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OK City Council Approves Economic Development Nonprofit Funding
Apr 27th
Note: This is a summary of an article from an outside news organization. If you are interested in reading the full story, please visit the links in the article.
It looks like there is finally an end to the Alliance for Economic Development saga.
According to the latest report from NewsOK, the Oklahoma City Council approved a contract with the nonprofit after concerns regarding the diversity of its board were addressed. When the contract was first submitted over two weeks ago, you might remember that many members of the council, including Pete White, expressed great concern over not only the lack of diversity on the group's board, but also a perceived lack of transparency inits dealings.
To get the votes, amendments were added to the contract that addressed the Council's concerns. For instance, one amendment emphasizes that the Alliance makes reccommendations, but will not create policy. In addition, the Alliance has agreed to add new board members with diverse backgrounds in business, geography, and race.
The contract, which provides the Alliance with $42,000 in public funding, was approved by a 7-1 vote, with only Councilman Ed Shadid voting against it.
To read the full article (including the various stories on this subject), visit NewsOK's website.
It looks like there is finally an end to the Alliance for Economic Development saga.
According to the latest report from NewsOK, the Oklahoma City Council approved a contract with the nonprofit after concerns regarding the diversity of its board were addressed. When the contract was first submitted over two weeks ago, you might remember that many members of the council, including Pete White, expressed great concern over not only the lack of diversity on the group's board, but also a perceived lack of transparency inits dealings.
To get the votes, amendments were added to the contract that addressed the Council's concerns. For instance, one amendment emphasizes that the Alliance makes reccommendations, but will not create policy. In addition, the Alliance has agreed to add new board members with diverse backgrounds in business, geography, and race.
The contract, which provides the Alliance with $42,000 in public funding, was approved by a 7-1 vote, with only Councilman Ed Shadid voting against it.
To read the full article (including the various stories on this subject), visit NewsOK's website.
Take The NonProfit Times’ 2011 Salary Survey
Apr 27th
Does your nonprofit organization want to be involved in The NonProfit Times' 2011 Salary and Benefits Survey? Well here's some good news: you can start participating today! All you have to do is visit the 2011 Salary Survey site and finish the survey before June 1, 2011. And here's an added bonus for you quick workers: if you complete your survey by May 23, 2011, you will be entered to win a $500 donation to your organization or any other organization of your choice! Here are the features of this year's survey:
* Convenient and flexible survey completion – Complete the online survey questionnaire at your own pace and schedule.
* Comprehensive job coverage – The survey collects base salary and bonus pay information on more than 300 nonprofit specific positions.
* Easy and accurate position matching – Match the positions within your organization to the survey using the intuitive job family groupings and position job descriptions.
* Ongoing assistance whenever you need it- Contact us by phone or email if you need help completing the survey, or use the handy online resources for instant results.
* Complete information about benefits practices – The survey gathers information about benefit offerings, costs, eligibility and employee participation for 94 employee benefits from health insurance to retirement plans.
* Organizational profile information – The questionnaire collects data on budget size, employee turnover, salary increases, employee tenure, staffing levels, geographic location, field of work, and number of employees.
Results of the survey will be delievered to participants by August 2011. So what are you waiting for? Have your nonprofit be a part of this year's salary survey today!
* Convenient and flexible survey completion – Complete the online survey questionnaire at your own pace and schedule.
* Comprehensive job coverage – The survey collects base salary and bonus pay information on more than 300 nonprofit specific positions.
* Easy and accurate position matching – Match the positions within your organization to the survey using the intuitive job family groupings and position job descriptions.
* Ongoing assistance whenever you need it- Contact us by phone or email if you need help completing the survey, or use the handy online resources for instant results.
* Complete information about benefits practices – The survey gathers information about benefit offerings, costs, eligibility and employee participation for 94 employee benefits from health insurance to retirement plans.
* Organizational profile information – The questionnaire collects data on budget size, employee turnover, salary increases, employee tenure, staffing levels, geographic location, field of work, and number of employees.
Results of the survey will be delievered to participants by August 2011. So what are you waiting for? Have your nonprofit be a part of this year's salary survey today!
