The Internal Revenue Service has released a draft that suggests that 501(c)(3) organizations review and consider helping ensure that directors understand their roles and responsibilities and actively promote good governance practices.  MORE »

In a June 22 statement, Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, praised the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector for its final report, particularly for its recommendation for minimum payouts for donor-advised funds, and he said the report would be put to use in drafting legislation to reduce abuse among charities.  MORE »

A Panel on the Nonprofit Sector report on recommendations to improve nonprofits will serve as "invaluable guidance" as the Finance Committee considers new legislation on charitable governance, Committee ranking minority member Max Baucus, D-Mont., said in a June 22 release.  MORE »

In a March 1 report, the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector made recommendations to the Senate Finance Committee for strengthening charities by enacting a variety of measures to improve governance and financial disclosure and the panel also suggested that the government improve oversight of charities and other nonprofit organizations.  MORE »

On December 10th, the Senate Finance Committee released a legislative discussion draft that would enact new oversight and governance standards for charities, and charged Independent Sector with convening a panel to comment formally on the plan. Today, Charitable Accord, a nonprofit organization that works in the interests of charitable organizations on legislative matters urged interested parties to review the proposal and respond with their comments.  MORE »

A new report, "Foundation Trustees: Uses and Abuses," by the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership at the Georgetown University Policy Institute reveals that some private foundations are paying large fees to their trustees to the exclusion of the charitable causes they support.  MORE »

Is your Board doing all that it can? Or should? In this article, Kathryn W. Miree, Esq. examines the various duties an effective nonprofit Board is engaged in, such as governance, fiduciary management of assets, advocacy, and marketing.  MORE »