1999 Nonprofit Alert Archive

December 1999
Foundation Declares Bankruptcy Amid Investigation■Scripture May Be Authority Over Contract Disputes■Fraud and Abuse Alleged in Child Food Program■Presidential Seal of Approval Backfires on Charity■Silence Beats Half Truth in Employee Job Referral■Waffle House Can’t Mix ADR Into EEOC Batter■Odometer Alert: IRS Raises Business Mileage Rate■Law and Disorder: Experts Question IRS Activities■New Web Sites Serve Nonprofits■Are IRS Tax-Exempt Audits Politically Motivated?■IRS Develops A Greater Affinity for Credit Cards■Nonprofits Are Invited to Boston "Fee" Party■Private School Program for the Poor Prevails in AZ

November 1999
Congress Attaches More Strings to Federal Funds■Web Worries: No Jurisdiction From Internet Ads■Baptist Charity Investigated for Financial Dealings■IRS Mistake Doesn’t Relieve Church of Liability■Convention Contract Bowls a Strike for Association■On the Road Again: Tricky Travel Deductions■Executive Salaries Increase at Top U.S. Nonprofits■Baseball Exemption Is Just a Field of Dreams■Gift   is Same in All Languages, Despite Confusion■Historic AOL/Guidestar Venture Puts Charities in the Sunlight■Club’s Sale of Property Tees Off UBIT Concerns■Nonprofit Insurance Alliance Expands Nationally■Arkansas Stiffens Solicitations With DTPA Penalties■Texas Opens Board Meetings Via Video & Internet

October 1999
Employees-Turned-Volunteers Can't Claim Overtime Pay, Appeals Court Rules ■ Duty to Report Child Abuse Averts Defamation■Church ‘Missed the Bus’ on Transportation Contract■Home Sweet Home? Not for Salesman/Minister■Until Death or Discrimination Do Us Part■Post- Bankruptcy Conversion Doesn’t Save Donors■Nonprofit Indemnifying For-Profit Still Exempt■Charity Protected From Disclosing Contributors ■ Study Highlights Media Strategies for Nonprofits■Tax Treaty: Trans-Border Without Transgressions■California: First to Okay Electronic Signatures■Virginia Makes Local Charities’ Property Exempt

September 1999
Joint Venture Deal Hinges on Control■Court Okays Voter Guides, But IRS Still Watching■Contract...What Contract? Church Asks Court■ Internal Complaint Triggers Retaliation Protection■Who Says There's No Free Lunch? Just Ask IRS■FMLA Dominates, Regardless of Regs ■Tax- Exempt Issues: Its Back to School for Taxpayers Deducting Tuition■Proposed Regs Cover Disclosure for Foundations■ Pennsylvania Appeals Bible Tax to Supreme Court■New York Nonprofit Mail Order Sales Escape Taxes■Court Lectures Boy Scouts on Being Morally Straight

August 1999
IRS Concedes Defeat (Almost) in Prolonged Litigation Over UBIT on Royalty Income■Last call for Telemarketer After Court Ruling■Charity settles Exploitation Charges for $395,000■Not on Payroll? Liable for Discrimination Anyway■Telecommuting Holds Pros & Cons for Nonprofits■UBIT- Free Mushrooms Generate Exempt Profits■Coming This Fall: Changes in Trademark Law■Charity Loses Funding Over Religious Questions■New FASB Rule Addresses Donor-Designated Gifts■California Considers Credit for Corporate Donors■Iowa Exempts Museum Membership & Gift Sales■Nebraska Officials Accuse Charity of Funds Abuse

July 1999
Ruling Tightens ADA Disability Coverage■Internet Posting Makes Couple Liable in Server State■Sierra Club Collects $2.7 Million in Donor Dispute■Charity 'Cleans House' in Wake of Investigation■No Free Lunch? Court Says It Depends on Employer■State Court Finds Employee Handbook is Contract■Tax Deal Extends Education Aid for Employees■Christian Coalition Loses Exempt Battle with IRS■Gift Value Depends on Market - - Wherever It May Be■New Hampshire Taxes Camp's Lodging Facility

