Report of talk/discussion on Non Profits and Governance
Joanne Luciano
The introduction was excellent, the talk very short because it was billed as
discussion. The book (just under $100) is a definitive text of the history
of non profits and the federal and state laws going back to Queen Elizabeth
in 1601. Not for profits are considered charities in the broadest sense and
the laws regarding them are very permissible. They have the ability to
receive contributions that are tax deductible. The are mostly governed at
the federal level.
"Marion Fremont-Smith argues, the rules that govern how nonprofits operate
are inadequate, and the regulatory mechanisms designed to enforce the rules
need improvement."
There was discussion about the IRS investigating churches and other legal
and ethical issues.
She did say that poor governance was the biggest problem in not for profits
and that rang a bell :-) That the question asked (I think it was by the
IRS) is if there is a code of ethics.
Her book would not be useful for us. While it may give us insights it's
basically a legal book. When I asked her for advice for a small
organization considering non-profit status in order to fund workshops and
development she suggested publications (via web site surfing) by the
Attorney General's office, the IRS. She also said there were lawyers at the
Boston Bar Association that could help is.
I spoke also to the host, a COOP employee, who claimed in his intro to know
what's been published on not for profit organizations and he directed me to
the marketing section where I spent an hour browsing through various books
on starting a non-profit, fund raising, and grant writing. Titles I found
most relevant or caught my attention were:
Non Profit Essential - Endowment Building by Dianne Neumann $35.00
Fundraising for Dummies - $21.99
The only Grant Writing Book you'll ever need - Ellen Karsh
Getting Science Grants - Blackburn
Starting and Managing a Non Profit Organization
Boards that love fundraising- Zimmerman and Lehman
For next week's meeting, let me know what topics are on your minds.
Governance needs attention and although it's not science and fun, it is
important and needs to be resolved.
If you're still up and on line, have a good night. If it's the morning, good
day!
Joanne