Check List for New US Speedskating Clubs Club Organization • Develop a network of people interested in organizing a speedskating club. Organize an election to select people to serve as the Club Officers. Register the Speedskating Club • New clubs must register with their regional Association as well as US Speedskating. New clubs must be approved by the Membership and Development Committee. In order to accomplish this, please submit the information below to the USS National Headquarters at P.O. Box 18370, Kearns, UT, 84118: • Develop Bylaws to submit to US Speedskating for approval with the MPDC. • Complete requirements necessary to become a recognized club in your Association. If applying as a Direct Club with USS, complete requirements below as found in the MPDC Rules and Procedures and submit to USS National Headquarters: 1. Name of Organization 2. List of Members 3. List of Officers and Board of Directors, all of whom must be members of USS within 30 days of approval of the USSSO as a provisional member. 4. Principle address of Skating Headquarters 5. A statement that the new USSSO will uphold the Bylaws, enforce the rules and regulations of US speedskating, its officers and Board of Directors 6. Payment of dues ($100 yearly for Direct Clubs) Purchase an Insurance Rider Policy • For a small fee, this covers liability issues. Contact Marty Wolfinsohn at JAS Insurance at 847-755-1010. He can explain the issue and write up the waiver for the club. 501 (c) 3 status • USSSO's are encouraged but not required to have federal 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt status. Failure to do so may exclude the USSSO from receiving grants or contributions that may normally be given to 501 (c) 3 organizations. Coaches and Ice Time • Clubs should obtain a qualified coaching staff and secure ice time at the local rink. Additionally, determine if ice time is available through other area clubs. Obtain Necessary Equipment • Pads • Blocks (14 blocks on the track plus 4 extra) • Starting gun and shells (22 caliber and 22 caliber caps) • Water Buckets (3-4 large plastic buckets with handles) • Two large Squeegees • First-Aid Kit Optional equipment: • Club skate to loan • Skate sharpening boxes to loan • Helmets, neck guards or knee pads to sell • Pad carts to hold and move pads • Lap Counter Develop Club Promotion Program • Create methods to recruit new skaters and maintain current skaters • Develop materials (some materials can be obtained through USS) to help promote club. Some ideas for promotional materials: • Develop a club newsletter • Set up an Open House and distribute invitations to local schools • Have brochures available explaining speedskating • Contact a local newspaper for coverage • Incorporate the One-Day, One-Dollar membership to get new skaters on the ice. (Contact Emily Robbins at [email protected] for information.) • Create a bulletin board at the ice rink with Club news, photos and information Regular Contact with USS • Each year, all Direct Clubs must submit a current copy of its duly adopted constitution and bylaws to USS Headquarters by November 1 and no earlier than September 1. Direct Clubs shall notify USS of any revisions. Bylaws on file at USS will be referenced for any conflict or issue. • Each Direct Club must submit a copy of the minutes of its most recent general membership meeting (held anytime in the previous 6-month period). • Each Direct Club must submit $100 each year to USS before September 15 for membership dues. • Meets can be sanctioned by USS if sanctioning requirements are met. Sanctioned events can be posted on the USS website speedskating schedule with registration information and results. US SPEEDSKATING APPLICATION FOR DIRECT CLUB MEMBERSHIP Valid September 1, 2012 - August 31, 2013 Send Form & Payment To: [email protected] or mail to US Speedskating, 5662 S Cougar Lane, Kearns, UT 84118 CONTACT INFORMATION CLUB NAME: _____________________________________________________________________________________ MAIN POINT OF CONTACT: _________________________________ EMAIL: ________________________________ ADDRESS: _________________________________ CITY: ____________________ STATE: _______ ZIP: ________ WEBSITE ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________________________ RINK INFO RINK NAME: ___________________________________ RINK NAME: ___________________________________ ADDRESS: ADDRESS: ___________________________________ CITY, STATE, ZIP: _______________________________ ___________________________________ CITY, STATE, ZIP: _______________________________ BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT: _____________________ USS MEMBER # ____________ EMAIL: _________________________ VICE PRESIDENT: ________________ USS MEMBER # ____________ EMAIL: _________________________ SECRETARY: ____________________ USS MEMBER # ____________ EMAIL: _________________________ TREASURER: ____________________ USS MEMBER # ____________ EMAIL: _________________________ ADDITIONAL: ____________________ USS MEMBER # ____________ EMAIL: _________________________ ADDITIONAL: ____________________ USS MEMBER # ____________ EMAIL: _________________________ ADDITIONAL: ____________________ USS MEMBER # ____________ EMAIL: _________________________ ADDITIONAL: ____________________ USS MEMBER # ____________ EMAIL: _________________________ ADDITIONAL: ____________________ USS MEMBER # ____________ EMAIL: _________________________ PAYMENT INFORMATION - $100 Check enclosed, made payable to U.S. Speedskating | Charge my: Visa MasterCard American Express Card #: ____________________________________ Name as it appears on card: _______________________________ Exp. date: ____________ Security Code: _________ Signature: ___________________________________________ ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS NEEDED PLEASE SEND WITH APPLICATION COPY OF CURRENT BYLAWS COPY OF LATEST MEETING MINUTES Sample Ideas for Club Organization OFFICERS President: Provides leadership and direction for all club activities. Represents the club at Association meetings. Plans and conducts club meetings. Vice President: Assists the president in his or her activities and represents the president and club in his or her absence. Secretary: Keeps minutes, maintains all historical records and generates communications. Treasurer: Accountable for all financial reporting. Writes checks and maintains the records for all income and expenses. COACHES Head Coach on ice: Is in charge of writing workouts/year plan and runs the main ice practice. Attends all the competitions and is available for all questions from skaters and parents. Assistant Coaches on ice: Assists the Head Coach with ice practice and demonstrations. Dryland Coach: Prepares and leads the dryland workouts including weight training and general conditioning. OTHER KEY PERSONNEL Skate Manager: Inventories and manages the club's rental skates. Keeps a detailed spreadsheet of size and condition of boots and blades. Decides when equipment needs repair or if additional skate equipment needs to be purchased. Meet Director: Individual that organizes your local/regional meet. Ice Rink Liaison: Works with rink management on ice times and ice conditions. Registration Coordinator: Organizes and sets-up registration night in the beginning of the year. Lines up location, time and works with the communication individual to prepare flyer and media articles. Badge Program Coordinator: Is in charge of distributing the badge book to all skaters in the club. Keeps the badge inventory and distributes the badges to the skaters as they achieve the new level. Keeps a record of the skaters' performances. Jig Coordinator: Maintains jig boxes (jig, stones, burr stones, rags, oil) and sets up jig teams (rotates between 3-4 families). Determines if additional boxes need to be made and when the equipment needs to be replaced. Responsible for sharpening instructions, sharpening videos and monthly demonstrations at practice. Videography: Video tapes practice and replays the tapes for the athletes. Communications/Publicity/Newsletter/Graphic Designer: Key contact for e-mail distribution list. Designs and creates newsletters and other flyers. Is in charge of press releases and sending meet results to the newspapers. Webmaster: Designs, maintains and keeps the club's web site current. Uniform Manager: Maintains the club uniform inventory. Determines when repairs and/or replacements are needed. Pad Maintenance: In charge of yearly cleaning and maintenance. pads need to be replaced and if additional pads need to be purchased. Determines when Tryspeedskating.com Contact: Main contact for inquiries from the tryspeedskating.com web site. Responsible for mailing packets of information and for follow-up phone calls. Board of Directors and Key Personnel Duties at The Club Level President: The president presides at all general membership and special meetings of the club or board of directors. The president assures business operations are conducted in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, accounting standards and good business practices and performs other chief executive office duties consistent with the requirement herein. The president is authorized to cast the deciding vote only in the case of a tie. The president, at her or his discretion, is an at-large voting member of all committees. Vice-President: The vice-president serves as the senior officer in the absence, disability, removal or resignation of the president, with the same authority and duties as the president. The vice-president shall be a voting member on all business-related committees and shall be the primary liaison with the coaching staff. Secretary: The secretary keeps an accurate record of all proceedings of the club. The secretary shall also keep an accurate membership list and handle club correspondence. The secretary shall be a voting member on all business-related committees. Treasurer: The treasurer receives all club monies from dues, donations and fundraising, pays all club expenses, keeps accurate records of all financial transactions and provides financial reports at each regular and special meeting of the club. All checks issued by the treasurer shall bear the signature of one additional designated member. The treasurer shall be a non-voting member on all business-related committees. Head Coach: The head coach represents the collective coaches at the board of directors meeting. The head coach shall provide the board with a coaching status report and shall have the primary responsibility for recruiting, appointing and hiring coaching personnel. The head coach shall be responsible for the long-range skater development program and final approval of new members. Skate Manager: Inventories and manages the club’s rental skates; keeps a detailed spreadsheet of size and condition of boots and blades; maintains skates and keeps them in good skating condition; decides when equipment needs repair or if additional skate equipment needs to be purchased. Meet Director: Organizes local or regional meets. Forms a relationship with the rink manager in order to hold efficient, fun and marketable events. Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE Section 1: As established in the Articles of Incorporation, the name of this not-for-profit corporation shall be the Club Name Incorporation as a Direct Club to US Speedskating. The initial board members are volunteers who will be in office until the first board meeting of the club to be held in September 2010 at which time the first club election will be held. The initial board is only in place for the establishment of the club. Section 2: As a club organized of US Speedskating we attest that the board and members will uphold the Bylaws, enforce the rules and regulations of US Speedskating, its officers and Board of Directors. Those not complying with this section and unwilling to correct their behavior will be asked to resign the club or be removed from the club per articles of the constitution and Bylaws. Section 3: The purposes as established in the Articles of Incorporation are as follows: A. to develop, promote and administer the sports of ice speed skating both to foster state, regional, national and international amateur sports competition; B. to encourage, support, coordinate, sponsor and organize sports competition for membership and the general public; C. to support and develop amateur athletes and Special Olympians; to help each individual member achieve their highest level of personal sports competence; to promote sport safety, fellowship, and respect among members; D. to support training and licensing of coaching staff Section 4: Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary, this corporation is organized exclusively for such purposes as are authorized and permitted by Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), and this Corporation shall not carry on any activities which are not permitted to be carried on by a corporation exempt from taxation under said Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Page 1 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP Section 1: Membership Classes: A. Member: Are individuals or families who have joined the Club Name and are current with dues. Membership is open to anyone irrespective of age, gender, race or creed, who displays an active interest in learning and or participating in the sport associated with PROGRAM. Members aged 18 years or older shall be eligible to vote, hold office, and serve on committees. B. Family Membership: All related persons living at the same address may be included in the membership and be considered a “family” regarding “family membership”. Individuals under the age of 18 may attend meetings; however, the parent(s) of minor members will be eligible to vote, hold office, and serve on committees. The family membership may have 2 votes where both parents/step parents are active in the club activities and one vote where only one parent/step parent is active with club activities. C. Associate Member: Individuals interested in the Program activities and who wish to support the purposes and objectives of the Program are eligible for Associate Membership. Associate Members shall be entitled to attend the annual meeting, but do not have the right to vote, hold office, or serve on a committee. D. Contributing Membership: Organizations, Institutions, or Foundations, which contribute annually to the Program, may be eligible for Contributing Membership. Contributing Members shall be entitled to attend the annual meeting, but shall not have the right to vote, hold office, or serve on a committee. Section 2: Qualifications: Qualifications: Application for Membership: Application for membership or change of membership status will use the above definitions to determine the most appropriate membership and shall be in accord with procedures established by the Board of Directors Section 3: Denial of membership: A. Denial of membership may occur for past delinquent payment of fees/due; unsafe behaviors; disruptive behavior; disregard to coaching instructions which could put others at risk; consistent use of profane language; and/or sexually inappropriate comments/ behaviors unbecoming to sportsmanship and respect for other skaters. B. In the event membership is denied, the applicant/member shall be entitled to appear before the Board of Directors and request reconsideration. Denial of membership will not be allowed based on issues of discrimination to age, gender, race or creed. Page 2 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP continued: Section 4: Waiver Release: A. Each individual must sign a current waiver used by the Program, assuming full responsibility for any accident, damage, injury, or loss incurred at any Program sanctioned practice, event or activity. B. A parent or guardian must sign a waiver for each child under 18 years of age. Section 4: Dues and Ice Fees: A. Dues for each category of membership shall be established by the Board of Directors. B. Dues shall be due on September first (1) of each year and payable within 60 days or at time of written application for membership. Dues will be pro-rated for members who join at different months within the membership calendar year. C. Ice Fees will be established by the Board of Directors for Club activities related to the sport of speedskating. Section 5: Termination and Appeal: Termination: A. Termination Members failing to pay dues sixty (60) days from September first (1) of each year shall automatically forfeit their membership on the sixty-first (61) day. B. Individuals who have forfeited membership because of nonpayment of dues may be reinstated upon payment of dues and any late fee established by the Board of Directors. C. The Board of Directors may, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the entire Board membership, suspend or expel any member of the PROGRAM for violation of these Bylaws, any rules, policies and procedures established by the PROGRAM. Appeals regarding Termination: A. Before the Board of Directors takes such action, written notice shall be sent to the member not less than thirty (30) days prior to the meeting of the Board of Directors at which the matter is to be considered. B. Said individual shall be entitled to a hearing before the Board of Directors before a decision is reached. Page 3 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE III: BOARD OF DIRECTORS/ OFFICERS Section l. General Powers: The affairs of the Program shall be managed by its Board of Directors. Section 2: The Board of Directors Composition: The Board of Directors shall consist of 5 to 7 Board Members: A. Four (4) elected Officers, a. namely a President; b. a Vice President; c. a Secretary; d. a Treasurer; and, B. One (1) to three (3) Director at Large. C. The Board will start with 5 Board Members when initiating the club and increase to 7 Board members as the club membership increases. Section 3: Duties of the Board of Directors: A. