

Happy new year headband

What year-end fundraising tactics have worked well for your charity? If you’d like to discuss any aspect of nonprofit fundraising, don’t hesitate to reach out via email (gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com) or phone (515-371-6077).

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25 Days of Giving: 9 Quotes to Inspire Charitable Gifts

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christmas words giving

Thanks for the reading the 25 Days of Giving series…almost as good as this whiskey advent calendar, am I right? Each day through Christmas, I’m covering different aspects of charitable giving for both donors and nonprofit leaders. Have a topic you want covered or question you want answered  regarding charitable giving? Contact me.

Sure, info on tax incentives is important and details on donating stock are interesting, but sometimes just a good quote has the power to spark giving. According to this study, 31% of ALL online charitable giving in the U.S. happens in the month of December! If you’re a nonprofit looking to increase end-of-year donations or even a donor seeking to inspire your friends and family to give charitably, these quotes could come in handy.

The true meaning of Christmas? Giving.

giving snowflake quote

Giving makes you happy.

Happiest giving quote

Not giving is not an option for the causes you care about.

Doing nothing giving quote

Giving while you’re living means making a difference in the future.

Real generosity

Giving can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be. Enlist an expert to help you meet your giving goals.

Aristotle giving quoteGiving is a privilege

Rockfeller giving quote

Giving “costs nothing.”

giving quote free

What you give is what you get.

get out of this world giving

Giving means a lasting legacy.giving immortal quote

If you want to share one of these quotes, don’t hesitate to tag Gordon Fischer Law Firm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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25 Days of Giving: Charity Auctions & Tax Deductions

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Candles and christmas tree for charity auction

Thanks for reading the 25 Days of Giving series! Share with friends, family, & colleagues. Knowledge is indeed a “gift” when it comes to encouraging and maximizing smart charitable giving. 

Headed to a holiday party this season? If it’s to celebrate/fundraise for your favorite charity, you might experience an auction (silent or otherwise). Charity auctions can be great fun and it feels like you’re giving back while also gaining a great gift to tuck under the Christmas tree!

Sometimes charity auction participants mistakenly believe their successful bids are completely deductible. However, since the individual receives the auction property, there is usually no federal income tax charitable deduction. But, if the bid can be shown to be in excess of the fair market value of the item, the amount in excess can be deducted as a charitable contribution.

The charity may make a “good faith estimate” of the fair value of the auction item before bidding commences.

Noel at charity auction

Let’s look at a few easy examples:

Example 1. A $50 gift certificate to a retail store is purchased at charity auction for $40. No deduction.

Example 2. A different $50 gift certificate to the spa is purchased at the charity auction for $70. This generates a $20 charitable deduction.

Example 3. You bid on and win a fruit basket for $30 at an auction supporting a local high school basketball program. The equivalent fruit basket at a local grocery store would cost $15, so you may receive a $15 tax deduction.

Unsure if your actions at a charity auction mean a charitable deduction? It’s always a good idea to get a second opinion. Also, if you’re a nonprofit leader planning on hosting a charity auction it’s advantageous to be briefed on all the tax and legal rules surrounding the event in case donors ask. I’m always happy to help and offer a free one-hour consultation. Reach me by phone at 515-371-6077 or by email at gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com.

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25 Days of Giving: Donation Bunching

glittery ornaments

Passed in 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ushered in many changes, including an increase in the standard deduction. The deduction for single filers is now $12,200 and $24,400 if you are a married joint-filer. In reality, this means that the number of households claiming the itemized deduction (including their exempt charitable donations) is much less compared with previous tax schemes. But, fear not. There are strategies to clear the initial standard deduction threshold.

What the Heck is Bunching?

One of the major options available to charitable donors is to “bunch” donations. To bunch donations you make larger charitable donations this year in a way that exceeds the standard deduction and then smaller ones next year to compensate. Depending on your charitable giving capacity and goals, this means you could alternate every other year or every few years.

