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Explanation of the New Regulations on Disclosure of 990s With his permission, I have posted Jim McGovern's KPMG "Exotax" memo explaining the new regulations for distribution of Form 990 here at The Internet Nonprofit Center. The file is available as http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/misc/APR99.html. The Internal Revenue Service published regulations early in April to implement the requirements for broader disclosure of Form 990 contained in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. These regulations take effect June 8, 1999. Substantial penalties may be imposed on nonprofits which fail to provide easy access to copies of their Form 990 from that date. This Exotax memo goes through the provisions of the new regulations in detail. In previous postings and other publications I have urged nonprofits to prepare for this day by putting together packets that include a copies of completed 990s, any supplemental information or explanation that might be useful, and general information about programs and activities in more accessible formats. Although some requests for 990s may be motivated by hostility, it is bad strategy to assume that. Each request should be seen as an opportunity to explain your goals and work to an espcially interested member of the public. Any other posture will be a double failure: a hostile person will have their sour attitude confirmed, while a friendly or neutral person will be given reasons to anticipate finding something damaging. Incidently, Eric Mercer has started a service that will help organizations take advantage of the provision in these regulations that encourages publishing 990s online. Fees and other conditions are explained at http://www.990online.com.
Join Together has long offered one of the most useful and comprehensive websites of information of use to nonprofits and people who work, in nonprofits and elsewhere, to reduce damaging dependencies on alcohol, tobacco and other substances. They have recently added to their services and now offer, among other things, a daily or weekly newsfeed which can be customized to the readers areas of interest. Join Together offers its services without charge, and without advertising. Visit the website for complete information -- http://www.jointogether.org/.
Yale University Press has recently published Private Action and the Public Good, edited by Walter W. Powell and Elisabeth S. Clemens. An outgrowth of a five-year focused study on nonprofit governance conducted by the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, this collection of essays offers powerful analytical discussion of topics like "The Contested Nature of the Public Good," as well as careful empirical studies of the impact of organizational form on the quality and character of services. Anyone who enjoys grappling with the intellectual challenge of understanding the topics suggested by the title will find much to puzzle over in the pages of Private Action and the Public Good. You can order the book from Amazon.com using this link, though be warned that it could only be descibed as pricey: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0300064497/internetnonprofi (If you order using this link, The Evergreen State Society will receive a royalty which we use to offset the expenses of maintining this site.)
The is a general introduction to the contents and use of the Nonprofit FAQ available at http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/misc/guide.html. If you would like to be notified when this bulletin changes, please send email to bulletin@tess.org and your name will be added to the list which is used only for that purpose.
Putnam Barber |
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