Lady GaGa and Robin Hood Foundation Make a “Good Romance”
Apr 26th
Yeah, sorry for the pun; I couldn't help it. Anyway, I just wanted to share the latest story that we have posted on our website. It's about pop star Lady GaGa teaming up with The Robin Hood Foundation to give away $1 million dollars to charities that help "disconnected youth" in NYC.
In what they are hoping is a good romance, Lady Gaga and the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City are sponsoring a contest in which they will give away $1 million to five charities that benefit disconnected youth in New York City. And, they are giving away tickets to the foundation’s sold out gala where she will perform.
The contest began today, with the public voting via http://on.fb.me/GagaRobinHood.
Disconnected youth is a term that refers to young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school or employed in the legitimate workforce. They might have had experience with the criminal justice system or have been in foster care. They aren’t getting the education, work, civic, and family support they need to be successful adults. A significant portion of these young adults are part of the LGBQT community.
“I’m thrilled to be working with the Robin Hood Foundation to distribute funds to help the youth of New York City,” said Lady Gaga. “NYC is my hometown and I think investing in these kids’ future will go a long way.”
You can read the rest of the story at The NonProfit Times.
In what they are hoping is a good romance, Lady Gaga and the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City are sponsoring a contest in which they will give away $1 million to five charities that benefit disconnected youth in New York City. And, they are giving away tickets to the foundation’s sold out gala where she will perform.
The contest began today, with the public voting via http://on.fb.me/GagaRobinHood.
Disconnected youth is a term that refers to young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school or employed in the legitimate workforce. They might have had experience with the criminal justice system or have been in foster care. They aren’t getting the education, work, civic, and family support they need to be successful adults. A significant portion of these young adults are part of the LGBQT community.
“I’m thrilled to be working with the Robin Hood Foundation to distribute funds to help the youth of New York City,” said Lady Gaga. “NYC is my hometown and I think investing in these kids’ future will go a long way.”
You can read the rest of the story at The NonProfit Times.
Montana’s Attorney General Investigates “Tea” Allegations
Apr 26th
If you have been following the news lately, you have no doubt heard about the allegations made against Greg Mortenson, author of the popular books Three Cups of Tea and Stones to Schools. In a recent story on CBS's "60 Minutes," Mortenson was accused of fabricating many parts of his books, which told the story of his trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan during the 1990s.
According to a report that we recently published on our website, it apears that the Montana Attorney General's Office is now investigating the accusations in that "60 Minutes" report, which also claim that Mortenson's charity, which is based in the state, had been spending its money to promote his book. Here is an excerpt from the story:
The Montana Attorney General’s Office is looking into the operations of a charity after a scathing report by “60 Minutes” that has the nonprofit sector abuzz.
The report included allegations that author Greg Mortenson fabricated portions of his nonfiction books, “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones To Schools,” which detailed trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan during the 1990s. He co-authored the books with writer David Oliver Relin and co-founded the Bozeman, Mont.-based Central Asia Institute (CAI) in 1996 to build schools in the two nations. The report also raised questions about the charity’s spending to promote his books as well as how many schools have actually been built and used.
“As Montana’s attorney general, I have the authority to oversee nonprofit corporations on behalf of the public. In recent days, concerns have been raised about the management and financial affairs of the Central Asia Institute,” Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock said in a statement. “I’ve been in contact with attorneys for the Institute and they have pledged their full cooperation in addressing our concerns. While looking into this issue, my office will not jump to any conclusions – but we have a responsibility to make sure charitable assets are used for their intended purposes,” he said.
You can read the full report at The NonProfit Times' website.
According to a report that we recently published on our website, it apears that the Montana Attorney General's Office is now investigating the accusations in that "60 Minutes" report, which also claim that Mortenson's charity, which is based in the state, had been spending its money to promote his book. Here is an excerpt from the story:
The Montana Attorney General’s Office is looking into the operations of a charity after a scathing report by “60 Minutes” that has the nonprofit sector abuzz.
The report included allegations that author Greg Mortenson fabricated portions of his nonfiction books, “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones To Schools,” which detailed trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan during the 1990s. He co-authored the books with writer David Oliver Relin and co-founded the Bozeman, Mont.-based Central Asia Institute (CAI) in 1996 to build schools in the two nations. The report also raised questions about the charity’s spending to promote his books as well as how many schools have actually been built and used.
