Should your nonprofit have a Workers’ Compensation policy? (Probably.)
I know, I know, a lot of nonprofits don’t have workers comp. Say you don’t have any employees, only 1099 contractors. Or, everything is run by...
Treat your nonprofit idea like your wedding
Planning a wedding is often a ton of work (assuming you don’t decide to elope). There are a lot of factors to consider, and usually you don’t even...
THIS can hurt your chances at property tax exemption
In my home state of Minnesota, nonprofits can apply for property tax exemption if they use their real estate for mission delivery. Usually this is a...
I just started a nonprofit…what kind of insurance do I need?
This is a question I WISH more founders asked me! A lot of the people I meet with are surprised when I tell them to talk with an insurance agent...
What the heck is a B-Corp?
A lot of the time, the people I meet with have awesome ideas that just don’t need to be a nonprofit, or sometimes they really shouldn’t be a...
Down with the overhead pie chart!
You know what I'm talking about, the pie chart you see on annual reports from nonprofits all the time that show a lot of money going to "programs"...
Do Board Presidents get veto power?
One of the things I've noticed in my years as the lawyer for nonprofits is the confusion people have about the board chair or board president role....
What if somebody asks to see our 990s?
So, you get a strange phone call at the office – somebody wants back copies of the organization's 990. Feels a little invasive doesn't it? Or like…....
3 secret tips to be better at board meetings
New nonprofits often start with board members who have no training or experience with running an effective board meeting. And most new boards don't...
Putting together the board of directors? Here are some things to think about before asking your attorney friend to serve on the board.
I work with a lot of people who’d like to start a nonprofit. One of first things I usually have to remind those founders is that a nonprofit startup...