Forming a new nonprofit can involve a lot of organization and decision making. There are some essentials you need to put in place, including two important documents—articles of incorporation and bylaws. I would be remiss if I didn’t delve into a couple of mistakes I often run across when reviewing nonprofits’ articles and bylaws.
DIY Internet-Sourced Documents
Some nonprofits pull their articles of incorporation and bylaws from the Internet. These may or may not have all the Iowa-specific info required. Also, there may be provisions that simply don’t apply. For example, if a “regular” nonprofit copies governing documents from a granting nonprofit, like a community foundation, there’s sure to be language that doesn’t fit.
Pulling articles of incorporation off the web may seem cheap and time-saving, upfront. But, if mistakes and oversights from the template render the document ineffective or lacking legal requirements, you’ll be way worse off than if you just enlisted a nonprofit attorney to draft your articles suited to your organization’s unique needs, goals, and mission.
This may go along with copying off the web. There are sometimes provisions in bylaws and articles that belong somewhere else—the governing documents aren’t the proper place for them. For example, I sometimes see employee rules in articles/bylaws. Generally speaking, employment provisions belong in an employee handbook or employment contract. The same goes for certain policies and procedures such as those on document retention and the whistleblower process. A nonprofit should definitely have these policies, but they don’t fit in the foundational documents.
So, How Do I Go About Avoiding Mistakes in my Formational Documents?
Each organization is unique and it’s wise to enlist someone (like an attorney well-versed in nonprofit law!) to draft a quality, comprehensive set of documents personalized for your particular situation.
On the one hand, Americans are incredibly generous, donating $427.71 billion to charity in 2018. On the other hand, more nonprofits mean more competition for those dollars and the duplication of services, both of which can limit a nonprofit’s effectiveness. When nonprofits can’t pursue their missions effectively, those who benefit from their services may suffer.
The issue of whether or not some nonprofits might be better off merging in order to be more efficient and successful in fulfilling their objectives and meeting their goals is a real one. But for the average donor, or those designating an organization in a will or trust, learning that a favorite nonprofit is merging with another nonprofit can raise questions about what this means immediately and in the long run.
Philanthropy can be incredibly personal. We are motivated to donate time and money to organizations that represent some of our most deeply felt attachments and interests, so when a beloved nonprofit announces it is merging with another one, it can feel like a kind of betrayal.
A merger is a kind of partnership in which two or more organizations become a separate entity. Mergers between and among nonprofits can be well-planned, strategic, and result in greater collective impact and growth. Or, they can be messy, fraught, and lead to confusion and a loss of support.
Nonprofit mergers are more common than you might think and even though they’re often seen as simply a survival tactic to stave off financial ruin, they can take place for many different reasons:
Expand the range or improve the quality of services each provides by pooling and leveraging resources
Diminish competition between organizations that vie for donors, board members, and funding
Compensate for the loss of a founder or key leader that leads the board to question its viability
Establish stronger strategic positioning with funders, competitors, and policymakers
Formalize an existing relationship or collaboration
Donors and nonprofit mergers
While a merger might be good for a nonprofit, what about donors or volunteers?
Nonprofits should send out a notice to stakeholders early in the merger process and be completely transparent. It’s a smart step to make supporters aware of the following:
If donors plan to give a donation during life or make a charitable bequest through an estate plan will they go to the new organization? Or the old organization? For donors, one way to make certain a donation is honored for the purpose it’s given by setting clearly articulated expectations. Merging nonprofits can honor this by offering options for donors to do this via a templated form.
Nonprofits are often reluctant to merge because they fear alienating loyal donors, but a merger can mean reducing costs. It can also mean cutting duplication of services and increasing reach and effectiveness for the charity. Nonprofits that effectively articulate these benefits to their loyal funders will be unlikely to lose supporters of the mission. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to invest in a strong set of policies and procedures, including a gift acceptance policy so that equal standards for all gifts are communicated to current and prospective donors.
Donors that happen to already support both nonprofits already, should consider contributing the total amount to the merged nonprofit. The old nonprofits will cease to exist upon the merger, but that shouldn’t be let that be a reason to end full support for the causes the donor cares about!
Is your Iowa nonprofit considering a merger? Please contact me via email (gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com) or on my cell phone (515-371-6077). I’d be happy to discuss best practices for your merger with you anytime. I offer a free, one-hour consultation for all!
One time I gave a presentation to a group of professionals on “Essential Eight: Clauses That Should be in Every Executive’s Contract.” From my experience in nonprofit formation and compliance, it’s clear that great employment relationships start with smart employee agreements. This goes for both private and public, for-profit and nonprofit, organizations. An employee agreement ultimately benefits both the executive hire and the organization as it can minimize risk for both parties. (Remember, an employee handbook is entirely different than an employee agreement and certainly shouldn’t be mistaken for one!)
A good employment agreement should clearly spell out the terms of the employment relationship and should include (in some form of wording or another) the following eight clauses highlighted below.
Dispute resolution and forum selection sound a bit confusing? I would be happy to discuss these clauses in detail with you if you’re getting ready to hire a new executive, forming a new nonprofit, or are updating employee agreements. It’s never too early or too late to make sure you maximize the power of the employee agreement.
Contact me at any time to take me up on my offer for a free one hour consult!
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/andrew-neel-108081.jpg22203330Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2019-08-11 17:16:532020-05-18 11:28:468 Clauses That Should be in Every Executive's Employee Agreement
Nonprofit Document Drafting: 2 Common Problems to Avoid
NonprofitsForming a new nonprofit can involve a lot of organization and decision making. There are some essentials you need to put in place, including two important documents—articles of incorporation and bylaws. I would be remiss if I didn’t delve into a couple of mistakes I often run across when reviewing nonprofits’ articles and bylaws.