“As Montana’s attorney general, I have the authority to oversee nonprofit corporations on behalf of the public. In recent days, concerns have been raised about the management and financial affairs of the Central Asia Institute,” Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock said in a statement. “I’ve been in contact with attorneys for the Institute and they have pledged their full cooperation in addressing our concerns. While looking into this issue, my office will not jump to any conclusions – but we have a responsibility to make sure charitable assets are used for their intended purposes,” he said.
You can read the full report at The NonProfit Times' website.
Nonprofit Jobs: The Nonprofit Jobseeker Update
Apr 25th
Just wanted to take this opportunity to give a little update about our non profit job board, Nonprofit Jobseeker.
As always, the site contains the latest in high-quality nonprofit jobs, but we've also made some other improvements. We always had career/hiring tips on the site, but we have recently added some new articles, and will be doing so consistently. You can check them out at Career Strategies page or the Hiring Tips page. For the most part, these are original articles, though some are from other sources.
When you have a chance, check them out. And as always, if you are in the market for nonprofit jobs you should keep this site in mind. If you are not in the mood to constantly refresh the site to see when new jobs are added, you should follow our nonprofit jobs Twitter account; anytinme a new position is added to the site, we will send out a tweet with a link to apply.
As always, the site contains the latest in high-quality nonprofit jobs, but we've also made some other improvements. We always had career/hiring tips on the site, but we have recently added some new articles, and will be doing so consistently. You can check them out at Career Strategies page or the Hiring Tips page. For the most part, these are original articles, though some are from other sources.
When you have a chance, check them out. And as always, if you are in the market for nonprofit jobs you should keep this site in mind. If you are not in the mood to constantly refresh the site to see when new jobs are added, you should follow our nonprofit jobs Twitter account; anytinme a new position is added to the site, we will send out a tweet with a link to apply.
Tax Exempt Organizations Pay Taxes Anyway
Apr 25th
We just posted an article about how many tax-exempt organizations end up paying fees and taxes to their local governments. Here is a bit of the article:
Some 63 percent of nonprofits reported paying various types of fee and taxes to local and state governments during 2010. Of these types of assessments, 17 percent reported paying field-specific taxes, 36 percent paid “other payments,” 9 percent paid PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) and 42 percent of nonprofits paid user fees.
These are among the results of surveying by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies and published in a report, “Taxing the Tax-Exempt Sector -- A Growing Danger for Nonprofit Organizations,” written by Lester M. Salamon, Stephanie L. Geller and S. Wojciech Sokolowski.
The study illustrated that although nonprofits have generally enjoyed the benefits of a tax-exempt organization, for the past five years a majority of nonprofits have been paying charges accrued to local and state governments.
Salamon, director of the Baltimore, Md., located Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Services, described this tactic as self-defeating. “What these governments are essentially doing is driving more need to the government side, by taxing these nonprofits, programs need to be eliminated. It’s really cutting off its nose despite its face.”
The types of fees encumbered by nonprofits have varied in their scope and application to their size. PILOTs have been generally applied to larger nonprofits. This is a type of fee that is negotiated by local governments and nonprofits.
Of the responding organizations, 9 percent paid a fee like this with the largest share of payments coming from elderly housing & service organizations (26.4 percent).
The average amount paid in PILOTS by survey respondents was $422,095. Again, PILOT payments are generally reserved for larger organizations thus the explanation for such a large sum of money.
Read the full article about this subject at The NonProfit Times website.
Some 63 percent of nonprofits reported paying various types of fee and taxes to local and state governments during 2010. Of these types of assessments, 17 percent reported paying field-specific taxes, 36 percent paid “other payments,” 9 percent paid PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) and 42 percent of nonprofits paid user fees.
These are among the results of surveying by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies and published in a report, “Taxing the Tax-Exempt Sector -- A Growing Danger for Nonprofit Organizations,” written by Lester M. Salamon, Stephanie L. Geller and S. Wojciech Sokolowski.
The study illustrated that although nonprofits have generally enjoyed the benefits of a tax-exempt organization, for the past five years a majority of nonprofits have been paying charges accrued to local and state governments.
Salamon, director of the Baltimore, Md., located Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Services, described this tactic as self-defeating. “What these governments are essentially doing is driving more need to the government side, by taxing these nonprofits, programs need to be eliminated. It’s really cutting off its nose despite its face.”