June 1999
War Zone: Nonprofit Workers in Harm's Way■FTC May Regulate Nonprofit Trade Associations■Cell Phone Tragedy Offers Stark Liability Lesson■Partner Perils: Minister Liable for Employment Tax■Silicon Valley Group Rallies After Nonprofit's Fall■Charitable Immunity Doesn't Protect Observer■Uniquely Skilled Exec Merits On-Site Compensation■Ordained Deacons Qualify for Housing Allowance■Law Firm Runs Afoul of Copyright Rules■Artful Calculation Plagues Donations, Panel Says■Georgia Exempts Sales of Artifacts to Nonprofits■Pennsylvania Ends Exemption for Religious Pubs■Minnesota Weighs Charitable Deduction Legislation■Virginia Requires Exempts to Re-Apply Next Year

May 1999
IRS Disclosure Rules Final; Copies of Form 990 Must Be Sent on Request or Posted on Web■Charity Wins $16 Million from Unethical Lawyer■Volunteer Liability Claim Rejected by Supreme Court \ Executive Director Jobs: Not Always a Bed of Roses■ADA Claim Nets Nonprofit $550,000 from Landlord■Court Finds Religious Terminations Discriminatory■Museum Soars Past UBIT with Lease on Jet Plane■Investments & Service Payments Aren't Self-Dealing■Gift Fund Wins Appeal of Exempt Status Revocation■Charitable Tax Relief Sought for Certain Donors■D.C. Approves Limited Tax Amnesty for Nonprofits■Maryland Y2K Bill Now Pending with Governor■Missouri Imposes Taxes on Summer Camp Tuition

April 1999
Tax-Exempts Cautioned As Impeachment Freeze Yields to Campaign Breeze■Ministry Leaders Face Indictment on Fraud Charges■Congress & States Weigh Y2K Liability Limitations■From Brazen to Bizarre: Termination Troubles■All Work and No Play? You're Not Alone Anymore■Affinity Cards: If Rightly Dealt, Royalties Flushed■Fairground Storage Makes Fair Ground for UBIT■IRS Reorganization: Expect More Web Site Scrutiny■Laws Require Child Abuse Reporting■Beyond Bingo: Bill Expands Gambling Exemptions■Charities Don't Invest Charitably, Report Shows■Maryland: Retirement Haven for Wealthy Donors?■Oregon Lobby Registration Violates Free Speech

March 1999
Investigation of Alleged Pyramid Scheme Heats Up■Court Rejects IRS Claim of Private Inurement■Accidents on Leased Property: Who's Liable?■Private Citizen Can't Force Nonprofit Disclosure■COBRA Bite Enlarges Under Final Regulations■Off to Work We Go, While Tax Deductions Bestow■Consolidated Reporting: An Issue of Control■'Artful' Sale by Nonprofit Avoids Tax Problems■Charitable Registration Just Got One Step Easier■IRS Cautions Against Split-Dollar Insurance■Kansas DOR Does Double Play on Athletic Groups■Michigan Church Retreat Not Taxable Property■Missouri Exempts Day Care Equipment From Tax■North Dakota Lawmakers Defeat Local Option Bill

February 1999
1999 Surprise: Reimbursement Rate Up & Down■Church Liable for Negligent Supervision, After Mom Intervenes to Save Son's Job■Criticism on Tape Leads to $1.2 Million Settlement■Charities Potentially Liable for Abusive Tax Shelters■Housing Allowance: Must Name It to Claim It■You've Got Mail...But Does the Boss Know?■Employers Still Struggle with New Hire Reporting■Bowling League Strikes Out on Tax Exemption■Charity Exec's Royalties Get IRS Royal Treatment■Automobile Donation Under Regulation■Texas Shields Nonprofits from Donor Disclosure■Oklahoma Exempts Youth Camps from Sales Tax■ Virginia Taxes Meals to Employees & Volunteers

January 1999
New Legal Trend Continues; Court Upholds County Fundraising Law■Trustees Pay $1.5M From Their Own Pockets■Foundation Agrees to Periodic Review by State AG■Ticket Takers Toil Over Tiny Tax Technicality■ADA Claim Without Disability -- A Tricky Question■Where Does All the Money Go, Employers Wonder■Eat, Drink & Be Merry...But Don't Expect Exemption!■Stock Appraisals: Savvy Donors Should Know■Although Not Overly Prevalent, Charity Fraud Takes a Toll on Nonprofits■IRS Rules Associate Member Dues Not Taxable■California Applies Simplified Religious Exemption■Hawaii Looks to Nonprofits for New Tax Revenue■New Jersey Lifts Taxes on Volunteer-Run Stores