Forging the First Link – from the Maine CF Blog & More

There’s this:

We know that community vitality is linked to economic prosperity and that economic prosperity is strongly correlated with educational attainment. Interestingly, Maine has the lowest postsecondary degree attainment in New England and the lowest per-capita income. More sobering still, Maine’s population is projected to stop growing by 2020, and our population of traditional age high school and college students is projected to decline by 20% over the next decade (Mitchell Institute).

The mission of the Maine Community Foundation is to build strong, vibrant communities. It’s a daunting task made even more challenging given our educational attainment levels. For the last several years MaineCF, in partnership with the Maine Compact for Higher Education, has been working to raise those levels. The Compact’s goal is that, by 2020, “the proportion of Maine workers who have earned a college degree or postsecondary certificate will exceed the New England average.” It’s an ambitious, but not impossible, undertaking.”

Read More at the Maine CF Blog

And then there’s this:

In order to unlock the potential of the next generation, an education that provides the foundation to create positive change is needed not just for a select few, but for the entire generation. We are guided by the belief that all youth can, and should, benefit from experience creating positive change, and contribute – in their own way, whether “big” or “small” – to stronger communities.

To break the barrier and provide access to such a model of education to more than just a select few, we work for systemic change. The education system may not do so now, but it has more potential than any single NGO or institution to provide such an experience to the greatest number of youth. Therefore, we work to incorporate our model of education into the education system.

Because in order to change the world and solve the problems of poverty, disease, and environmental degradation – as George William, Lillian, and Phiona are doing – don’t we first need to transform the education system?

Read more “New Education for New Leaders” at Social Edge

Certainly there are more voices saying something similar… what say you?

Sharing Your Organization’s Story

Do you have a compelling story to share about your organization?

YouTube has a special nonprofit channel, at http://www.youtube.com/nonprofits.

Has anyone given it a try?  How has it worked for you?

Online Communication Tools for Nonprofits

Informative post on Connection Cafe (here)

Looking for “Nonprofit” Statistics?

here are a couple of resources: do you have others you’d recommend?

Wages in the Nonprofit Sector Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/cm20081022ar01p1.htm

from the Urban Institute

The Nonprofit Sector in Brief  Facts and Figures from the Nonprofit Almanac 2007 http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/311373_nonprofit_sector.pdf

Community Benefit

I am a huge proponent of saying what I really mean. Well, you know, as much as is socially responsible/acceptable. <grin>

So I am a big supporter of changing the language (and approach) that many people use when it comes to tax exempt organizations that exist to benefit the communities in which they are located.  Why, oh why do we call these “nonprofit” organizations?  And why, oh why do so many people approach the financial aspects of these organizations from a place of need and lack??

It’s time to break out of that type of thinking and reframe our perceptions and approaches to what we are doing. !!  If you aren’t familiar with Hildy Gottlieb, I highly recommend both her blog (Creating the Future!) and her book, The Pollyanna Principles.  She offers a good introduction and road map to a more forward-looking approach to our Community Benefit Organizations.

Unrelated Business Income

Does your organization generate income from an on-going business venture that is not directly related to your mission? Maybe you rent some rooms in a building you own to another business. Perhaps in addition to selling merchandise to your membership, you sell items to non-members, as well. If your tax exempt organization if generating $1,000 or more in gross income from an unrelated business, a Form 990-T must be filed with the IRS. It is possible that taxes will be due on that unrelated income.

The IRS describes unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) as “income from a trade or business, regularly carried on, that is not substantially related to the charitable, educational, or other purpose that is the basis of the organization’s exemption.” to include “all gross income, less deductions directly connected with producing that income, but not including exempt function income.”

“Exempt function income” is gross income from dues, fees, charges, or similar items paid by members for the purposes for which exempt status was granted to the organization. Exempt function income also includes income that is set aside for qualified purposes.

Contact your accountant or tax professional if you have any questions.

Here are a few resources for further reading:

Resources:

IRS website  

IRS Publication 598, Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations

Stay Exempt  

Idealist.org