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for the management of the affairs of the PROGRAM and shall use its best efforts to carry out the purposes of the Club Name. B. The Board of Directors shall provide the membership with a financial audit prior to each annual meeting. Section 4: Meetings of the Board of Directors: A. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at least twice each year at times designated by the President. B. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President or upon written request from a Board member or member of the club. Discussion at such special meetings shall be limited to the topic(s) mentioned in the notice sent to all Board members. C. Notification of regular meetings shall be sent to all Board members not less than fourteen (14) days before the regular meetings. Notification of special meetings shall be sent no less than seven (7) days before the special meeting. No notice of any meeting need be given if all Board members sign before, during, or after said meeting a written Waiver of Notice. D. A quorum for all meetings of the Board of Directors shall be a majority of those members in office at the time of the meeting. E. Any Member may attend Board meetings in order to present his/her view(s) on a specific matter. Page 4 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE III: BOARD OF DIRECTORS/ OFFICERS continued Section 5: Qualifications: A. Individuals who have are at least 18 years old and Members in good standing of the program to be eligible to hold office. B. Officers shall be members of US Speedskating. Section 6: Term of Office: A. Officers shall serve a two (2) year term. B. There is no limit to the number of terms that an officer may serve. C. The term of office shall begin at the close of the annual business meeting in which the election is announced and conducted. D. Director’s offices shall be staggered so half the Directors are familiar with Program business. E. The office of President, Secretary, and one Director Position shall be up for election on the Odd years. F. The office of Vice President, Treasure, and two Director Positions shall be up for election on the Even years. Section 7: Nominations and Elections: A. Election shall be solely by closed ballot. B. Nominations are done under parliamentary procedure with a verbal nomination and a second of any Program member. C. The nominated member should be willing and agree to serve on the board. D. Ballots must be returned prior to the end of the annual meeting. E. A majority of a quorum of the membership shall be required to elect. F. Tie votes shall be broken by drawing lots with members present. Section 8: Removal: Any member of the Board of Directors, regardless of the manner of election or appointment, may be removed by the Board of Directors or upon two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the majority of the active membership; whenever, in its judgment, said director’s malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance impairs his or her effectiveness as a Board member, or brings disrepute to the PROGRAM. Page 5 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE III: BOARD OF DIRECTORS/ OFFICERS continued Section 9: Vacancies on the Board: A. Should a vacancy occur in the office of President, the Vice President shall automatically succeed to the office of the President and shall serve for the unexpired term in addition to the term for which he/she was elected. B. A vacancy in the office of Vice President shall remain vacant until the next scheduled balloting. C. Should a vacancy occur in the offices of both, President and Vice President, the Board of Directors shall appoint a President pro tem from among its members until the next scheduled balloting at which time both a President and Vice President shall be elected. D. Vacancies occurring among all other offices shall be filled by the President, with the Board of Directors’ approval, for the unexpired term. Section 10: Duties of Officers of the Board: A. Unless stated otherwise, Officers shall perform those duties prescribed by Law, the Articles of Incorporation, these Bylaws, the Parliamentary Authority adopted by the PROGRAM, and those duties prescribed from time to time by the Board of Directors. B. The President shall be the principal executive officer of the Program and shall in general supervise and control all the business and affairs of the Program. He/she shall preside at all meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors. The president may sign, with the treasurer any contracts or other instruments authorized to be executed. In general he/she shall perform all duties incident to the office of President including serving as an ex-officio member of all committees, except the nominating committee. The President should take the initiative to appoint all committee chairs from member volunteers. C. The Vice President shall exercise the power of the President in the President’s absence or inability to serve. The Vice President may also fill in for any single board member in their absence at any meeting. The Vice President is to help provide arrangements for meetings, arrange for programs and the social part of general meetings. D. The Secretary will take minutes at Program and board meetings and conduct the necessary correspondence of the Program. He/she shall perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary. Page 6 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE III: BOARD OF DIRECTORS/ OFFICERS continued E. The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds of the Program and deposit all such monies in a timely manner in the name of the Program in a bank approved by the Board of Directors. a. Shall keep a written ledger of expenses and income and present a verbal or written report at each meeting of the PROGRAM and Board of Directors b. Shall file the annual not-for-profit organization charter fee with the Program-recognized office. c. The Treasurer may make budgeted expenditures up to $150 without Board approval. d. The Board of Directors can approve expenditures up to $2499.99. e. Amounts over $2500 must be approved by a majority of the membership present at a general meeting, with the exception of expenses pre-approved for the PROGRAM. f. The treasurer shall prepare an annual report at the end of each elected term. g. Shall pursue contracts for equipment/supplies, Fund Raising, sponsorship opportunities, donations, equipment sponsors, and grant applications. Assist with budget writing and adjustments. F. Skater/Community Representative shall represent the skaters, community and rink interest as a Board Member. Section 11: Active Board Members: Members elected to the Board of Directors are encouraged to take an active part in PROGRAM events. Page 7 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE IV: Coaches: Section 1: Head Coach: A. The Head Coach shall organize the sports activities and workouts, and ensure that workouts are focused toward the goals and abilities of the amateur sports members involved. B. The Coach has authority to remove anyone in danger to others or themselves from the field of play at any time. C. The Office of Head coach is a volunteer position (unless recruited and paid). D. The Head Coach must be certified with US Speed Skating to coach speed skating and to have the health and welfare of the members in mind. E. The Head Coach may delegate responsibilities to assistants and developmental coaches at any time. F. The Head Coach will be the primary representative of the team at competitive events and will file any disputes except when required by the member involved, and will provide the members with appropriate sport and health fitness guidance for sports activities. G. The Head Coach should attend Board meetings to provide reports, recommendations, and suggestions for program activities. Section 2: Assistant / Developmental Coaches: A. Assistant / Developmental Coaches will follow the general workout plan for each session or workout as designed by the head coach, but may focus on a smaller group of individuals assigned to them during the workout. B. The Assistant coach will conduct practices in the absence of the Head coach and will be the skater’s representative in case the head coach cannot attend a competition. C. The Assistant head coach may attend the Board meetings as representative for the Head Coach as needed and to provide suggestions for program activities. Page 8 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE V. Committees Section 1: Committees: A. The Board of Directors may appoint committees to assist the Board in performing its functions. Such committees shall derive their authority directly from the Board of Directors and are responsible to the Board. B. The Board President shall appoint the chairpersons to ad hoc committees. C. The Audit Committee will be made up of Directors or members of the Club that do not have responsibility for paying, balancing the account, or signing/co-signing the PROGRAM checkbook and shall conduct an internal audit of the expenses D. Unless specified otherwise, all special and standing committees shall be determined by the Board of Directors. E. Unless specified otherwise, the composition, powers, terms, and duties of all special and standing committees shall be determined by the Board of Directors. F. The President or his/her designee shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee and Ethics Committee. G. The term of office for an ad hoc committee member shall be one (1) year. H. There is no limit to the number of terms that a committee member may serve. I. The Committee Chair will appoint Committee members. ARTICLE VI: Meetings and Quorum: Section 1: Meetings: A. The annual meeting of the PROGRAM shall be held each year at such time and place as determined by the Board of Directors preferably between July fifteen (15) and September twenty-fifth (25) for the purpose of electing officers. More meetings may be called to conduct business of the PROGRAM. B. The meeting shall be held at a time and place designated by the President and with agreement of a majority of the Board of Directors for the purpose of planning the year’s activities, budget review and audits, reviewing and establishing PROGRAM goals. C. Subsequent meetings may be held as needed throughout the year to conduct the necessary business of managing the PROGRAM. Page 9 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE VI: Meetings and Quorum: Section 2: Notification of Meetings: A. Notification of the Annual Meeting shall be sent to the membership no less than fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting and no more than thirty (30) days before the date of such meeting. B. Special Meetings may be called by the President or upon written request from a Board member or member of the club. Discussion at such special meetings shall be limited to the topic(s) mentioned in the notice sent to all Board members. Notification of the special meetings requires notification no less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting. C. Meeting notices shall be written, stating the place, day and hour of any meeting of members and shall be delivered to each member entitled to vote using the above timeframes based on meeting type by the President or persons calling the meeting. D. In the case of a special meeting the purpose for which the meeting is called shall be stated in the notice. Section 2: Quorum: A. Forty percent of members eligible to vote shall constitute a quorum at any annual meeting. B. Forty percent of Board Members and Members eligible to vote at a Board meeting shall constitute a quorum. C. The presiding officer shall vote only in the case of a tie vote. D. Refer to quorum rules for holding a meeting under Article VII Section 3. ARTICLE VII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY Section 1: Rules: The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the PROGRAM in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the PROGRAM may adopt. Section 2: Content for regular membership and Board of Directors Meetings: A. The President/Secretary shall provide a written agenda whenever possible for each meeting. Page 10 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE VII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY continued Section 2: Content for regular membership and Board of Directors Meetings continued: B. The following shall occur at regular membership and Board of Directors Meetings: 1. Call to Order (by presiding officer) 2. Reading and approval of the previous meeting’s minutes-Secretary 3. Treasurer’s Report and Fund Raising Activities Report 4. Membership Director’s report 5. Committee’s reports 6. Old Business 7. New Business 8. Adjournment Section 3: Quorum: A. The quorum at a general meeting shall constitute a minimum of forty percent of the voting membership. B. A quorum for the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of the total directors. C. The presiding officer shall vote only in the case of a tie vote. D. Refer to Quorum for meetings in Article VI Meetings and Quorums. ARTICLE VIII: Not-for-Profit Status Dissolution: Section 1: NOT-FOR-PROFIT STATUS DISSOLUTION: A. Club Name, Inc. is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and or educational purposes under section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code (Currently applying for 501(c) 3. B. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this document, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on )a) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code. Page 11 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE VIII: Not-for-Profit Status Dissolution continued: Section 1: NOT-FOR-PROFIT STATUS DISSOLUTION continued: C. Upon dissolution of the organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to the state or local government, for a public purpose. ARTICLE IX: ETHICS: Section 1: Ethics Committee: A. The Ethics Committee shall be a standing committee of the PROGRAM. B. The Ethics Committee shall have the responsibility to recommend, implement, and enforce Ethical Standards for Club Name ("Ethical Standards") as adopted by the Board of Directors and as may be amended from time to time. C. The ethical standards adopted by Club Name will not conflict with the standards established by the US Olympic Committee, US Speedskating, and represented by the Program. Section 2: Adoption of Procedures: A. As part of its enforcement responsibilities, the Ethics Committee shall adopt procedures, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, for the conduct of investigations, hearings, disciplinary proceedings, and other enforcement action to ensure compliance with the Ethical Standards. B. The Ethics Committee and/or any panel formed by the Ethics Committee shall make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the imposition of sanctions or termination or suspension upon PROGRAM members for a period of time upon a finding that a member has violated the Ethical Standards. C. Such sanctions shall be at the sound discretion of the Ethics Committee or panel and may include, but not be limited to, suspension or termination of PROGRAM membership. Section 3: Bound To Ethical Standards: A. By applying for and accepting PROGRAM membership in any category, each member of PROGRAM agrees to be bound by the Ethical Standards as amended from time to time and fully cooperate in any inquiry or proceeding by or before the Ethics Committee. B. Each member shall be bound by any final determination of the Ethics Committee. Page 12 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE X: INDEMNIFICATION of Members, Directors, and Officers Section 1: A. The members, Directors, and officers of the PROGRAM shall be indemnified by the PROGRAM to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by law in connection with any actual or threatened civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding (whether brought by or in the name of the PROGRAM or otherwise) arising out of their position in or service to the PROGRAM or any other organization at the Program’s request. B. Persons who are not members, Directors, or officers of the PROGRAM may be similarly indemnified in respect of such service to the extent authorized at the members, Directors, officer, or other person against any liability, cost or expense incurred in connection with any such action, suit, or proceeding. C. The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to actions, suits, or proceedings commenced after the adoption hereof, whether arising from acts or omissions occurring before or after the adoption thereof. D. The indemnification herein provided for shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those indemnified may be entitled under any by-laws agreement, or otherwise. E. The PROGRAM may by a quorum of disinterested members of the Board of Directors or by independent legal counsel indemnify in whole or in part its officers, directors, employees and agents against expenses, including attorney’s fees, judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him/her in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he/she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interest of the corporation. F. With respect to any