DIY Internet-Sourced Documents
Some nonprofits pull their articles of incorporation and bylaws from the Internet. These may or may not have all the Iowa-specific info required. Also, there may be provisions that simply don’t apply. For example, if a “regular” nonprofit copies governing documents from a granting nonprofit, like a community foundation, there’s sure to be language that doesn’t fit.
Pulling articles of incorporation off the web may seem cheap and time-saving, upfront. But, if mistakes and oversights from the template render the document ineffective or lacking legal requirements, you’ll be way worse off than if you just enlisted a nonprofit attorney to draft your articles suited to your organization’s unique needs, goals, and mission.
Misplaced Provisions
This may go along with copying off the web. There are sometimes provisions in bylaws and articles that belong somewhere else—the governing documents aren’t the proper place for them. For example, I sometimes see employee rules in articles/bylaws. Generally speaking, employment provisions belong in an employee handbook or employment contract. The same goes for certain policies and procedures such as those on document retention and the whistleblower process. A nonprofit should definitely have these policies, but they don’t fit in the foundational documents.
So, How Do I Go About Avoiding Mistakes in my Formational Documents?
Each organization is unique and it’s wise to enlist someone (like an attorney well-versed in nonprofit law!) to draft a quality, comprehensive set of documents personalized for your particular situation.
Questions? Want to learn more about turning your dream of an organization that makes a significant impact or positive change? Grab my complimentary Nonprofit Formation Guide and then contact GFLF for a free consult!
Avoiding Merger Missteps
NonprofitsYou’re not imaging things if it seems like nonprofit charitable organizations are popping up like sweet corn in the summer. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, more than 1.5 million nonprofits were registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2015—an increase of 10.4% from 2005.
Is this a good thing?
On the one hand, Americans are incredibly generous, donating $427.71 billion to charity in 2018. On the other hand, more nonprofits mean more competition for those dollars and the duplication of services, both of which can limit a nonprofit’s effectiveness. When nonprofits can’t pursue their missions effectively, those who benefit from their services may suffer.
The issue of whether or not some nonprofits might be better off merging in order to be more efficient and successful in fulfilling their objectives and meeting their goals is a real one. But for the average donor, or those designating an organization in a will or trust, learning that a favorite nonprofit is merging with another nonprofit can raise questions about what this means immediately and in the long run.
The urge to merge
Philanthropy can be incredibly personal. We are motivated to donate time and money to organizations that represent some of our most deeply felt attachments and interests, so when a beloved nonprofit announces it is merging with another one, it can feel like a kind of betrayal.
A merger is a kind of partnership in which two or more organizations become a separate entity. Mergers between and among nonprofits can be well-planned, strategic, and result in greater collective impact and growth. Or, they can be messy, fraught, and lead to confusion and a loss of support.
Nonprofit mergers are more common than you might think and even though they’re often seen as simply a survival tactic to stave off financial ruin, they can take place for many different reasons:
Donors and nonprofit mergers
While a merger might be good for a nonprofit, what about donors or volunteers?
Nonprofits should send out a notice to stakeholders early in the merger process and be completely transparent. It’s a smart step to make supporters aware of the following:
If donors plan to give a donation during life or make a charitable bequest through an estate plan will they go to the new organization? Or the old organization? For donors, one way to make certain a donation is honored for the purpose it’s given by setting clearly articulated expectations. Merging nonprofits can honor this by offering options for donors to do this via a templated form.
Nonprofits are often reluctant to merge because they fear alienating loyal donors, but a merger can mean reducing costs. It can also mean cutting duplication of services and increasing reach and effectiveness for the charity. Nonprofits that effectively articulate these benefits to their loyal funders will be unlikely to lose supporters of the mission. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to invest in a strong set of policies and procedures, including a gift acceptance policy so that equal standards for all gifts are communicated to current and prospective donors.
Donors that happen to already support both nonprofits already, should consider contributing the total amount to the merged nonprofit. The old nonprofits will cease to exist upon the merger, but that shouldn’t be let that be a reason to end full support for the causes the donor cares about!
Is your Iowa nonprofit considering a merger? Please contact me via email (gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com) or on my cell phone (515-371-6077). I’d be happy to discuss best practices for your merger with you anytime. I offer a free, one-hour consultation for all!
8 Clauses That Should be in Every Executive’s Employee Agreement
Employment Law, NonprofitsOne time I gave a presentation to a group of professionals on “Essential Eight: Clauses That Should be in Every Executive’s Contract.” From my experience in nonprofit formation and compliance, it’s clear that great employment relationships start with smart employee agreements. This goes for both private and public, for-profit and nonprofit, organizations. An employee agreement ultimately benefits both the executive hire and the organization as it can minimize risk for both parties. (Remember, an employee handbook is entirely different than an employee agreement and certainly shouldn’t be mistaken for one!)
A good employment agreement should clearly spell out the terms of the employment relationship and should include (in some form of wording or another) the following eight clauses highlighted below.
Dispute resolution and forum selection sound a bit confusing? I would be happy to discuss these clauses in detail with you if you’re getting ready to hire a new executive, forming a new nonprofit, or are updating employee agreements. It’s never too early or too late to make sure you maximize the power of the employee agreement.
Contact me at any time to take me up on my offer for a free one hour consult!