Chapter 5: Legal Considerations for Nonprofit Organizations
In This Chapter
- Selecting a gatekeeper for online compliance
- Writing and posting important policies
- Handling must-do registrations and guidelines
- Signing up with a governing organization
Nearly 300,000 nonprofits have lost their exempt status because they failed to file a report with the IRS for three consecutive years. This small omission brings big consequences. As the owner of a registered nonprofit organization, you're accustomed to the issue of compliance. Filling out annual reports for the IRS, issuing tax-deductible receipts to donors, and distributing legal waivers to volunteers are all a small part of your legal duties.
Fundraising over the Internet is no different. When you go online to seek donations, certain responsibilities come along with it, and overlooking even a few of those responsibilities can have a significant downside for your organization. Some of the issues we discuss in this chapter are internal compliance activities. Even if an action item isn't mandated by a government entity, it's still something you should do. Other issues mentioned in this chapter are legal requirements. If you're venturing into e-philanthropy for the first time, this chapter is required reading. Even if you know that you're up to speed with the latest online regulations, consider this chapter a review.
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