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Nonprofit Embezzlement: More Common and More Preventable Than You Think
"I was on the board of a national social justice organization for three years. The Development Director discovered that the "external-auditor-turned-internal-accountant" had been embezzling funds by stealing checks and using the "st …
A Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Policy for Nonprofits
While there is no one model drug and alcohol free workplace program that is right for all workplaces, there are standard elements of such a program that should be included at your agency. Effective programs typically contain the following elements: …
Three Steps to Effective Board Oversight of Insurance
As a board member, it is your responsibility to understand your group’s insurance needs and help make sure you have the right coverage. Here are guidelines for board members who want to make sure their community nonprofit has appropriate insurance cove …
A Board Member’s Guide to Nonprofit Insurance
Many board members don’t think about the organization’s insurance until something adverse happens. As one Blue Avocado reader commented: “Insurance isn’t sexy, but it’s as essential as a roof over your head.” In these tight times, it’s tempting to make …
Closing Down the Right Way
In the last Board Cafe column, we discussed how to think about the possibility of closing down a nonprofit, including alternatives to closure. But sometimes closure is the best choice of the possible options. In recent weeks we’ve had a chance to see s …
Thinking the Unthinkable: Maybe We Should Shut Down
When we think about the important work we do at a nonprofit, it’s hard not to think that closing down is the ultimate disaster. But sometimes a lack of money or energy raises the question for us. Here at Blue Avocado, where we turn things on their head …
Can an Employee Come and Go Using Family or Medical Leave?
Dear Rita,One of our exempt employees — a children’s therapist — is keeping me up nights by taking unscheduled and intermittent leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). We've been able to plan schedules when other emplo …
Gas Rates, Volunteers, and Justice: Reader OpEd
Many people don’t realize that on their personal tax returns volunteers can deduct mileage expenses incurred as part of volunteering. For example, if a volunteer drives 30 miles to volunteer at an art school or drive a patient to chemotherapy, the …
Board Meetings by Phone: Legal? A Good Idea?
With gas prices rising and everyone getting busier, more and more board members want to participate in board meetings by telephone. The advantage: more people participate. The disadvantage: there's a lot lost in human interaction for both the board …
Overtime Pay for Nonprofit Preschool Teacher?
Dear Rita: I’m a daycare worker for a nonprofit agency. My employer pays me a salary and refuses to pay overtime when I work more than 40 hours a week. The executive director says I’m not entitled to overtime pay because I am a ” …
