Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization : A Legal Guide

by Hopkins, Bruce R.

• ISBN13: 9780470397930
• ISBN10: 0470397934
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-02-09
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Nonprofits must comply with stringent federal and state regulations due to their special tax-exempt status; the government's ultimate threat is revocation of a nonprofit's tax-exempt status, which usually means the nonprofit's demise. Written in plain English, not "legalese," this book provides essential guidance for those interested in starting new nonprofits, as well as valuable advice for directors of established organizations. This easy-to-read resource contains essential information on virtually every legal aspect of starting and operating a nonprofit organization from receiving and maintaining tax-exempt status to tips for successful management practices. The Fifth Edition includes updates to areas that have changed dramatically in the wake of new law. These areas include: corporate governance principles, compensation issues, private benefit doctrine, political campaign activity, the new form 990, endowment funds, and IRS audits activity.

Author Biography

Bruce R. Hopkins is the country's leading authority on tax-exempt organizations and is a senior partner with the firm Polsinelli Shughart. He is the author of twenty-five books, including The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations, Ninth Edition, and the newsletter Bruce R. Hopkins' Nonprofit Counsel, all published by Wiley.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Starting a Nonprofit Organization	p. 1
What Is a Nonprofit Organization?	p. 3
Starting a Nonprofit Organization	p. 13
Debunking Some Myths and Misperceptions	p. 25
Being Nonprofit, Legally	p. 33
Nonprofit Organizations: Much More than Charity	p. 35
Nonprofits and Private Benefit	p. 51
From Nonprofit to Tax-Exempt	p. 67
Charities: Public or Private?	p. 83
Governance: Board Duties and Liabilities	p. 97
Braving Annual Reporting	p. 115
Tax Exemption: Not a Paperwork Exemption	p. 125
Charitable Giving Rules	p. 135
Government Regulation of Fundraising	p. 153
Tax-Exempt Organizations Can Be Taxable, and So Can Their Managers	p. 173
Related or Unrelated?	p. 175
Lobbying Constraints-And Taxes	p. 191
Political Campaign Activities-And More Taxes	p. 203
Donor-Advised Funds, Tax-Shelters, Insurance Schemes-And Still More Taxes	p. 211
Helpful Hints and Successful Techniques	p. 217
Subsidiaries: For-Profit and Nonprofit	p. 219
Joint Venturing and Other Partnering	p. 229
Wonderful World of Planned Giving	p. 237
Putting Ideas into Action	p. 245
Sidestepping Traps	p. 255
Watchdogs on the Prowl	p. 257
Potpourri of Policies and Procedures	p. 271
Commerciality, Competition, Commensurateness	p. 287
IRS Audits of Nonprofit Organizations	p. 297
Avoiding Personal Liability	p. 315
Epilogue	p. 321
Glossary	p. 327
Index	p. 339
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.