The types of fees encumbered by nonprofits have varied in their scope and application to their size. PILOTs have been generally applied to larger nonprofits. This is a type of fee that is negotiated by local governments and nonprofits.
Of the responding organizations, 9 percent paid a fee like this with the largest share of payments coming from elderly housing & service organizations (26.4 percent).
The average amount paid in PILOTS by survey respondents was $422,095. Again, PILOT payments are generally reserved for larger organizations thus the explanation for such a large sum of money.
Read the full article about this subject at The NonProfit Times website.
Happy Earth Day!
Apr 22nd
As many of you probably already know, today is Earth Day! In honor of this day, we wanted to remind you how nonprofits can make a difference in helping the environment.
Just the other day, Public Architecture announced in a press release in the San Francisco Chronicle that it is launching a program called the Design for Reuse Knowledge Exchange. The program is designed to promote the reuse of materials in design and construction. The Exchange will act as a "living encyclopedia" of projects all over the world that involve reused materials. This figures to be an important project for our planet; the press release states that 30% of raw materials in the world go towards construction projects. The Exchange is meant to set the world on a path of sustainable development which will help us limit our effects on the planet's natural resources.
If you want to read more about this project, check out the full press release in The San Francisco Chronicle. You can also visit Public Architecture's website for even more information.
Just the other day, Public Architecture announced in a press release in the San Francisco Chronicle that it is launching a program called the Design for Reuse Knowledge Exchange. The program is designed to promote the reuse of materials in design and construction. The Exchange will act as a "living encyclopedia" of projects all over the world that involve reused materials. This figures to be an important project for our planet; the press release states that 30% of raw materials in the world go towards construction projects. The Exchange is meant to set the world on a path of sustainable development which will help us limit our effects on the planet's natural resources.
If you want to read more about this project, check out the full press release in The San Francisco Chronicle. You can also visit Public Architecture's website for even more information.
Salary Surveys From The NonProfit Times
Apr 21st
Like it or not, almost every nonprofit has to fill out a Form 990 for the IRS. As your organization is probably aware, these forms can be very complex and if they are not filled out properly, your nonprofit can face revocation of tax-exempt status. Remember, IRS Form 990s are also seen by the public, so you don't want to be the one nonprofit that sticks out because of below average compensation for your employees. Luckily, The NonProfit Times has come out with four Salary and Benefit Survey Reports to help your organization stay on the track. The four reports are:
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Salary and Benefits Report: The information in this report will give you the salary range for nearly 260 positions in the nonprofit sector. This is the information that helps ensure that the salaries and benefits you offer your employees are fair and competitive.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Salary Report: This report has comprehensive, detailed information on nonprofit salary guidelines. These guidelines help determine base salary, bonus practices, cash compensation, and pay raises. You will not find a better source to answer all of your questions regarding nonprofit salaries.
• 2010 NonProfit Organizations Top Executive Positions Salary & Special Perks Report: Nonprofit executive compensation has always been important to understand, but it might be even more important these days. To attract the top candidates to your organization, you need to make sure that you offer appealing compensation packages. After all, they are going to play a leading role in your organization.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Benefits Report: The employee benefit packages that a nonprofit organization offers need to be competitive and within reason. This report will walk you through all of the important details and information that you need to make sure that employee benefit packages are in line with similar nonprofits. Doing this will not only make your organization more attractive to new workers, but it will also help with your employee retention efforts, and away from IRS sanctions.
To view more information about these reports, including pricing, please visit The NonProfit Times' salary survey page.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Salary and Benefits Report: The information in this report will give you the salary range for nearly 260 positions in the nonprofit sector. This is the information that helps ensure that the salaries and benefits you offer your employees are fair and competitive.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Salary Report: This report has comprehensive, detailed information on nonprofit salary guidelines. These guidelines help determine base salary, bonus practices, cash compensation, and pay raises. You will not find a better source to answer all of your questions regarding nonprofit salaries.