criminal action or proceeding, an officer, director, employee, or agent may be indemnified if he/she had no reasonable cause to believe his/her conduct was unlawful. G. There shall be no indemnification made in respect to any claim, issue, or matter as to a person who has been found liable to the corporation. Page 13 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS: Section 1: Amendments proposals: Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by the Board of Directors, committees, or by written petition signed by any voting member. Section 2: Board Review of Amendments proposal: All proposed amendments should be received, considered, and put in proper parliamentary form and approved by the Board of Directors before being submitted to the membership for approval at the annual membership meeting. Section 3: Proposed amendments to voting membership notification: Proposed amendments shall be submitted to the voting membership by closed ballot at least thirty (30) days in advance of the deadline for receiving ballots. Section 4: Approval majority vote: A two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Members voting shall be required to adopt any proposed Bylaw amendment. Section 5: No amendments to interfere with Section 501 (c) 3: No amendment shall be made to the Bylaws, which would interfere with or terminate the PROGRAM status as a charitable organization pursuant to Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). Section 6: Notification of State and Federal Governmental Agencies: The Treasurer shall file/notify the Indiana Revenue, Internal Revenue Services, and/or the Secretary of State any amendments that affect the Articles of Incorporation. ARTICLE XII: Contracts, Checks, Deposits and Funds: Section 1: Contracts: The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents of the PROGRAM, in addition to the President and Treasurer so authorized by Article III, Section 10 of these By-Laws, to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of or on behalf of the PROGRAM, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Page 14 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE XII: Contracts, Checks, Deposits and Funds continued: Section 2: Checks, Drafts, etc.: A. The Treasurer or the President shall sign all checks, drafts or other orders for payment of money, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the PROGRAM. B. These two signatures shall be registered at the bank of agreement with the Board of Directors. C. All bills shall be presented in writing. Any bills over $2500 shall require a Membership approval. Section 3: Limitation of Spending: A. The Board of Directors may spend no more than $2499.99 without the consent of a majority of members present at a regular meeting. B. Exception is for the expenditures necessary for the purchase of ice time, the PROGRAM Invitational, and the annual banquet meeting. C. These are not expected to exceed the proceeds taken in at the day of the PROGRAM Invitational. Section 4: Deposits: All funds of the PROGRAM shall be deposited in a timely manner to the credit of the PROGRAM in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors may select. Section 5: Savings Account: Any savings account maintained by the PROGRAM shall require the signatures of either the President or the Treasurer for any withdrawal. Section 6: Gifts: The Board of Directors may accept, on behalf of the PROGRAM, any contribution, gift, bequest, or devise for the general purpose or for any specific purpose of the PROGRAM. Page 15 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE XIII: Books and Records: Section 1: The PROGRAM shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall also keep minutes of the proceedings of its members, Board of Directors, and committees having any of the authority of the Board of Directors. Section 2: A. Officers and Committee chairpersons are responsible to transfer the records and notes kept during their term of office and previous years to their replacements. B. These are to be kept in containers supplied by the PROGRAM. ARTICLE XIII: Books and Records continued: Section 3: Any member, or his agent or attorney may inspect all books and records of the PROGRAM, for any proper purpose at any reasonable time. Section 4: A simple audit shall be performed quarterly by the Vice President or appointed representative to verify that the accounting system is orderly and balanced. Section 5: A full audit shall be conducted every two (2) years or upon a change in Treasurer or can be requested by a minimum of 3 members at any time when deemed feasible. Section 6: The Board shall approve the accounting system used by the treasurer. Section 7: The fiscal year of the PROGRAM shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December in each year. Page 16 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE XIV: Compensation of officers: Section 1: Compensation: A. In the event Club Name, Inc. should find need to compensate members of the coaching staff or any member of the administration in order to retain or attract their talent to the Program, the board or a committee of the board will follow steps to approve in advance the compensation. B. The board or a committee of the board awarding the compensation will consult and rely upon data as to comparable salaries. C. Club Name, Inc. shall conduct market research basing suggested salaries on levels of experience and certification where applicable. D. The board will adequately document the basis for its compensation award. E. Documentation supporting the compensation’s reasonableness will be available upon request. F. In the event of a conflict of interest on the part of a Board or Committee member, they shall recuse themselves from the process in order to guarantee objective decision making in the matter of compensation. Page 17 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws ARTICLE XV: Approved Release and Waiver: The Undersigned hereby: ACKNOLWEDGE AND FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT EACH PARTICIPANT IS VOLUNTARILY ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES THAT INVOLVE RISK OR INJURY (EVEN CATASTRIOPHIC INJURY OR DEATH) which might result not only from their own actions, inactions or negligence, but the actions, inactions or negligence of others, the rules, the conditions of the premises or any of the equipment used, and that further, there may be a risk not known to the organizers or not reasonably foreseeable at this time. These risks may include, but are not limited to the following: Collisions with the wall of the rink, either covered or not covered by mats, mats that may move, collisions with other skaters or riders, cuts from my own skate’s blades or skates of others, tripping over track markers, falling on debris on the ice, inadequate safety equipment, road hazards, dogs, motor vehicles, flat tires, the released parties own negligence. Acknowledge that Skating (both ice and in-line) is inherently dangerous sports and fully realize the dangers of participation in skating and or activities and FULLY ASSUME ALL THE RISKS AS A CONDITION OF PARTICIPATION AND ACCEPT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAMAGES FOLLOWING AND SUCH INJURY. INTENDING TO BE LEGALLY BOUND, THEREBY DOES HEREBY RELEASE, WAIVE, UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE,HOLD HARMLESS AND PROMISE NOT TO SUE The sponsors, the coaches, Indiana State and location parks and recreation departments, cities, counties, U.S. Speed Skating, organizers, administrators, officers, directors, agents and other employees or volunteers of the organization for any and all liability to each the undersigned , his or her heirs and next of kin for any claims, demands, losses for damages on account of injury, including death or damage to property, caused or alleged to be caused in whole or in part by the negligence to the released or otherwise in connection with association or entry in and / or arising in participation in any or all official or unofficial activities, events or competitions dealing with Club Name, inc. . Agree to the sole responsibility to be familiar with the facilities for training and competition, rules and any special regulations for any events I am attending. I understand and agree that situations may arise during the activity, which may be beyond the immediate control of officials, coaches or organizers, and I must continually skate so as to neither endanger others nor myself. I accept responsibility for the condition and adequacy of my equipment and or equipment loaned to me by Club Name, Inc. I will participate wearing appropriate safety gear which satisfies the requirements of U.S Speedskating racing rules and that can protect against serious injury, and assume all responsibility and liability for the selection of such a helmet. I have no physical or medical condition which to my knowledge, would endanger myself or others if I participate in the activities provided by Club Name, inc. , or would interfere with my ability to participate. I hereby consent to accept responsibility for final decisions regarding continued participation if suffering from injuries. THE UNDERSIGNED HAS READ AND UNDERSTANDS THIS DOCUMENT AND UNDERSTANDS THAT HE/SHE HAS GIVEN UP SUBTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING, AND SIGNS IT VOLUNTARILY. Date: Signature Witness Initials Page 18 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws Attachment 1: List of Members, Officers and Current Equipment: Section 1: List of Members: Following are Skaters, coaches, board members and supporters who currently have expressed interest in joining the Program, some have current USS Memberships while others do not. 1. Section 2: Board of Directors: A. Temporary until first Elections can be held in Fall of 2010. B. Officers Board Members: 1. - President 2. – Vice President 3. – Secretary 4. – Treasurer 5. C. Coaching Volunteers: 1. - Head Coach 2. - Assistant Coach Section 3: Equipment: • Sixteen (16) Regulation Mats for Critical Areas • Fourteen (14) Older Mats 6” Thick in Less Critical Areas • Fourteen (14) Markers • Sixteen (16) Plunger Ends • Eight (8) Buckets The Rink provides other items and equipment such as squeegees’. Page 19 of 20 Sample Direct Club Constitution and By Laws Attachment II – Board Approval of the Constitution and Bylaws. This constitution and by-laws are hereby ratified by the following board Members and is a quorum for initial establishment of the club. This document will be re-ratified by the elected board in September 2010. As a club organized of US Speedskating we attest that the board and members will uphold the Bylaws, enforce the rules and regulations of US Speedskating, its officers and Board of Directors. Those not complying with this section and unwilling to correct their behavior will be asked to resign the club or be removed from the club per articles of the constitution and by laws. Page 20 of 20 US SPEEDSKATING INSURANCE COVERAGE INFORMATION BENEFIT OF MEMBERSHIP A part of your Individual Membership Registration Fee is for insurance coverage. For this coverage to be in effect, the following criteria must be met: 1. Each Participant must be registered member of the US Speedskating. 2. The event must be a “sanctioned” U.S. Speedskating event. 3. US Speedskating rules and regulations must be followed. DEFINITION OF PARTICIPANT A participant will include skaters, coaches, managers, staff members, team workers, referees, officials, scorekeepers, and all other personnel including, but not limited to media personnel permitted to enter any restricted areas which are defined as those areas prohibiting access to general public spectators. Also includes all member clubs and associations. US SPEEDSKATING LIABILTY COVERAGE US Speedskating liability coverage provides broad legal liability protection for all participants against lawsuits arising out of an accidental bodily injury resulting in a liability claim brought against them while within the scope of their responsibilities on behalf of US Speedskating. The total liability is written with limits of $1,000,000 per Each Occurrence and $5,000,000 General Aggregate per policy year. The major coverage’s afforded by these policies are: 1. All activities necessary or incidental to the conduct of schedule competitions, practices, exhibitions, post season activities, including fund raising, meeting and award banquets (all U.S. Speedskating activities). 2. Spectator Liability. 3. Personal Injury Liability- Legal liability for libel, slander or defamation of character, wrongful eviction, invasion of privacy. 4. Participant Legal Liability. 5. Host Liquor Liability- Protects against claim arising from serving alcoholic beverages at business functions. Excludes sales of liquor. 6. Fire Legal Liability-$100,000. 7. Sexual Abuse/Molestation Liability 8. Drug Testing Liability 9. Participant vs. Participant Liability 10. Medical Payments 11. No Deductible 12. Worldwide Coverage. ACCIDENT MEDICAL COVERAGE This is full excess medical expense for all participants with a 52 week Benefit Period. The amount of coverage is $100,000 maximum benefit/person with a $500 deductible. Coverage also includes $5,000 for Accidental Death and $10,000 for Accidental Death and Dismemberment. Dental, Chiropractic, and Physical Therapy are also included. Accidental Medical Coverage’s include regularly schedules games and competitions, practice sessions, traveling to/from games, competitions, and practice traveling with team &/or club and traveling to/from home and site of activities. This insurance recap is for illustrative purposes only and is not a contract for insurance. You must refer to the actual policy language for complete information on policy, coverage, limits, and exclusions. For further information, please contact Marty Wolfinsohn, JAS Insurance Co., 847-755-1010. SAMPLE WAIVER & RELEASE Your logo here Meet Name Here Location Here Dates Here NOTE: THIS FORM MUST BE READ AND SIGNED BEFORE THE PARTICIPANT IS PERMITTED TO TAKE PART IN THE “Competition Name” ON “Date” IN “Location”. BY SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT, THE PARTICIPANT AFFIRMS HAVING READ IT. IN CONSIDERATION of my involvement in the sport and activities under the auspices of U.S. Speedskating and/or the “State Association” and/or “Skating Club Name”, I acknowledge, appreciate, and agree that: 1. 2. 3. 4. I RISK BODILY INJURY, INCLUDING PARALYSIS, DISMEMEBERMENT, DISABILITY AND DEATH AND while particular rules of my sport, equipment, and persona training and discipline may reduce this risk THIS RISK OF INJURY DOES EXIST, AS WELL AS THE RISK OF DAMAGE TO OR LOSS OF PROPERTY; I KNOWINGLY AND FREELY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS; both known and unknown, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES OR OTHERS; I willingly agree to comply with the stated and customary terms and conditions for participation. If, however, I observe any unusual or unnecessary hazard during my presence or participation, I will bring such to the attention of the nearest official; and, I, FOR MYSELF, AND ON BEHALF OF MY HEIRS, ASSIGNS, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES, and NEXT OF KIN, HEREBY RELEASE, HOLD HARMLESS, and PROMISE NOT TO SUE US SPEEDSKATING, “State Association “, “ Skating Club Name”, “Name of Rink”, city of “Name”, THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, THE UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, THE INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION OR OTHER SPONSORING ORGANZIATIONS, THEIR OFFICALS, VOLUNTEERS, STAFF, SPONSORSORS AND/OR AGENTS (“RELEASEES”) WITH RESPECT TO ANY AND ALL INJURY AND LOSS ARISING FROM MY PARTICIPATION, WHETHER CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE, EXCEPT THAT WHICH IS THE RESULT OF GROSS NEGLIENCE OR WANTON MISCONDUCT. I have read this Release of Liability and Waiver Agreement, fully understand its terms and sign it freely and voluntarily. Participant’s Signature: ________________________________________________ Participant’s Name (Printed): __________________________ Date: _____________ FOR PARTICIPANTS OF MINORITY AGE (Under Age 18 at the Time of Registration) This is to certify that I/wee as parent(s)/guardian(s) with legal responsibility for this participant, do consent and agree not only to his/her release, but also for myself/ourselves, and my/our heirs, assigns and next of kin to release and indemnify the Releasees from any and all Liability incident to my/our minor child’s involvement as stated above. Parent/Legal Guardian Signature: _______________________________Date: _______________ Parent/Legal Guardian Name (Printed): ___________________________________ SAFETY PAD INFORMATION Fitness Serve Products and Services 20630 Center Ridge Road Rocky River, Ohio 44116 Phone: 1-440-333-0630 Fax: 1-440-333-3825 www.fitnessserve.com [email protected] Idaho Sewing for Sports, Inc. 7 Poplar Drive Grangeville, Idaho 83530 Telephone: (208) 983-0988 Fax: (208) 983-1390 Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 7am – 3:30 pm (Pacific Time) www.idsewing.com US SPEEDSKATING APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP Valid July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013 Send Form & Payment To: US Speedskating, P.O. Box 18370, Kearns, UT 84118 Fax: 801-417-5361 or Email: [email protected] PERSONAL INFORMATION FIRST NAME: _____________________________ LAST NAME: ______________________________ MI: ________ ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________________________________________ CITY: ________________________________________________ STATE: _____________ ZIP: __________________ PHONE: _______________________________________ FAX: ____________________________________________ EMAIL ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________________________ DATE OF BIRTH: __________________________________________________ ASSOCIATION: _____________________________________ MALE FEMALE CLUB: _____________________________________ PLEASE SELECT YOUR MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY BELOW 1st Year $30 Adult/Older Child $75 (Age 11 and up as of June 30, 2012) Child (Requires all family applications to be sent at same time, each family member must designate membership category) $55 NEW Competitors MUST submit Copy of (Age 10 and under as of June 30, 2012) $30 with application. (If non-U.S. citizen: Length of Residency ______ (years). If you are a non-U.S. citizen Competing Athlete, you must $15 you permission to skate for the United States $10 Please see the US Speedskating website for more information on non-U.S. Citizen membership eligibility.) Members - Max of 4 board members per club) (Non-competing skaters new to speedskating. This PAYMENT AND FEES Check enclosed, made payable to U.S. Speedskating | Charge my: Visa MasterCard American Express A $20.00 fee will be charged on all returned checks. Card #: ____________________________________ Name as it appears on card: _______________________________ Exp. date: ____________ Security Code: _________ Signature: ___________________________________________ Yes, I am interested in making a tax deductible donation to US Speedskating in the amount of ASU Scholarship Fund Hall of Fame General $ _________ To be used for: __________ __________ TOTAL: _______ APPLICANT SIGNATURE Please note This form must be signed by the applicant. __________________________________ Date: _________ ________________________________ Date: _________ US SPEEDSKATING APPLICATION FOR One-Day One-Dollar Speedskating Membership * Not valid for racing and competitions ASSOCIATION OR DIRECT CLUB___________________________ SKATER’S NAME ________________________________________ ADDRESS ______________________________________________ Send Form & Payment of $1.00 To: US Speedskating P.O. Box 18370 Kearns, UT 84118 Phone: 801-417-5360 Fax: 801-417-5361 Em CITY ______________________ STATE ______ ZIP ____________ PHONE (_____)________________ FAX (_____)________________ EMAIL ADDRESS ________________________________________ Please note: In all cases, this form must be signed by the applicant. Applicant’s Signature Date ____________________________________________________ Signature of Parent or Guardian (if under 18) US SPEEDSKATING APPLICATION FOR One-Day One-Dollar Speedskating Membership *Not valid for racing and competitions ASSOCIATION OR DIRECT CLUB___________________________ SKATER’S NAME ________________________________________ ADDRESS ______________________________________________ Send Form & Payment of $1.00 To: US Speedskating P.O. Box 18370 Kearns, UT 84118 Phone: 801-417-5360 Fax: 801-417-5361 Em CITY ______________________ STATE ______ ZIP ____________ PHONE (_____)________________ FAX (_____)________________ EMAIL ADDRESS ________________________________________ Please note: In all cases, this form must be signed by the applicant. Applicant’s Signature ____________________________________________________ Signature of Parent or Guardian (if under 18) Date “One-Day-One-Dollar.” The One-Time One-Day Membership is designed to encourage new skaters to participate in speedskating. An individual shall be eligible for a One-Time One-Day Membership in US Speedskating if he/she has never been a member of US Speedskating, has never tried speedskating and has never participated in speedskating events. The One-Time One-Day Membership can be purchased up to five (5) times with the skater filling out the proper form. US Speedskating is relying on the Association/Club to manage this program. The process is as follows: 1) The skater completes the One-Time One Day Membership Form and submits form to Association/Club Officials. 2) The amount charged to the skater will be at the discretion of the Association/Club. The Association/Club may offer the One-Time OneDay Membership at no fee to the skater as well. 3) Association/Club Officials will submit the forms and $1.00 fee for each skater to US Speedskating at the end of each month. Not valid for racing or competitions. How to Penny a Short Track General Information: A short track is set up on a hockey rink. The track is 111.12 meters long and should be centered in the middle of the rink. If your club does not have the money to pay for a surveyor ($1,500 - $2,000) to come in and set up the track, the following are instructions on how to "penny" a track. Tools that you need: Diagram of the ISU/USS 111.12 meter track, 100 pennies, 5-6 nails, screw driver, long cloth tape measure, drill with 3/4 inch drill bit and 5 colors of paint. If you are holding a meet, you will also need a circular saw to make various starting lines. It is best to penny a track with 4 people. One person holds the "zero" of the tape measure (person 1). One person holds the other end of the tape measure (person 2) to keep the tape from getting tangled. One person reads instructions (person 3) and has the 111.12 meter track diagram. The 4th person marks the arc scratches in the ice and places the pennies on the track (Person 4). This process takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Five words of wisdom: • • • • • You need to complete one corner on one side of the rink, before you do the other corner. Do not start drilling holes until the whole corner has all of the pennies down. In case a mistake is made, you have a chance to change the penny. Penny a track on used ice. It is very difficult to walk on freshly resurfaced ice. Pennies should be used, as apposed to dimes and nickels, because they are much easier to see on the ice. In addition, the medal actually "melts" into the ice, so they do not move on the ice. If you use some other type of material, your markers will keep moving and sliding around. It is best to keep the tape measure flat on the ice with no twists. This will give you a more accurate reading. Center the Track: 1. The first step is to find the middle of the rink. Take a tape measure and measure from board to board on the center red line. Take the width distance for the rink and divide by two. This is the center of the rink. Take a penny and place it on that spot (Penny A). It is easiest if you use the front side of the red line in which you will start most of the races. Person 1 now goes to Penny A. Measure 8m/26' 3" along the front of the red hockey center line and place a penny (Penny Z) Do this for the other side of the track (Penny Y) Pennies Y and Z mark the inside of the track for the starting area. Now move down about 20-30 meters to the left and to the right and measure from board to board. Divide the distance by two and place a penny at the two spots (Pennies B & C). Since boards are not perfectly straight, don't be surprised if the distance is 1/2" to 1" off. You now have 3 pennies that are in a straight line (Penny A, B and C) down the whole rink. 2. Person 1 goes back to Penny A in the center of the rink. Person 2 goes to the "apex"/center of the corner, past Penny B. You line up the tape from Penny A to Penny B. This creates a straight line to the apex block so that your track is squared to the boards. At 14.425m/47' 3 7/8", person 4 places a penny (Penny D) at that distance, directly under the tape measure. Remove Penny B, as this was only used to make the straight line. Penny D is used as the focal point to mark each of the block placement areas. If you are making 3 tracks, place a penny 1 meter on each side of Penny D. If you are making 5 tracks, place a penny at 1 meter and 2 meters on each side of Penny D. These 3 or 5 pennies are now the focal points for the 3 or 5 tracks that you will lay out. These Penny D measurements are critical to the accuracy of the tracks. To set the Apex dot:. To set the Apex dots, person 1 is still at Penny A, person 2 lines up the tape measure over Penny D and backs up. At 22.425m/73 6 7/8", person 4 places a penny under the tape measure (Apex Penny E). This is the apex dot for the middle track. Now place a penny 1 meter on each side of Apex Penny E to make 3 tracks. Place another penny 2 meters on each side of Apex Penny E if you have 5 tracks. To set blocks 1 and 7 dots: Words of Wisdom: In order to make the track accurate, you need to find the block location by always comparing the 8m/26' 3" distance from two different points. This is done by making an arc scratch in the ice with a screw driver. The intersection of these two arc scratches indicates the location where the dot needs to be drilled. 3. The next block that is marked is the first block into the corner. Person 1 goes to the center Penny D. Person 4 takes the screw driver and wraps the tape measure around it at exactly 8m/26' 3". Person 4 then makes an arc scratch in the ice where he estimates the block should be. The arc should be about 2 - 3 feet long. Place a nail on top of the scratch,. with a million ice blade scratches in the ice this will help you keep track of the scratch you are working with. 4. Now person 1 goes to Penny Z. Person 4 makes an arc scratch that is 14.425m/47' 3 7/8" from Penny Z. This arc scratch should intersect with the first scratch. Place a penny at the intersection (Penny F) and pick up the nail. 5. With person 1 still at Penny Z, person 4 needs to make 2 or 4 additional arc scratches on the ice, depending if you are setting up 3 or 5 tracks. These will be 2 meters shorter, 1 meter shorter, 1 meter longer and 2 meters longer than the original Penny F. Place a nail at each one of these scratch marks. 6. Person 1 now goes back to the 5 Penny D's. Person 4 now makes an arch that is 8m/26' 3" from each of the other 4 Penny D's. [Clarification: Person 1 needs to move to each of the Penny D's depending on what track is being laid. So the 4th track will need to be measured from the 4th Penny D.] These arcs should intersect with the arcs made from Penny Z. Pick up the nails and place a penny at each of the intersections. You now have 5 pennies marking the first block for all the tracks. Remember that Person 1 needs to move to each of the Penny D's to record an accurate track. 7. This is repeated to get block # 7. Instead of using Penny Z, you need to use Penny Y which is on the other side of the track. To set block 2, 3, 5, and 6: 8. To set the 2nd and 6th blocks, you need to base the scratch arcs from the 5 Penny D's and the 5 Apex Penny E's. Person 1 goes to the center Penny D. Person 4 makes an arc scratch in the ice that is 8m/26' 3" from the center Penny D, where he estimates the block should be. Place a nail on top of the scratch. Person 1 then goes to the center Apex Penny E. Person 4 makes an arc scratch that is 8m/26' 3" from the center Apex Penny E. Place a penny at the intersection of these arcs. You repeat this for all 5 dots for the 2nd and 6th block. 9. To set the 3rd and 5th blocks, follow step 8, except you need to base the arcs from the 5 Penny D's and the 5 Pennies at the 1st and 7th block. Again the arc scratch is made 8m/26' 3" from both starting locations. The penny is placed at the intersection of these arcs. After you have all the pennies in place on your 3 or 5 tracks for 7 blocks, step back and take a look to make sure everything "looks" right. When you have half of the track done, you can now have someone drill 3/4 inch holes where the pennies are. You will then need to color each track a different color. Remember that the colors follow the same track, so the outside of one side, is the inside of the other side. The other half of the rink: Follow the instructions above for the other half of the rink. You first make the straight line to the Apex block, set blocks 1 and 7, and then set blocks 2, 3, 5 and 6. Finish Line: The finish line needs to extend 1.5m/4' 11" inside of the track. The inside of the track is marked as Penny Z or Penny Y, depending on which side you use as the finish side. The finish line never changes. Start line: When laying out the starting lines for alternate tracks, the starting line on the back stretch must move twice (2X) the distance of and in the direction of the track move. In other words, if you set your tracks 1 meter apart, then the starting line needs to be 2 meters apart. The reason for this is because the skaters will be skating 1 meter shorter or longer heading toward the apex block, and then skate another 1 meter shorter or longer returning. If your dots from left to right are black, blue, red, green and orange. do the following: Center track of red: Should be the beginning of the red hockey center ice. 2nd track of blue: Need to move 2 meters from the original red line, to the left, and make the starting line. 1st track of black: Need to move 4 meters from the original red line, to the left, and make the starting line. 4th track of green: Need to move 2 meters from the original red line, to the right, and make the starting line. 5th track of orange. Need to move 4 meters from the original red line, to the right, and make the starting line. To make the starting line, it is best to get a 2 x 4 long piece of lumber. Have individuals stand on the wood, while someone runs a circular saw down the edge. You then fill the starting lines with the same colors as the block colors in which the starting line is for. Necessary Equipment for Clubs - Pads: See rules for pad placement. - Blocks: 14 blocks on the track plus 4 extra. - Starting Gun & Shells: 22 caliber and 22 caliber caps. - Water Buckets: 3-4 large plastic buckets with handles. - Squigges: 2 large - First-aid Kit: Equipped with laceration products. Optional but suggested: - Club skates to loan Skate Sharpening boxes to loan Helmets to sell Neck guards to sell Knee pads to sell Pad Carts - to hold and move the pads Lap Counter Accounting Tips for USS Speedskating Clubs There are many ways to keep track of income/expenses for your club. Here are some tips to make your accounting the most effective: • Set up a checking account as soon as possible. All deposits and checks written should go through this account. Balance the check book with your accounting system every month. • Appoint a treasurer as soon as possible. • Apply for the IRS charitable status of 501(c)3 (required by US Speedskating). You will find it easier to solicit for donations if you have charitable status. (See the IRS Form 1023 Instructions.) • Use an accounting software program to track expenses and income, and create reports. Software like Microsoft Money is easy to use and relatively inexpensive. • Set up detailed financial categories and explain in detail what expense or income was related to. Examples: Income: Donations Fundraisers Donations Meet - Entry Fees Membership Fees Skate Rental Merchandise Sales Skater Ice Fees Interest Income Expenses: Association Dues Awards Banquet Expenses Coaching Expenses/Salary Ice fees Insurance Meet Expenses Office Supplies/Postage Sharpening/Skate Equipment Uniforms Tax Filing Fees Board Meeting Expenses Marketing Bank Fees Stop Watches • Have your tax year-end after the season is over and before the next season begins. Most clubs start the fiscal year on June 1 and end the fiscal year on May 31. Mid-season is not the time to worry about preparing financial statements and filing tax forms. • Stay on top of record keeping, bill paying and deposits. This will keep the reason for the expenses fresh in your mind and the money in the bank. • Buy an accordion file folder, separated by month. This will help organize the receipts prior to filing them away in your year packet. • Keep all receipts and write the date paid, name of the signer and check number on the receipt, as well as the reason for the expense. • Keep an excel spreadsheet for the details of each skaters ice fees and skate rental payments. • Provide financial reports for club meetings so members are aware of the cash flow for that time period. Include the reason for the expenses. Proper internal financial controls and a balance of power is very important. • Keep a separate folder with copies of annual reports that have been filed with the state and/or IRS. It will be easier the next year when you receive the form in the mail on how to fill it out. Keep current on your filings, as you could loose your charitable status if they are not kept up to date. Rink Managers’ Guide to Speedskating Clubs Benefits to having a Speedskating Club in Your Rink: • Increase sport diversity. • Develop more users from your public skating sessions. Serious skaters who have focused on a speedskating discipline will be less price-sensitive, more faithful and less likely to curtail their activity during a recession. • Speedskating is the oldest ice sport. You can not offer the full spectrum of skating excitement unless you include a speedskating program. Your community relations message of offering something for everyone will increase participation or enhance support among local voters. • If you have a skate pro-shop, a speedskating club provides you with a product line expansion into a very profitable segment of high-end and introductory-level skating equipment. With five or six stock items you can position yourself as a good local source for gear and make more money on special orders. • Speedskating is a family-friendly activity with parents and children on the ice at the same time. Participants can skate at greatly different levels of ability, yet safely interact and stay close to each other. Parents and children are able to pursue