Reminder, substantiated donations to a qualified nonprofit can be combined with mortgage interest and state/property taxes when calculating excess above the standard deduction limit. (The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation created a useful illustrated chart of this concept.

man in chair at christmas

Bunching in Practice

By way of example, instead of giving you “normal” $5,000 to charity annually, consider accelerating your gift two years worth of donations in 1 year. So you would end up giving $10,000 every two years. The $10,000 is the same amount you planned to give over the two years but strategically donated in a way that maximizes itemized tax benefits. With this option, you may claim your itemized deductions over the limit one year and then take the standard deduction the next.

25 Days of Giving: Help a Charity With Your Retirement Assets

Donor-Advised Fund

If you’re considering bunching donations, you may want to do so through a donor-advised fund (or DAF), which offers a unique level of donative flexibility. The DAF allows you to make charitable contributions and receive an immediate tax break for the full donation, even though you can choose to recommend grants to your fave nonprofits from the fund at a later date and over time.

Questions about bunching or how to maximize your charitable donations under current federal and state tax laws? Don’t hesitate to contact me for a free one-hour consultation!

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#GivingTuesday: Facts & Figures

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#GivingTuesday world

The mission of Gordon Fischer Law Firm is to maximize charitable giving in Iowa. To that end I work with nonprofits on legal compliance and training for accepting gifts (especially complex ones) as well as the donors who want to give to their favorite organizations and causes. Small Business Saturday is great for the community and Cyber Monday is fun, but the post-Thanksgiving “day” I look forward to the most is #GivingTuesday.

Created by the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y in New York, along with the United Nations Foundation, in 2012, #GivingTuesday is a celebration for support of philanthropy and giving. Social media has helped grow the event into a global occasion, connecting countries, organizations, and donors around the world.

Giving Like a Rock Star: Legal Tips for Donors on Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday takes place mid holiday season and is a great opportunity to spread awareness of nonprofits midst holiday cheer. Whether you’re prepping your nonprofit’s activities, messaging, and events for #GivingTuesday or are a donor preparing to give (and encourage others to do the same) let’s take a look at some stats from last year (2018) that show the enormous impact #GivingTuesday has.

  •  Faith-based charities received the largest sector percentage of #GivingTuesday donations made online.
  • At $125 million Facebook was the largest payment processing platform.
  • $3.6 million of Giving Tuesday donations were made online and 17% of all views of online donation forms were made on a mobile device
  • $380 million was given total (which was a 45% increase over 2017)
  • More than 150 countries participated
  • Since 2012, Giving Tuesday has raised more than $1 billion in the U.S.

All year, not just on #GivingTuesday, GFLF is thrilled to work with nonprofit organizations on elements of operations including, but certainly not limited to;

If your nonprofit is interested in any such services, I offer a free consultation!

#GivingTuesday is a reminder that, against the backdrop of the “busy” of the holiday season, the spirit of giving is thriving. Want to chat about charitable giving? Reach out anytime by email or phone (515-371-6077)

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Giving Like a Rock Star: Legal Tips for Donors on Giving Tuesday

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giving tuesday 2019

After the onslaught of Black Friday advertising and Cyber Monday announcements filling up your inbox, Giving Tuesday (December 3 this year) feels like a breath of fresh (wintery) air from the shopping rush. The “holiday,” often known by its social media tag of #GivingTuesday, is all about celebrating generosity and philanthropy. Giving charitably to your favorite organizations feels great and allows you to make a difference in your community, state, and the world. But, you also want to make sure your gift is legally compliant and beneficial, particularly for those who are “bunching” their donations to claim the charitable deduction on federal income taxes. 

Before you donate on #GivingTuesday (or any other day) consider these legal tips:

Make Sure the Charity is Qualified

A charitable deduction can result in significant tax savings, but for that to occur, the donation must be made to a qualified 501(c)(3). While that may sound basic, some initiatives may look like nonprofits but actually operate as a business, not a tax-exempt organization. A little bit of research can go a long way here. First, read up about the organization in question online and don’t hesitate to call to speak to a representative. You can also use the IRS’ Exempt Organizations Select Check; limit the search to organizations eligible for tax-deductible charitable contributions.

(If your favorite organization is in need of assistance for obtaining tax-deductible status, don’t hesitate to reach out.)

