Training, Professional Development Opportunities and More
The Washington State Charities Advisory Council was formed in 2007 to advise the Washington Secretary of State as to: 1) training and professional development programs needed for charitable programs; and 2) model policies related to governance and administration of charitable organizations in accordance with fiduciary principles. The Council also advises the Secretary on industry trends in the nonprofit world so that charities and nonprofits can prepare in advance for these trends. The Council’s latest updates are now available.
Members of the council appointed by Secretary Kim Wyman represent a broad and diverse range of nonprofit charities, both big and small, and with a wide range of missions. The idea is to be as inclusive as possible so as to address all the needs and potential needs of charities for information pertaining to industry trends, training, and professional development.
Free Webinars for Nonprofits
Interested in continuing education? The Washington Secretary of State’s office provides free webinars to help nonprofits increase their knowledge in a range of areas. Upcoming topics include financial issues, legal compliance for nonprofits, and board development. The link to the upcoming webinars may be found here.
Tax Update
The Washington State Department of Taxation provided an update on guidelines for nonprofits. The state produces a valuable online publication which may be found on the Washington Taxation Department site. The guide is provided at no charge to the public and offers an overview of registration requirements, tax exemptions, reseller permits for fundraising events, and taxability of various nonprofit activities.
Renewing Nonprofit and Charities Registration
Washington state has successfully issued a soft launch of their new online registration system for nonprofits and charities to renew their status. The old postcard reminder system isn’t going away – yet. But nonprofits may wish to log into the system soon and learn the process. It’s probably going to be the way of the future for all Washington state charities. Log in with your UBI number to start the renewal process.
Tiered Financial Reporting
SOS Charities Program Liaison, Rebecca Sherrell, spoke at the meeting and provided a summary of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 19.09.541). This code establishes a set of tiered financial reporting requirements for charitable organizations. The statute requires that charitable organizations with annual gross revenue over $1 million have a professionally prepared federal tax return and organizations over $3 million obtain an independent, third-party audit of their financial records. This audit report must be made available in paper form to the public upon request or accessible to the public on the internet. Nonprofits that receive most of their support from noncash donations. An organization receives less than $500,000 cash can waive the audit requirement.
Asking for Donations? Check out the Attorney General’s Site
The Washington State Attorney General’s office provides guidelines for charities and nonprofits that are requesting donations. To remain compliant with state law, it’s a smart move to review the guidelines and discuss them with your entire team, especially those in marketing and donor relations. The full guidelines are available on the AG’s site.
The next meeting of the State Charities board will take place in January 2019. This meeting has provided plenty of food for thought and interest to those in the Washington nonprofit world. Whether you’ve just started a nonprofit organization or you’re working for a mature organization, there is something to learn from the various people and groups who participated in this meeting.
Welter Consulting
Welter Consulting bridges people and technology together for effective solutions for nonprofit organizations. We offer software and services that can help you with your accounting needs. Please contact Welter Consulting at 206-605-3113 for more information.
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