individual fitness or development goals in the same space at the same time. • Outdoor in-line speedskating is a very popular sport. These skaters need a way to continue training during the winter and indoor ice speedskating is an excellent way to draw in-liners into ice skating. • Speed skaters tend to damage the ice far less than other ice sports. The Zamboni restores the ice surface very easily after a speedskating session. • Speedskating meets will bring moderately large crowds into your facility. A typical meet will have 50 to 75 competitors and an additional 50 to 75 parents and spectators. These people will buy food and equipment and may be attracted to public skating sessions. What is needed to attract and start a speedskating club: • At least one hour per week of available ice time during prime-time hours. Speedskating clubs require ice time starting between 5 and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. As the club grows it may request up to three additional hours of ice time per week, some of which may be during non-prime times or after school hours. • Space for 30 to 50 safety pads. Each of these rink pads is a bit larger than a single mattress. Pads are frequently stored on wheeled carts and are placed in front of the boards by club members before each ice session. Hauling these pads long distances is hard work, therefore space beneath the stands or along one wall near the ice surface is preferred. • Club members will need your permission to ‘survey’ a set of tracks. This procedure involves locating and drilling a set of shallow, ¾” diameter holes in the ice surface and filling with crushed, colored ice and water. After one resurfacing, the resulting dots are almost invisible to most skaters, but allow club members to quickly set up the blocks that define the track for practices and meets. These dots are far too small to be confused for pucks during hockey games and are quickly obscured once the surface has been skated on. o Surveying is a simple procedure and will take two to three hours during any downtime at the beginning of each season. Contact US Speedskating to obtain instructions. There are seven blocks in each of the two turns. Multiple tracks are used to spread out the wear of the ice. Typically 3 - 5 tracks are set up resulting in 42 - 70 colored dots in the ice surface. • Space for a club bulletin board or showcase will allow the club to recruit members and enhance your community outreach. A visible presence at your rink is essential for growth and success of a speedskating club. • Most clubs invest in a small supply of speed skates. A small, securely-locked storage space is necessary at the rink. Additional stored items might include five-gallon buckets for ice maintenance, long-handled water squeegees, blocks, extra helmets, and miscellaneous training equipment. • Eventually, your club will want to host a meet. A typical meet is a one-day event from about 8 a.m. to about 5 p.m. on a Saturday or Sunday during the speedskating season (September through April). • US Speedskating provides a large amount of materials, information and support to help your rink and your speedskating club organizers. Promotional brochures and posters are available upon request. • Visit our web site at: www.usspeedskating.org Top 10 Ways to Recruit Speedskaters 1. Offer Free Skating for a Month! It is well worth the investment if the skater falls in love with speedskating and joins the club. 2. Get permission from school administrators to pass out information at back-to-school or PTA nights. Get names and contact information of parents; perhaps sign up children for a learn to skate class right then. Have kids bring their skates to the event and also to show and tell. Offer to lead a P.E. class or assembly. 3. Organize a learn to skate program when kids are out of schoolat the holidays, summer break or even one to two week breaks. Integrate racing programs into rinks that have US Figure Skating Basic Skills Program and also into public skate sessions. 4. Hold a “bring a friend”session. Distribute information about the club and speed skating. A “family” night where skaters bring extended family members could follow the same pattern. 5. Hang posters, put out brochures and play a looped DVD on the TV at the Rinkor at a kiosk that the club makes to put in the lobby. This will attract hockey plays, figure skaters and other youth that hang around the rink. 6. Get permission from the rink and assign club members to set up a table to distribute flyers during public skate, learn to skate programs or other rink events. Do demonstrations at hockey games. 7. Make a Facebook page for your club. Have the members link to it and the club website from their Facebook pages. 8. Every member of the club should have flyers about the clubin their car, backpack, school locker, and workplace. 9. Invite large groups such as Girl Scout or Boy Scout troops to attend a session. Advertise at track meets and cycling events. 10. Purchase as many used skates as possible. Inline sites, Ebay and Craig’s List are good places to find used skates. Set up a speed skate loan program through US Speedskating Ways to Retain Speedskaters 1. Keep parents involved with regular meetings, socials, and making assignments 2. Conduct fun activity days regularly and play games at the end of the ice sessions 3. Do a badge program rewarding for improvement by the young skaters 4. Ask parents to take turns bringing healthy treats after each session 5. Have your youth coach keep a detailed list of what skaters worked on by session with notes and give a progress report on a monthly basis. 6. Send press releases and feature articles to local papers and TV/Cable stations with results and pictures/video of club skaters placement at local/state/regional/national meets 7. Keep fees as low as possible by negotiating remnant ice or drop-in ice and offer Family Pricing…two family members pay and the rest of the family skates for free 8. Remember…when skaters improve, they will want to keep skating! “FUN”draisers for Speedskaters 1. Connect with your local supermarket to make a % donation off of club collected receipts. Ask family and friends to join in. Bag groceries for a day and ask shoppers for their receipts. It can be on-going or for a set time period. 2. Apply for government and foundation grants. The money can go for anything from new pads and skates to coaching fees and ice time for youth skaters. 3. Have Boston Chicken or Burger King nights. Same concept as above but when diners come in for that day and say they are with the club the location gives a % of the sale to the club. Promote it to all family, friends and even the skaters schools. Pancake Breakfast, Spaghetti Dinner or a Fish Fry during Lent make money as well. 4. Play BINGO! State websites have all the information for 501c3 organizations to take part. You can organize a large casino night or it can be ongoing several times per month. Hundreds of thousands of dollars can be raised each year through BINGO. 5. Have a 3K Fun Run or In-Line Skate for the whole family. Charge a nominal fee of $20 per walker/runner with discounts for the whole family. Promote it through running blogs/websites and by volunteering at other local charity runs. You can even combine efforts with another cause and split the proceeds. 6. Work concessions or the parking lot at local or professional sports, concert, or state/county fair events with a portion of the proceeds going to the club. 7. Have seasonal sales with flowers in the spring, mums in the fall and wreaths and poinsettias at Christmas. 8. Have a Car Wash or Garage Sale. Elements of a Grant Proposal A proposal must convince the prospective donor of two things: 1. That a problem need of significant magnitude exists, and 2. That the applicant agency has the means and the imagination to solve the problem or meet the need. When no specific format or guidance is given by the funding source, it is safe to generally assume that the proposal should be no more than 15 pages in length (singlespaced) and should include the following sections: • • • • • • • • Qualifications of the Organization Problem Statement or Needs Assessment Program Goals and Objectives Methodology Evaluation Future Funding Budget Appendices Letter of Inquiry/Intent Some foundations/corporations prefer a letter of inquiry to determine whether the applicant falls within the foundation’s guidelines. In this case, an inquiry letter used instead of a cover letter and proposal. It is very succinct, and attachments are not included. If the funder determines the organization and project fit within it’s scope, the organization will be directed to submit a complete proposal. If not, a decline letter is usually issued at that time. A letter of inquiry should meet the following criteria: • • • • • • • Includes funder’s name, title, and address Is directed at the individual responsible for the funding program Provides a brief overview of the organization and its purpose Includes the reason for the funding request Includes the amount requested (if required by funder) Describes the need the project intends to meet (including target population, statistics, example) Provides a brief description of the project • • • • • Lists other prospective funder’s for the project Includes thank you and next step to be taken Does not exceed two pages (one page is recommended) Includes name and Phone number of contact at the organization Is signed by the person who can speak with authority on behalf of the organization Cover Letter Full Proposal The cover letter serves as the organization’s introduction and should always accompany a proposal. A cover letter should meet the following criteria: • • • • • • • • • Includes funder’s name, title, and address Is directed at the individual responsible for the funding program (is not addressed “To Whom It May Concern”, Dear Sirs” etc.) Provides a brief overview of the organization and its purpose Includes the reason for the funding request Includes the amount requested (if required by funder) Does not exceed two pages (one page is recommended) Includes name and phone number of contact at the organization Is signed by the person who can speak with authority on behalf of the organization Summary (1/2 page) This section clearly and concisely summarizes the request. It should provide the reader with a framework that will help him/her visualize the project. The remainder of the proposal will then serve to deepen and amplify the “vision” presented in the summary section at the beginning. A summary should meet the following criteria: • • • • • • • • • • Appears at the beginning of the proposal Identifies the grant applicant Includes at least one sentence on credibility Includes at least one sentence on problem Includes at least one sentence on objectives Includes at least one sentence on methods Includes total cost, funds already obtained and amount requested in this proposal Is brief (limited to several paragraphs, half a page at most) Is clear Is interesting Qualifications of the Organization (1-2 pages) This section describes the applicant agency and its qualifications for funding and establishes its credibility. The programs and accomplishments of the organization will be examined in light of how they address current demographics, social issues, specific constituencies, etc. In addition to convincing the funder of the extent of the need for the proposed project, the agency must also demonstrate that theirs is the appropriate agency to conduct the project. In this section, the organization should demonstrate that it has the means and the imagination to solve the particular problem or meet the need. A proposal will often sink or swim based on the need for the project and the project methodology, not on the accomplishments of the overall organization. Therefore, an agency should not make the mistake of devoting half of its proposal to the history or programs of the agency. The proposal should address the projects and programs the organization intends to undertake over the next twelve to fifteen months. If growth is project in the program, anticipated goals should be stated, as should any new projects to be undertaken. If a detailed program description or annual report exists, it should be included as the fist item in the proposal appendices. The qualifications of the organization section should meet the following criteria: • Clearly establishes who is applying for funds • Briefly addresses the rationale for the founding of the organization • Describes applicant agency’s purposes and long-range goals • Describes applicant’s current programs and activities • Describes applicant’s clients or constituents • Provides evidence of the applicant’s accomplishments • Offers statistical support of accomplishment • Supports qualifications in area of activity in which funds are sought (e.g. research, training) • Describes qualifications of key staff member • Provides other evidence of administrative competence • Leads logically to the problem statement • Is as brief as possible • Is interesting Problem Statement or Needs Assessment (3-4 pages) When seeking funds a specific problem area or need should be addressed. This is a critically important section of the proposal. Information based on objective research, not subjective impressions, should be provided to justify the need or problem. This data, however, should not be voluminous, but sufficient to demonstrate that a problem or need exists. A problem statement or needs assessment should meet6 the following criteria: • • • • • • Describes the target population to be served Defines the community problem to be addressed and the need in the geographical area where the organization operates Is related to the purposes and goals of the applicant agency Is of reasonable dimensions – not trying to solve all the problems of the world Is supported by relevant statistical evidence Is supported by statements from authorities Is stated in terms of clients’ needs and problems – not the applicant’s • • • • • • • Is developed with input from clients and beneficiaries Is not the “lack of a program”, unless the program always works? Makes no unsupported assumptions Is as brief as possible Is interesting to read Is free of jargon Makes a compelling case Program Goals and Objectives (1-2 pages) This section of the proposal describes the outcomes of the grant in measurable terms. It is a succinct description of what the organization hopes to accomplish. Program goals and objectives should meet the following criteria: • • • • • • At least one objective for each problem or need committed to in the problem statement. Objectives are outcomes Objectives are not methods Describes the population that will benefit from the program States the time by which objectives will be accomplished Objectives are measurable and quantifiable (if at all possible) TYPES OF OBJECTIVES There are at least four types of objectives: • • • • • Behavioral – A human action is anticipated. Example: Fifty of the seventy children participating will learn to speedskate. Example: The number of speedskating clubs in the U.S. will increase from X toY. Performance – a specific time frame, within which a behavior will occur, at an expected proficiency level, is expected. Example: Fifty of the seventy children will learn to speedskate within six months • • • • • and will pass a basic speedskating proficiency test administered by a U.S. Speedskating-certified coach. Process – The manner in which something occurs is an end in itself. Example: We will document the teaching methods utilized, identifying those with the greatest success. Product – A t5angible item results Example: A manual will be created to be used in teaching speedskating to this age and proficiency group in the future. Methodology (4+ pages) This section describes the activities to be conducted to achieve the desired objectives. It also includes the rationale for choosing a particular approach. Generally, a straightforward, chronological description of the operations of the proposed Project works most effectively. The Methodology section should meet the following criteria: • • • • • • • • Flows naturally from problems and objectives Clearly describes program activities States reasons for the selection of activities Describes sequence of activities Describes staffing of program Describes clients and client selection Presents a reasonable scope of activities that can be accomplished within the time and resources of the program Provides a timeline of activities (if possible) Evaluation (1-2 pages) Proposals must include a plan for determining the degree to which objectives are met and methods are followed. This section is extremely important as funders pay particular attention to evaluation methods since they need help determining whether a proposed project represents an intelligent investment for them. The evaluation section should meet the following criteria: • • • • • • • • Present a plan for evaluating accomplishment of objectives Presents a plan for evaluating and modifying methods over course of the program Tells who will be doing the evaluation criteria Describes how data will be gathered Explains any test instruments or questionnaires to be used Describes the process of data analysis Shows how evaluation will be used for program improvements Describes any evaluation reports to be produced Future Funding (1/2 page) This section describes a plan for continuation beyond the grant and/or the availability of other resources necessary to implement the grant. In equipment/capital request, many funders require organizations to demonstrate how the on-going cost of operations and