#GivingTuesday What Will You Give?

Sufficient Documentation

Proper documentation is required in order to take the charitable contribution deduction for contributions of $250 or more. This means you need written acknowledgment that expresses the required info of the donee (charity), date of donation, and monetary amount. It’s your legal obligation as the donor to ask for the written acknowledgment, not the charity’s obligation to offer it.

Here’s a simple breakdown of what’s needed for specific types of giving-

  • Gifts of less than $250 per donee — you need a canceled check or receipt
  • $250 or more per donee — you need a timely written acknowledgment from the donee
  • Total deductions for all property exceeds $500 — you need to file IRS Form 8283
  • Deductions exceeding $5,000 per item — you need a qualified appraisal completed by a qualified appraiser

Need more info? I go into detail about appraisers in this blog post.

Is your Favorite Nonprofit Up-to-Date for the Federal Income Tax Charitable Deduction?

Restrict in Writing

If you feel strongly about a specific program, region of operation, or use within the nonprofit, you’ll want to restrict the charitable donation. The restriction must be made in writing, at the same time as the donation is made.

Going Global

#GivingTuesday has expanded greatly since its founding in NYC to become a global event. You may hold a foreign-based charitable organization near and dear to your heart and, of course, you may give to that organization, however, your donation won’t qualify for a charitable tax deduction. 

Donations to Foreign Charities not Deductible for Income Tax

Background Research

I work with my estate planning clients on defining their goals for their future and assets. The same baseline advice applies to charitable giving—what are your goals? Do the organizations you are donating to support your giving goals? Look at materials published by  One way to gauge this is by reviewing the nonprofit’s annual information on its Form 990, “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax.” This form is intended for the public and includes important financial info. The IRS publishes Form 990 and it’s easy to check out the details on Guidestar, a nonprofit database.

If you have any questions on how to give charitably and do so wisely, don’t hesitate to reach out. Maximizing charitable giving in Iowa is the mission of Gordon Fischer Law Firm and we want to help as many Iowans give confidently as we can!

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Operating Reserves Policy: Why Your Nonprofit Needs One

operating reserves

Just like it’s a smart idea to have a personal “rainy day” fund just in case of an emergency home repair, surgery, or other unexpected large costs, the same goes for a nonprofit organization. Even nonprofits with solid income streams can be hit with unanticipated events, income, and unbudgeted expenses. In these situations, it’s vital to have that financial cushion in the form of operating reserves so the organization doesn’t suffer long-term, negative consequences from temporary dilemmas. Concurrently, it’s essential to have the board adopt and adhere to a policy outlining the details of the reserve.

A common scenario where operating reserves may be prompted can be when a source of a reliable income is withdrawn or reduced without expectation.

5 Resolution Ideas for Nonprofit Pros

Important Elements of an Operating Reserve Policy

Every organization’s policy is going to look different, but there are a few general areas that should be addressed.

  • Purpose– Why is it important for the organization to build and maintain reserves?
  • Definitions- How are the types of reserves, calculation of targeted amounts, and intended use defined?
  • How the reserve is funded– An operating reserve is only as valuable as its reliability. The policy should set out a practical plan for replenishment to the targeted amounts. Often, a worthy reserve goal is about three to six months of expenses. At the very least, on the low end, reserves should cover one full round of payroll.
  • When the reserve can be used– The plan should layout when the reserves can be tapped when unexpected shortfalls hit. The reserves should not be used to address foundational finance issues. In a “last straw” scenario, operating reserves can be used to close down the organization.
  • Classify the operating reserve as unrestricted– Unlike restricted funds that are marked for specific programs and projects, the operating reserve should be set as unrestricted so that the board and management can employ as they choose when the crisis calls for it.

Nonprofit Policy Special: 10 for Form 990

That’s Not All

Because each nonprofit is unique, each nonprofit is going to need policies and procedures tailored to their specific operations. That said, generally, there are at least 10 policies most nonprofits need to be prepared to address on the annual information filing, Form 990. Check out my free guide to nonprofit policies and procedures.

