Articles
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 faceless process, the nonprofit applies on paper and has to send in its 990s and other materials to the county tax...
I Just Started a Nonprofit. What About Insurance?
This is a question I WISH more founders asked me! What kind of insurance do I need? A lot of the people I meet with are surprised when I tell them to talk with an insurance agent when they start a nonprofit in Minnesota. For some reason, there’s this assumption that...
What the heck is a B-Corp?
When dealing with the idea of becoming 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 nonprofit. And sometimes that can be a hard pill to swallow. People usually...
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" and a small slice going to "overhead" and "fundraising." I'm not endorsing violence, but if you give me a scissors I will...
Does the Board President 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. Sometimes clients come in dealing with some sort of board crisis and sometimes that crisis is interpersonal conflict...
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 990s. Feels a little invasive doesn't it? Or like…. what do they want them for? Are we in trouble? What Should You Do When Asked About Your 990s? Ask them how they'd 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 even realize they are shaping the culture of the organization with that first year of meetings. Will the nonprofit be...
4 Things to Think About Before Naming an Attorney to a Nonprofit Board
I work with a lot of people who’d like to start a nonprofit, and one of first things I usually have to remind those founders is that a nonprofit startup needs board members. Once I remind them of all the important things the nonprofit board does, it’s up to them to...
What Does it Mean to Be a Nonprofit Board Member?
Do you know what it means to be a nonprofit board member? Know your fiduciary duties before you join a nonprofit board.