Nonprofit News: Strategic Planning and HR

Clearing out the in-box for another news roundup.  A big focus here will be on human resource issues, as I’m guessing many nonprofit finance folk get to wear the HR hat for their organizations as well.

Strategic Planning

On the NEA’s website there are 27 strategic planning essays that were commissioned and edited by Morrie Warshawski.  Neat stuff and a great resource for your next strategic planning process.

Human Resources

A quick piece on wrongful discharge is timely in time of reducing expenses.  If you have to let people go, make sure you are doing it the right way.

Concerned about benefits?  Think your staff is too?  Yes they are, and the key here is the right kind of communication.

The Bridgespan group released an article in April on finding leaders in the nonprofit sector.

Despite tightening budgets, nonprofits foresee a need to fill 24,000 vacant or new roles in 2009, according to the Bridgespan Group report, “Finding Leaders for America’s Nonprofits.” Over 400 U.S. leaders of nonprofits with $1 million or more in revenues were interviewed for the report, which offers perspective on organizations’ hiring needs and plans, what they find most valuable in candidates for senior leadership positions, and more.  Many of those surveyed cited a need to fill roles such as finance and fundraising amid increasing management complexity and baby boomer retirements, yet they foresee challenges in finding candidates who are both qualified for the roles and who are cultural fits with their organizations.

Confused by the new COBRA subsidy?  You are not alone the IRS has released some clarifying language to help employers cope and make sure we treat our former staff as good as we can.

Is that person independent contractor or employee?  If you are not sure and get it wrong, your state and the IRS will make you wish you had got it right.  Click here for some guidance right from the IRS.  You’ll be asked about these issues on the new form 990 so it makes sense to get it right from the beginning.

IRS

Speaking of the new form 990, the IRS is releasing Tax Tips to help us with the new form.  Be sure to check back for the newest tips.

The IRS has created a site map for the Exempt Organizations section.  This is a helpful step on getting that part of the IRS’s site organized.  You can also see the link when you are there on the left hand menu.