Reasons to Enlist an Attorney to Write your Nonprofit’s Policies

Additionally, keep in mind that an operating reserves policy should be written to correspond with any other financial-specific policies, like an investment policy.

Want to discuss your nonprofit’s policy needs? Don’t hesitate to contact me at 515-371-6077 or gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com. I’m based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa but will travel to meet with nonprofit pros all across the state.

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6 of the Scariest Things Your Nonprofit Can Do

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Girl holding scary pumpkin

Horrifying. Blood curdling. Hair raising.

These are just a few of the adjectives that can be used to describe six of the scariest things your nonprofit can do (or fail to do). As a lawyer who regularly works with nonprofit organizations to help them succeed in pursuing their missions, these six items literally haunt my nightmares.

  1. Failing to have an employee handbook with necessary policies.

Spine chilling!

Seriously? How can you NOT have an employee handbook? An employee handbook (even if you have but a single employee) makes clear the rights and responsibilities of both the employer and employee. So many disputes can be avoided by a clear, easy-to-read, and direct employee handbook. One of your best bets to fight off this spooky scenario is to get my free guide to developing a quality employee handbook!

5 Necessary Policies for your Employee Handbook

  1. Merely copying a handbook off the Internet or “borrowing” it from another nonprofit.

Very eerie!

This is about as bad as not having a handbook at all! Just grabbing a random handbook and adopting it as your own makes as much sense as picking up a random hitchhiker on a foggy night. Others’ employee handbooks may have provisions you don’t need, or worse, ones you don’t want.

I once reviewed a handbook for small-but-sincere nonprofit that worked with the homeless. Several times in the handbook, quite specific medical terms came up—there was a HIPPA provision, there was talk about medical certifications, medical training, and proper handling of medical records. I realized, with a shock, this nonprofit had “borrowed” a handbook from a hospital.

How much faith or confidence will employees have in an employee handbook that’s filled with irrelevant stuff that clearly doesn’t apply to them at all? This is scary stuff, folks, very scary stuff.

Scary skeleton skull

  1. Failing to have an appropriate disclaimer in your nonprofit’s employee handbook

Truly frightening!

An employee handbook is just an employee handbook . . . or so you may think. But, what happens when it doesn’t have an appropriate “disclaimer?”

An employee handbook may constitute an employment contract! If you think about it, an employee handbook has all the elements of a contract—it’s written, it’s specific, it “promises” certain things will (or won’t) happen. It’s even “signed” by the nonprofit/company.

So, an employee handbook could actually be considered a unilateral employment contract unless the employer includes an appropriate disclaimer. Make sure you do so.

When is an Employee Handbook not an Employee Handbook?

  1. Not having adequate job descriptions

Terrifying!

Job descriptions are so important – for the same or similar reasons that employee handbooks themselves are needed. Job descriptions lay out in writing what is required of employees.

Job descriptions are also helpful in relation to what is now-called the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA). Job descriptions demonstrate the “essential functions” (as opposed to non-essential) job functions of each position.

Also, strongly consider job descriptions for board members.

  1. Failing to have an acknowledgement page in your nonprofit’s employee handbook

Dreadful!

It is critically important your employee handbook include an acknowledgment page that the employee signs and returns. The acknowledgement page should state that the employee understands it is his or her responsibility to both read and follow the policies. The acknowledgement page should be able to be separated from the handbook, so that it can be signed by the employee and saved in the employee’s personnel file.

harvest moon

  1. Not making absolutely clear that your new employee handbook supersedes other, older policies

Ghastly!

Your nonprofit’s new employee handbook must make clear it trumps other, older policies and provisions. The employee handbook needs a “superseding” provision. This provision must state unambiguously this employee handbook is indeed the most up-to-date guidance on your nonprofit’s policies.

ghost in coffee mug

Wow, that was super scary!

After writing this post, I probably won’t sleep well tonight. But, if you follow these six pieces of advice you’ll rest easy knowing that you’re more likely avoid the nonprofit graveyard. If you’re facing these spooky scenarios don’t hesitate to reach out by phone (515-371-6077) or email to schedule a free consultation. You can also

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