equipment maintenance will be met. A statement about future funding sources is also advisable for the maintenance equipment. The section on future funding should meet the following criteria: • • • • • • • • Presents a specific plan to obtain funding if program is to be continue Describes how maintenance and future program costs will be covered (if applicable) Describes how other funds will be obtained, if necessary to implement the grant (include individual solicitation efforts specifically aimed at this project) Includes list of other funders approached on behalf of project (name of funder, date of proposal submission, amount requested, current status) Has minimal reliance on future grant support Is accompanied by letters of commitment (if necessary) Does not indicate that the agency will approach the funder for additional money Budget All proposals should include a budget-which clearly delineates costs to be met by the funding source and those provided by other parties and outlines both administrative and program costs. If a proposal is for a specific project, separate budgets for the general operating budget and special project budget should be included. Budgets should show income as will as expenses and should be structured in columnar form, listing the expense on the left and the dollar amount in the right column, according to general accounting/bookkeeping principles. Budgets should not be submitted in narrative form. Budget expense information should delineate personnel costs such as salary and benefit information, and non-personnel expenses such as facility costs (rent/mortgage, utilities, maintenance, taxes), fundraising expenses, travel, postage, equipment cost, supplies, and insurance. These should be reflected in both the expense and income columns. Sources of income should be listed separately as part of budget information. Sources should be actual funders, not merely prospects. However, pending proposals may be listed separately, if desired. Sources for funding may include fees for service, government funds, corporate/private grants, individual donations, etc. A budget should meet the following criteria: • • • Tells the same story as the proposal narrative Is detailed in all aspects Includes project costs that will be incurred at the time of the program’s • • • • • • • • • • implementation Contains no unexplained amounts for miscellaneous or contingency Includes all items asked of the funding source Includes all items paid for by other sources Includes all volunteers Includes all consultants Details fringe benefits separate from salaries Separately details all non-personnel costs Includes separate columns for listing all donated services Includes indirect costs where appropriate Is sufficient to perform the tasks described in the narrative Appendices Some attachments are recommended in all proposals, while others may be included at the author’s discretion. If a recent article or endorsement has been written about your organization, and if it is germane, it may be included as an attachment to the proposal. Generally funders will look at only one or two articles/endorsement to submit. Additional attachments can be included at the author’s discretion. Appendices may include: • • • • • • • • • Verification of tax-exempt status (generally the IRS determination letter) Names and affiliation of officers and Board of Directors members Financial statements for last completed fiscal year (audited, if available) Current general operating budget and special project budget (if applicable) List of clients served (if appropriate) List of other current funding sources Biographies of key personnel (only if requested) Articles/endorsements (no more than two) Diagrams for equipment or building requests Organization’s by laws Format and Appearance There are different forms and formats for proposals. Sometimes these style aspects are at the author’s discretion. However, the author should research the prospective funding source to know the funder’s usual requirements. Funders often have specific requirements for the format of the proposal they will consider. It is the responsibility of the organization to submit the proposal in the required form, if there is one. Some funders issue specific grant applications which organizations must submit as the proposal. These are typically discussed in the funder’s published guidelines or in research directories. A proposal should always be concise no more than 15 pages single-spaced. (Consider the page length indicated after each section – the recommended maximum length.) In addition to the contents of the proposal, its appearance is important. Foremost, a proposal should be presented neatly. The cover letter should be typed on the nonprofit organization’s letterhead, followed by the proposal and attachments, respectively. Since proposals are not voluminous, it is not necessary to include an index or table of contents. Proposals should not be submitted with binding (like a book), as funders often dismantle the proposal and make copies of it when referring to a review committee for consideration. To assemble a proposal, an organization should consider using staples or a folder to contain the proposal and attachments. Funders do not judge a proposal on its weight, but on its contents and presentation. Thus, it is important to assemble the proposal in an organized, concise, and attractive manner. Conclusion In summary a proposal should re4flect planning, research and vision. The importance of research cannot be overemphasized, both in terms of the funders solicited and the types of funds requested. The appropriate format should be used, and the required attachments should be included. The most successful proposals are those which clearly and concisely state the community’s and organization’s needs and are targeted to donors which fund that field, a reflection of careful planning and research. In writing and/or evaluating a proposal, the following conclusions drawn from a University of Pennsylvania study may be useful. A study team investigated the criteria foundations and government agencies consider most important when reviewing proposals for community-based projects. They concluded that there are five factors all funders consider “highly important”: • • • • • Project purpose Feasibility Community need for the project Applicant accountability Competence Other factors also considered important include: • • • • • Project logic Probable impact Language Money needed Community support Although there is some disagreement about the factors which are considered unimportant, funders generally agreed that the least important factors in assessing a proposal are: • • • • • • Working relationships Advocates Minority status Social acceptability Prior funding Influence of acquaintances This article was adapted from the following articles and publications: 1. Guidelines for Proposal Preparation. Los Angeles, CA: Center for Nonprofit Management/Southern California and Southern California Gas Company. (Booklet) 2. Kiritz, Norton J. Proposal Checklist and Evaluation Form. Los Angeles, CA: The Grantsmanship Center; 1979. (Pamphlet) 3. Townsend, Ted H. Criteria Grantors Use In Assessing Proposals. Foundation News; March/April 1974. (Report) 4. Zimmerman, Robert M. Grantseeking: a Step-by-Step Approach. San Francisco: Zimmerman, Lehman & Associates; 1994. 51 pages (training materials) Thursday, November 20, 2003 GRANTS 1. Assign a committee of three people to research and develop a grant for your club or association. 2. Develop a time line for each step of the grant request process, ending with the final date the requests will be sent. 3. Use the Internet to find companies or groups that are interested in your particular type of request. 4. Review the successful grants and how they used their individual information. a. A problem need of significant magnitude exists b. The applicant agency has the means and imagination to solve the problem or meet the need. 5. General format for a grant. a. Qualifications of the Organization b. Problem Statement or Needs Assessment c. Program Goals and Objectives d. Methodology e. Evaluation f. Future Funding g. Budget h. Appendices 6. Letter of Inquiry/Intent a. Include your name, title, and address b. Directed to the individual responsible for the funding program c. Provide a brief overview of the organization and its purpose. d. Include the reason for the funding request. e. Include the amount requested f. Describe the need for the project intends to meet. g. Provide a brief description of the project. h. List other prospective funders for the project i. Include thank you and next step to be taken. j. Do not exceed two pages. (Try to keep to one page.) k. Include name and phone number of contact an organization. l. Sign by the person who can speak with authority on behalf of the organization. 7. Full Proposal a. Cover Letter b. Summary (1/2 page) c. Qualifications of the Organization (1-2 pages) d. Problem Statement or Needs Assessment (3-4 pages) e. Program Goals and Objectives (1-2 pages) 8. Types of Objectives a. Behavioral – a human active is anticipated. Example: Fifty of the seventy children participating will learn to speed skate. b. Performance – a specific time frame. Example: Fifty of the seventy children will lean to speed skate within six month and will passa basic speedskating test. c. Process – The manner in which something occurs is an end in itself. Example: We will document the teaching methods and identify those with the greatest success. d. Product - A tangible item results e. Producing a manual to be used to teach speedskating to future skaters. f. g. h. Rational for using a particular approach. Sequence and timeline. Staffing if needed. A full grant proposal document is available from U.S. Speedskating. Also, examples of successful grants. Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Notice 1382 (Rev. September 2009) Changes for Form 1023: ● Mailing address ● Parts IX, X and XI Changes for Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code Change of Mailing Address The mailing address shown on Form 1023 Checklist, page 28, the first address under the last checkbox; and in the Instructions for Form 1023, page 4 under Where to File, has been changed to: Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 12192 Covington, KY 41012-0192 Changes for Parts IX and X Changes to Parts IX and X are necessary to comply with new regulations that eliminated the advance ruling process. Until Form 1023 is revised to reflect this change, please follow the directions on this notice when completing Part IX and Part X of Form 1023. For more information about the elimination of the advance ruling process, visit us at www.irs.gov and click on Charities & Non-Profits. Part IX. Financial Data The instructions at the top of Part IX on page 9 of Form 1023 are now as follows. For purposes of this schedule, years in existence refer to completed tax years. 1. If in existence less than 5 years, complete the statement for each year in existence and provide projections of your likely revenues and expenses based on a reasonable and good faith estimate of your future finances for a total of: a. Three years of financial information if you have not completed one tax year, or b. Four years of financial information if you have completed one tax year. 2. If in existence 5 or more years, complete the schedule for the most recent 5 tax years. You will need to provide a separate statement that includes information about the most recent 5 tax years because the data table in Part IX, has not been updated to provide for a 5th year. Part X. Public Charity Status Do not complete line 6a on page 11 of Form 1023, and do not sign the form under the heading “Consent Fixing Period of Limitations Upon Assessment of Tax Under Section 4940 of the Internal Revenue Code.” Only complete line 6b and line 7 on page 11 of Form 1023, if in existence 5 or more tax years. Notice 1382 (Rev. 9-2009) Cat. No. 52336F Part XI. Increase in User Fees. User fee increases are effective for all applications postmarked after January 3, 2010. 1. $400 for organizations whose gross receipts do not exceed $10,000 or less annually over a 4-year period. 2. $850 for organizations whose gross receipts exceed $10,000 annually over a 4-year period. See www.irs.gov web page link on Form 1023, page 12, Part XI, User Fee Information, for the current user fees. Cyber Assistant, a web-based software program designed to help organizations prepare a complete and accurate Form 1023 application, will become available during 2010. Once the IRS announces the availability of Cyber Assistant, the user fees will change again. 1. $200 for organizations using Cyber Assistant (regardless of size) to prepare their Form 1023, or 2. $850 for all other organizations not using Cyber Assistant (regardless of size) to prepare their Form 1023. IRS will announce when Cyber Assistant is available and the effective date of the user fee change. Sign up for the Exempt Organization (EO) Update, EO’s subscription newsletter, at www.irs.gov/charities, to automatically receive an alert that Cyber Assistant is available. 1023 Form (Rev. June 2006) Application for Recognition of Exemption OMB No. 1545-0056 Note: If exempt status is approved, this application will be open for public inspection. Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Use the instructions to complete this application and for a definition of all bold items. For additional help, call IRS Exempt Organizations Customer Account Services toll-free at 1-877-829-5500. Visit our website at www.irs.gov for forms and publications. If the required information and documents are not submitted with payment of the appropriate user fee, the application may be returned to you. Attach additional sheets to this application if you need more space to answer fully. Put your name and EIN on each sheet and identify each answer by Part and line number. Complete Parts I - XI of Form 1023 and submit only those Schedules (A through H) that apply to you. Part I Identification of Applicant 1 Full name of organization (exactly as it appears in your organizing document) 3 Mailing address (Number and street) (see instructions) Room/Suite 4 Employer Identification Number (EIN) City or town, state or country, and ZIP + 4 6 2 c/o Name (if applicable) 5 Month the annual accounting period ends (01 – 12) Primary contact (officer, director, trustee, or authorized representative) a Name: b Phone: c Fax: (optional) 7 Are you represented by an authorized representative, such as an attorney or accountant? If “Yes,” provide the authorized representative’s name, and the name and address of the authorized representative’s firm. Include a completed Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative, with your application if you would like us to communicate with your representative. Yes No 8 Was a person who is not one of your officers, directors, trustees, employees, or an authorized representative listed in line 7, paid, or promised payment, to help plan, manage, or advise you about the structure or activities of your organization, or about your financial or tax matters? If “Yes,” provide the person’s name, the name and address of the person’s firm, the amounts paid or promised to be paid, and describe that person’s role. Yes No No 9a Organization’s website: b Organization’s email: (optional) 10 Certain organizations are not required to file an information return (Form 990 or Form 990-EZ). If you are granted tax-exemption, are you claiming to be excused from filing Form 990 or Form 990-EZ? If “Yes,” explain. See the instructions for a description of organizations not required to file Form 990 or Form 990-EZ. Yes 11 Date incorporated if a corporation, or formed, if other than a corporation. / 12 Were you formed under the laws of a foreign country? If “Yes,” state the country. For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see page 24 of the instructions. (MM/DD/YYYY) / Yes Cat. No. 17133K Form 1023 No (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Part II Name: EIN: – Page 2 Organizational Structure You must be a corporation (including a limited liability company), an unincorporated association, or a trust to be tax exempt. (See instructions.) DO NOT file this form unless you can check “Yes” on lines 1, 2, 3, or 4. 1 Are you a corporation? If “Yes,” attach a copy of your articles of incorporation showing certification of filing with the appropriate state agency. Include copies of any amendments to your articles and be sure they also show state filing certification. Yes No 2 Are you a limited liability company (LLC)? If “Yes,” attach a copy of your articles of organization showing certification of filing with the appropriate state agency. Also, if you adopted an operating agreement, attach a copy. Include copies of any amendments to your articles and be sure they show state filing certification. Refer to the instructions for circumstances when an LLC should not file its own exemption application. Yes No 3 Are you an unincorporated association? If “Yes,” attach a copy of your articles of association, constitution, or other similar organizing document that is dated and includes at least two signatures. Include signed and dated copies of any amendments. Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No 4a Are you a trust? If “Yes,” attach a signed and dated copy of your trust agreement. Include signed and dated copies of any amendments. b Have you been funded? If “No,” explain how you are formed without anything of value placed in trust. 