• 2010 NonProfit Organizations Top Executive Positions Salary & Special Perks Report: Nonprofit executive compensation has always been important to understand, but it might be even more important these days. To attract the top candidates to your organization, you need to make sure that you offer appealing compensation packages. After all, they are going to play a leading role in your organization.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Benefits Report: The employee benefit packages that a nonprofit organization offers need to be competitive and within reason. This report will walk you through all of the important details and information that you need to make sure that employee benefit packages are in line with similar nonprofits. Doing this will not only make your organization more attractive to new workers, but it will also help with your employee retention efforts, and away from IRS sanctions.
To view more information about these reports, including pricing, please visit The NonProfit Times' salary survey page.
Salary Surveys From The NonProfit Times
Apr 21st
Like it or not, almost every nonprofit has to fill out a Form 990 for the IRS. As your organization is probably aware, these forms can be very complex and if they are not filled out properly, your nonprofit can face revocation of tax-exempt status. Remember, IRS Form 990s are also seen by the public, so you don't want to be the one nonprofit that sticks out because of below average compensation for your employees. Luckily, The NonProfit Times has come out with four Salary and Benefit Survey Reports to help your organization stay on the track. The four reports are:
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Salary and Benefits Report: The information in this report will give you the salary range for nearly 260 positions in the nonprofit sector. This is the information that helps ensure that the salaries and benefits you offer your employees are fair and competitive.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Salary Report: This report has comprehensive, detailed information on nonprofit salary guidelines. These guidelines help determine base salary, bonus practices, cash compensation, and pay raises. You will not find a better source to answer all of your questions regarding nonprofit salaries.
• 2010 NonProfit Organizations Top Executive Positions Salary & Special Perks Report: Nonprofit executive compensation has always been important to understand, but it might be even more important these days. To attract the top candidates to your organization, you need to make sure that you offer appealing compensation packages. After all, they are going to play a leading role in your organization.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Benefits Report: The employee benefit packages that a nonprofit organization offers need to be competitive and within reason. This report will walk you through all of the important details and information that you need to make sure that employee benefit packages are in line with similar nonprofits. Doing this will not only make your organization more attractive to new workers, but it will also help with your employee retention efforts, and away from IRS sanctions.
To view more information about these reports, including pricing, please visit The NonProfit Times' salary survey page.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Salary and Benefits Report: The information in this report will give you the salary range for nearly 260 positions in the nonprofit sector. This is the information that helps ensure that the salaries and benefits you offer your employees are fair and competitive.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Salary Report: This report has comprehensive, detailed information on nonprofit salary guidelines. These guidelines help determine base salary, bonus practices, cash compensation, and pay raises. You will not find a better source to answer all of your questions regarding nonprofit salaries.
• 2010 NonProfit Organizations Top Executive Positions Salary & Special Perks Report: Nonprofit executive compensation has always been important to understand, but it might be even more important these days. To attract the top candidates to your organization, you need to make sure that you offer appealing compensation packages. After all, they are going to play a leading role in your organization.
• 2010 Nonprofit Organizations Benefits Report: The employee benefit packages that a nonprofit organization offers need to be competitive and within reason. This report will walk you through all of the important details and information that you need to make sure that employee benefit packages are in line with similar nonprofits. Doing this will not only make your organization more attractive to new workers, but it will also help with your employee retention efforts, and away from IRS sanctions.
To view more information about these reports, including pricing, please visit The NonProfit Times' salary survey page.
Facebook Feedback
Apr 21st
In case you don't know by now, The NonProfit Times has a Facebook page. If you haven't already, you should friend us so you can get the latest nonprofit news sent directly to your Facebook feed.
While we are pretty satisfied with the way our Facebook page is currently run, we know there are always things we can do to improve it. Perhaps we need to do more nonprofit news updates, or initiate more discussions or debates. Whatever the case may be, we want to hear from our readers. If you have a moment, head on over to The NonProfit Times Facebook Page and vote in the poll we put up. We do listen to your opinions, and we will do our best to deliver the content which gets the most votes in the poll. So what are you waiting for? Make your voice heard!
While we are pretty satisfied with the way our Facebook page is currently run, we know there are always things we can do to improve it. Perhaps we need to do more nonprofit news updates, or initiate more discussions or debates. Whatever the case may be, we want to hear from our readers. If you have a moment, head on over to The NonProfit Times Facebook Page and vote in the poll we put up. We do listen to your opinions, and we will do our best to deliver the content which gets the most votes in the poll. So what are you waiting for? Make your voice heard!
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