5 Have you adopted bylaws? If “Yes,” attach a current copy showing date of adoption. If “No,” explain how your officers, directors, or trustees are selected. Part III Required Provisions in Your Organizing Document The following questions are designed to ensure that when you file this application, your organizing document contains the required provisions to meet the organizational test under section 501(c)(3). Unless you can check the boxes in both lines 1 and 2, your organizing document does not meet the organizational test. DO NOT file this application until you have amended your organizing document. Submit your original and amended organizing documents (showing state filing certification if you are a corporation or an LLC) with your application. 1 Section 501(c)(3) requires that your organizing document state your exempt purpose(s), such as charitable, religious, educational, and/or scientific purposes. Check the box to confirm that your organizing document meets this requirement. Describe specifically where your organizing document meets this requirement, such as a reference to a particular article or section in your organizing document. Refer to the instructions for exempt purpose language. Location of Purpose Clause (Page, Article, and Paragraph): 2a Section 501(c)(3) requires that upon dissolution of your organization, your remaining assets must be used exclusively for exempt purposes, such as charitable, religious, educational, and/or scientific purposes. Check the box on line 2a to confirm that your organizing document meets this requirement by express provision for the distribution of assets upon dissolution. If you rely on state law for your dissolution provision, do not check the box on line 2a and go to line 2c. 2b If you checked the box on line 2a, specify the location of your dissolution clause (Page, Article, and Paragraph). Do not complete line 2c if you checked box 2a. 2c See the instructions for information about the operation of state law in your particular state. Check this box if you rely on operation of state law for your dissolution provision and indicate the state: Part IV Narrative Description of Your Activities Using an attachment, describe your past, present, and planned activities in a narrative. If you believe that you have already provided some of this information in response to other parts of this application, you may summarize that information here and refer to the specific parts of the application for supporting details. You may also attach representative copies of newsletters, brochures, or similar documents for supporting details to this narrative. Remember that if this application is approved, it will be open for public inspection. Therefore, your narrative description of activities should be thorough and accurate. Refer to the instructions for information that must be included in your description. Part V Compensation and Other Financial Arrangements With Your Officers, Directors, Trustees, Employees, and Independent Contractors 1a List the names, titles, and mailing addresses of all of your officers, directors, and trustees. For each person listed, state their total annual compensation, or proposed compensation, for all services to the organization, whether as an officer, employee, or other position. Use actual figures, if available. Enter “none” if no compensation is or will be paid. If additional space is needed, attach a separate sheet. Refer to the instructions for information on what to include as compensation. Name Title Mailing address Compensation amount (annual actual or estimated) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Part V Name: EIN: – Page 3 Compensation and Other Financial Arrangements With Your Officers, Directors, Trustees, Employees, and Independent Contractors (Continued) b List the names, titles, and mailing addresses of each of your five highest compensated employees who receive or will receive compensation of more than $50,000 per year. Use the actual figure, if available. Refer to the instructions for information on what to include as compensation. Do not include officers, directors, or trustees listed in line 1a. Name Title Mailing address Compensation amount (annual actual or estimated) c List the names, names of businesses, and mailing addresses of your five highest compensated independent contractors that receive or will receive compensation of more than $50,000 per year. Use the actual figure, if available. Refer to the instructions for information on what to include as compensation. Name Title Mailing address Compensation amount (annual actual or estimated) The following “Yes” or “No” questions relate to past, present, or planned relationships, transactions, or agreements with your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees, and highest compensated independent contractors listed in lines 1a, 1b, and 1c. 2a Are any of your officers, directors, or trustees related to each other through family or business relationships? If “Yes,” identify the individuals and explain the relationship. Yes No b Do you have a business relationship with any of your officers, directors, or trustees other than through their position as an officer, director, or trustee? If “Yes,” identify the individuals and describe the business relationship with each of your officers, directors, or trustees. Yes No c Are any of your officers, directors, or trustees related to your highest compensated employees or highest compensated independent contractors listed on lines 1b or 1c through family or business relationships? If “Yes,” identify the individuals and explain the relationship. Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No 3a For each of your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees, and highest compensated independent contractors listed on lines 1a, 1b, or 1c, attach a list showing their name, qualifications, average hours worked, and duties. b Do any of your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees, and highest compensated independent contractors listed on lines 1a, 1b, or 1c receive compensation from any other organizations, whether tax exempt or taxable, that are related to you through common control? If “Yes,” identify the individuals, explain the relationship between you and the other organization, and describe the compensation arrangement. 4 In establishing the compensation for your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees, and highest compensated independent contractors listed on lines 1a, 1b, and 1c, the following practices are recommended, although they are not required to obtain exemption. Answer “Yes” to all the practices you use. a Do you or will the individuals that approve compensation arrangements follow a conflict of interest policy? b Do you or will you approve compensation arrangements in advance of paying compensation? c Do you or will you document in writing the date and terms of approved compensation arrangements? Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Part V Name: EIN: – Page 4 Compensation and Other Financial Arrangements With Your Officers, Directors, Trustees, Employees, and Independent Contractors (Continued) d Do you or will you record in writing the decision made by each individual who decided or voted on compensation arrangements? Yes No e Do you or will you approve compensation arrangements based on information about compensation paid by similarly situated taxable or tax-exempt organizations for similar services, current compensation surveys compiled by independent firms, or actual written offers from similarly situated organizations? Refer to the instructions for Part V, lines 1a, 1b, and 1c, for information on what to include as compensation. Yes No f Do you or will you record in writing both the information on which you relied to base your decision and its source? g If you answered “No” to any item on lines 4a through 4f, describe how you set compensation that is reasonable for your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees, and highest compensated independent contractors listed in Part V, lines 1a, 1b, and 1c. Yes No Yes No 6a Do you or will you compensate any of your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees, and highest compensated independent contractors listed in lines 1a, 1b, or 1c through non-fixed payments, such as discretionary bonuses or revenue-based payments? If “Yes,” describe all non-fixed compensation arrangements, including how the amounts are determined, who is eligible for such arrangements, whether you place a limitation on total compensation, and how you determine or will determine that you pay no more than reasonable compensation for services. Refer to the instructions for Part V, lines 1a, 1b, and 1c, for information on what to include as compensation. b Do you or will you compensate any of your employees, other than your officers, directors, trustees, or your five highest compensated employees who receive or will receive compensation of more than $50,000 per year, through non-fixed payments, such as discretionary bonuses or revenue-based payments? If “Yes,” describe all non-fixed compensation arrangements, including how the amounts are or will be determined, who is or will be eligible for such arrangements, whether you place or will place a limitation on total compensation, and how you determine or will determine that you pay no more than reasonable compensation for services. Refer to the instructions for Part V, lines 1a, 1b, and 1c, for information on what to include as compensation. Yes No Yes No 7a Do you or will you purchase any goods, services, or assets from any of your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees, or highest compensated independent contractors listed in lines 1a, 1b, or 1c? If “Yes,” describe any such purchase that you made or intend to make, from whom you make or will make such purchases, how the terms are or will be negotiated at arm’s length, and explain how you determine or will determine that you pay no more than fair market value. Attach copies of any written contracts or other agreements relating to such purchases. Yes No b Do you or will you sell any goods, services, or assets to any of your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees, or highest compensated independent contractors listed in lines 1a, 1b, or 1c? If “Yes,” describe any such sales that you made or intend to make, to whom you make or will make such sales, how the terms are or will be negotiated at arm’s length, and explain how you determine or will determine you are or will be paid at least fair market value. Attach copies of any written contracts or other agreements relating to such sales. Yes No 8a Do you or will you have any leases, contracts, loans, or other agreements with your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees, or highest compensated independent contractors listed in lines 1a, 1b, or 1c? If “Yes,” provide the information requested in lines 8b through 8f. Yes No Yes No 5a Have you adopted a conflict of interest policy consistent with the sample conflict of interest policy in Appendix A to the instructions? If “Yes,” provide a copy of the policy and explain how the policy has been adopted, such as by resolution of your governing board. If “No,” answer lines 5b and 5c. b What procedures will you follow to assure that persons who have a conflict of interest will not have influence over you for setting their own compensation? c What procedures will you follow to assure that persons who have a conflict of interest will not have influence over you regarding business deals with themselves? Note: A conflict of interest policy is recommended though it is not required to obtain exemption. Hospitals, see Schedule C, Section I, line 14. b c d e f Describe any written or oral arrangements that you made or intend to make. Identify with whom you have or will have such arrangements. Explain how the terms are or will be negotiated at arm’s length. Explain how you determine you pay no more than fair market value or you are paid at least fair market value. Attach copies of any signed leases, contracts, loans, or other agreements relating to such arrangements. 9a Do you or will you have any leases, contracts, loans, or other agreements with any organization in which any of your officers, directors, or trustees are also officers, directors, or trustees, or in which any individual officer, director, or trustee owns more than a 35% interest? If “Yes,” provide the information requested in lines 9b through 9f. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Part V b c d e Name: EIN: – Page 5 Compensation and Other Financial Arrangements With Your Officers, Directors, Trustees, Employees, and Independent Contractors (Continued) Describe any written or oral arrangements you made or intend to make. Identify with whom you have or will have such arrangements. Explain how the terms are or will be negotiated at arm’s length. Explain how you determine or will determine you pay no more than fair market value or that you are paid at least fair market value. f Attach a copy of any signed leases, contracts, loans, or other agreements relating to such arrangements. Part VI Your Members and Other Individuals and Organizations That Receive Benefits From You The following “Yes” or “No” questions relate to goods, services, and funds you provide to individuals and organizations as part of your activities. Your answers should pertain to past, present, and planned activities. (See instructions.) 1a In carrying out your exempt purposes, do you provide goods, services, or funds to individuals? If “Yes,” describe each program that provides goods, services, or funds to individuals. b In carrying out your exempt purposes, do you provide goods, services, or funds to organizations? If “Yes,” describe each program that provides goods, services, or funds to organizations. Yes No Yes No 2 Do any of your programs limit the provision of goods, services, or funds to a specific individual or group of specific individuals? For example, answer “Yes,” if goods, services, or funds are provided only for a particular individual, your members, individuals who work for a particular employer, or graduates of a particular school. If “Yes,” explain the limitation and how recipients are selected for each program. Yes No 3 Do any individuals who receive goods, services, or funds through your programs have a family or business relationship with any officer, director, trustee, or with any of your highest compensated employees or highest compensated independent contractors listed in Part V, lines 1a, 1b, and 1c? If “Yes,” explain how these related individuals are eligible for goods, services, or funds. Yes No Part VII Your History The following “Yes” or “No” questions relate to your history. (See instructions.) 1 Are you a successor to another organization? Answer “Yes,” if you have taken or will take over the activities of another organization; you took over 25% or more of the fair market value of the net assets of another organization; or you were established upon the conversion of an organization from for-profit to non-profit status. If “Yes,” complete Schedule G. Yes No 2 Are you submitting this application more than 27 months after the end of the month in which you were legally formed? If “Yes,” complete Schedule E. Yes No Part VIII Your Specific Activities The following “Yes” or “No” questions relate to specific activities that you may conduct. Check the appropriate box. Your answers should pertain to past, present, and planned activities. (See instructions.) 1 Do you support or oppose candidates in political campaigns in any way? If “Yes,” explain. Yes No Yes No b Have you made or are you making an election to have your legislative activities measured by expenditures by filing Form 5768? If “Yes,” attach a copy of the Form 5768 that was already filed or attach a completed Form 5768 that you are filing with this application. If “No,” describe whether your attempts to influence legislation are a substantial part of your activities. Include the time and money spent on your attempts to influence legislation as compared to your total activities. Yes No 3a Do you or will you operate bingo or gaming activities? If “Yes,” describe who conducts them, and list all revenue received or expected to be received and expenses paid or expected to be paid in operating these activities. Revenue and expenses should be provided for the time periods specified in Part IX, Financial Data. Yes No b Do you or will you enter into contracts or other agreements with individuals or organizations to conduct bingo or gaming for you? If “Yes,” describe any written or oral arrangements that you made or intend to make, identify with whom you have or will have such arrangements, explain how the terms are or will be negotiated at arm’s length, and explain how you determine or will determine you pay no more than fair market value or you will be paid at least fair market value. Attach copies or any written contracts or other agreements relating to such arrangements. Yes No 2a Do you attempt to influence legislation? If “Yes,” explain how you attempt to influence legislation and complete line 2b. If “No,” go to line 3a. c List the states and local jurisdictions, including Indian Reservations, in which you conduct or will conduct gaming or bingo. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 6 Part VIII Your Specific Activities (Continued) 4a Do you or will you undertake fundraising? If “Yes,” check all the fundraising programs you do or will conduct. (See instructions.) mail solicitations email solicitations personal solicitations vehicle, boat, plane, or similar donations foundation grant solicitations Yes No phone solicitations accept donations on your website receive donations from another organization’s website government grant solicitations Other Attach a description of each fundraising program. b Do you or will you have written or oral contracts with any individuals or organizations to raise funds for you? If “Yes,” describe these activities. Include all revenue and expenses from these activities and state who conducts them. Revenue and expenses should be provided for the time periods specified in Part IX, Financial Data. Also, attach a copy of any contracts or agreements. Yes No c Do you or will you engage in fundraising activities for other organizations? If “Yes,” describe these arrangements. Include a description of the organizations for which you raise funds and attach copies of all contracts or agreements. Yes No Yes No Yes No 6a Do you or will you engage in economic development? If “Yes,” describe your program. b Describe in full who benefits from your economic development activities and how the activities promote exempt purposes. Yes No 7a Do or will persons other than your employees or volunteers develop your facilities? If “Yes,” describe each facility, the role of the developer, and any business or family relationship(s) between the developer and your officers, directors, or trustees. Yes No Yes No Do you or will you enter into joint ventures, including partnerships or limited liability companies treated as partnerships, in which you share profits and losses with partners other than section 501(c)(3) organizations? If “Yes,” describe the activities of these joint ventures in which you participate. Yes No 9a Are you applying for exemption as a childcare organization under section 501(k)? If “Yes,” answer lines 9b through 9d. If “No,” go to line 10. Yes No b Do you provide child care so that parents or caretakers of children you care for can be gainfully employed (see instructions)? If “No,” explain how you qualify as a childcare organization described in section 501(k). Yes No c Of the children for whom you provide child care, are 85% or more of them cared for by you to enable their parents or caretakers to be gainfully employed (see instructions)? If “No,” explain how you qualify as a childcare organization described in section 501(k). Yes No d Are your services available to the general public? If “No,” describe the specific group of people for whom your activities are available. Also, see the instructions and explain how you qualify as a childcare organization described in section 501(k). Yes No Yes No d List all states and local jurisdictions in which you conduct fundraising. For each state or local jurisdiction listed, specify whether you fundraise for your own organization, you fundraise for another organization, or another organization fundraises for you. e Do you or will you maintain separate accounts for any contributor under which the contributor has the right to advise on the use or distribution of funds? Answer “Yes” if the donor may provide advice on the types of investments, distributions from the types of investments, or the distribution from the donor’s contribution account. If “Yes,” describe this program, including the type of advice that may be provided and submit copies of any written materials provided to donors. 5 Are you affiliated with a governmental unit? If “Yes,” explain. b Do or will persons other than your employees or volunteers manage your activities or facilities? If “Yes,” describe each activity and facility, the role of the manager, and any business or family relationship(s) between the manager and your officers, directors, or trustees. c If there is a business or family relationship between any manager or developer and your officers, directors, or trustees, identify the individuals, explain the relationship, describe how contracts are negotiated at arm’s length so that you pay no more than fair market value, and submit a copy of any contracts or other agreements. 8 10 Do you or will you publish, own, or have rights in music, literature, tapes, artworks, choreography, scientific discoveries, or other intellectual property? If “Yes,” explain. Describe who owns or will own any copyrights, patents, or trademarks, whether fees are or will be charged, how the fees are determined, and how any items are or will be produced, distributed, and marketed. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 7 Part VIII Your Specific Activities (Continued) 11 Yes No 12a Do you or will you operate in a foreign country or countries? If “Yes,” answer lines 12b through 12d. If “No,” go to line 13a. b Name the foreign countries and regions within the countries in which you operate. c Describe your operations in each country and region in which you operate. d Describe how your operations in each country and region further your exempt purposes. Yes No 13a Do you or will you make grants, loans, or other distributions to organization(s)? If “Yes,” answer lines 13b through 13g. If “No,” go to line 14a. Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes No c Does any foreign organization listed in line 14b accept contributions earmarked for a specific country or specific organization? If “Yes,” list all earmarked organizations or countries. Yes No d Do your contributors know that you have ultimate authority to use contributions made to you at your discretion for purposes consistent with your exempt purposes? If “Yes,” describe how you relay this information to contributors. Yes No e Do you or will you make pre-grant inquiries about the recipient organization? If “Yes,” describe these inquiries, including whether you inquire about the recipient’s financial status, its tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code, its ability to accomplish the purpose for which the resources are provided, and other relevant information. Yes No f Do you or will you use any additional procedures to ensure that your distributions to foreign organizations are used in furtherance of your exempt purposes? If “Yes,” describe these procedures, including site visits by your employees or compliance checks by impartial experts, to verify that grant funds are being used appropriately. Yes No Do you or will you accept contributions of: real property; conservation easements; closely held securities; intellectual property such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights; works of music or art; licenses; royalties; automobiles, boats, planes, or other vehicles; or collectibles of any type? If “Yes,” describe each type of contribution, any conditions imposed by the donor on the contribution, and any agreements with the donor regarding the contribution. b c d e f Describe how your grants, loans, or other distributions to organizations further your exempt purposes. Do you have written contracts with each of these organizations? If “Yes,” attach a copy of each contract. Identify each recipient organization and any relationship between you and the recipient organization. Describe the records you keep with respect to the grants, loans, or other distributions you make. Describe your selection process, including whether you do any of the following: (i) Do you require an application form? If “Yes,” attach a copy of the form. (ii) Do you require a grant proposal? If “Yes,” describe whether the grant proposal specifies your responsibilities and those of the grantee, obligates the grantee to use the grant funds only for the purposes for which the grant was made, provides for periodic written reports concerning the use of grant funds, requires a final written report and an accounting of how grant funds were used, and acknowledges your authority to withhold and/or recover grant funds in case such funds are, or appear to be, misused. g Describe your procedures for oversight of distributions that assure you the resources are used to further your exempt purposes, including whether you require periodic and final reports on the use of resources. 14a Do you or will you make grants, loans, or other distributions to foreign organizations? If “Yes,” answer lines 14b through 14f. If “No,” go to line 15. b Provide the name of each foreign organization, the country and regions within a country in which each foreign organization operates, and describe any relationship you have with each foreign organization. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 8 Part VIII Your Specific Activities (Continued) 15 Do you have a close connection with any organizations? If “Yes,” explain. Yes No 16 Are you applying for exemption as a cooperative hospital service organization under section 501(e)? If “Yes,” explain. Yes No 17 Are you applying for exemption as a cooperative service organization of operating educational organizations under section 501(f)? If “Yes,” explain. Are you applying for exemption as a charitable risk pool under section 501(n)? If “Yes,” explain. Yes No Yes No Do you or will you operate a school? If “Yes,” complete Schedule B. Answer “Yes,” whether you operate a school as your main function or as a secondary activity. Is your main function to provide hospital or medical care? If “Yes,” complete Schedule C. Yes No Yes No 21 Do you or will you provide low-income housing or housing for the elderly or handicapped? If “Yes,” complete Schedule F. Yes No 22 Do you or will you provide scholarships, fellowships, educational loans, or other educational grants to individuals, including grants for travel, study, or other similar purposes? If “Yes,” complete Schedule H. Note: Private foundations may use Schedule H to request advance approval of individual grant procedures. Yes No 18 19 20 Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Part IX Name: – EIN: Page 9 Financial Data For purposes of this schedule, years in existence refer to completed tax years. If in existence 4 or more years, complete the schedule for the most recent 4 tax years. If in existence more than 1 year but less than 4 years, complete the statements for each year in existence and provide projections of your likely revenues and expenses based on a reasonable and good faith estimate of your future finances for a total of 3 years of financial information. If in existence less than 1 year, provide projections of your likely revenues and expenses for the current year and the 2 following years, based on a reasonable and good faith estimate of your future finances for a total of 3 years of financial information. (See instructions.) A. Statement of Revenues and Expenses Type of revenue or expense 1 Gifts, grants, and contributions received (do not include unusual grants) 2 3 4 Membership fees received Gross investment income Net unrelated business income Taxes levied for your benefit Revenues 5 6 Value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit without charge (not including the value of services generally furnished to the public without charge) 7 Any revenue not otherwise listed above or in lines 9–12 below (attach an itemized list) 8 Total of lines 1 through 7 9 Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or furnishing of facilities in any activity that is related to your exempt purposes (attach itemized list) Total of lines 8 and 9 Net gain or loss on sale of capital assets (attach schedule and see instructions) 10 11 12 13 Expenses 14 3 prior tax years or 2 succeeding tax years (a) From (b) From (c) From (d) From To To To To (e) Provide Total for (a) through (d) Unusual grants Total Revenue Add lines 10 through 12 Fundraising expenses 15 Contributions, gifts, grants, and similar amounts paid out (attach an itemized list) 16 Disbursements to or for the benefit of members (attach an itemized list) 17 Compensation of officers, directors, and trustees Other salaries and wages Interest expense Occupancy (rent, utilities, etc.) Depreciation and depletion Professional fees 18 19 20 21 22 Current tax year 23 Any expense not otherwise classified, such as program services (attach itemized list) 24 Total Expenses Add lines 14 through 23 Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Part IX Name: EIN: – Page B. Balance Sheet (for your most recently completed tax year) Assets 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Cash Accounts receivable, net Inventories Bonds and notes receivable (attach an itemized list) Corporate stocks (attach an itemized list) Loans receivable (attach an itemized list) Other investments (attach an itemized list) Depreciable and depletable assets (attach an itemized list) Land Other assets (attach an itemized list) Total Assets (add lines 1 through 10) Liabilities Accounts payable Contributions, gifts, grants, etc. payable Mortgages and notes payable (attach an itemized list) Other liabilities (attach an itemized list) Total Liabilities (add lines 12 through 15) Fund Balances or Net Assets Total fund balances or net assets Total Liabilities and Fund Balances or Net Assets (add lines 16 and 17) Have there been any substantial changes in your assets or liabilities since the end of the period shown above? If “Yes,” explain. Part X 10 Financial Data (Continued) Year End: (Whole dollars) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Yes No Public Charity Status Part X is designed to classify you as an organization that is either a private foundation or a public charity. Public charity status is a more favorable tax status than private foundation status. If you are a private foundation, Part X is designed to further determine whether you are a private operating foundation. (See instructions.) 1a Are you a private foundation? If “Yes,” go to line 1b. If “No,” go to line 5 and proceed as instructed. If you are unsure, see the instructions. Yes No b As a private foundation, section 508(e) requires special provisions in your organizing document in addition to those that apply to all organizations described in section 501(c)(3). Check the box to confirm that your organizing document meets this requirement, whether by express provision or by reliance on operation of state law. Attach a statement that describes specifically where your organizing document meets this requirement, such as a reference to a particular article or section in your organizing document or by operation of state law. See the instructions, including Appendix B, for information about the special provisions that need to be contained in your organizing document. Go to line 2. 2 Are you a private operating foundation? To be a private operating foundation you must engage directly in the active conduct of charitable, religious, educational, and similar activities, as opposed to indirectly carrying out these activities by providing grants to individuals or other organizations. If “Yes,” go to line 3. If “No,” go to the signature section of Part XI. Yes No 3 Have you existed for one or more years? If “Yes,” attach financial information showing that you are a private operating foundation; go to the signature section of Part XI. If “No,” continue to line 4. Yes No 4 Have you attached either (1) an affidavit or opinion of counsel, (including a written affidavit or opinion from a certified public accountant or accounting firm with expertise regarding this tax law matter), that sets forth facts concerning your operations and support to demonstrate that you are likely to satisfy the requirements to be classified as a private operating foundation; or (2) a statement describing your proposed operations as a private operating foundation? Yes No 5 If you answered “No” to line 1a, indicate the type of public charity status you are requesting by checking one of the choices below. You may check only one box. The organization is not a private foundation because it is: a 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(i)—a church or a convention or association of churches. Complete and attach Schedule A. b 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)—a school. Complete and attach Schedule B. c 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(iii)—a hospital, a cooperative hospital service organization, or a medical research organization operated in conjunction with a hospital. Complete and attach Schedule C. d 509(a)(3)—an organization supporting either one or more organizations described in line 5a through c, f, g, or h or a publicly supported section 501(c)(4), (5), or (6) organization. Complete and attach Schedule D. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Part X Name: EIN: – Page 11 Public Charity Status (Continued) e 509(a)(4)—an organization organized and operated exclusively for testing for public safety. f 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(iv)—an organization operated for the benefit of a college or university that is owned or operated by a governmental unit. g 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)—an organization that receives a substantial part of its financial support in the form of contributions from publicly supported organizations, from a governmental unit, or from the general public. h 509(a)(2)—an organization that normally receives not more than one-third of its financial support from gross investment income and receives more than one-third of its financial support from contributions, membership fees, and gross receipts from activities related to its exempt functions (subject to certain exceptions). i 6 A publicly supported organization, but unsure if it is described in 5g or 5h. The organization would like the IRS to decide the correct status. If you checked box g, h, or i in question 5 above, you must request either an advance or a definitive ruling by selecting one of the boxes below. Refer to the instructions to determine which type of ruling you are eligible to receive. a Request for Advance Ruling: By checking this box and signing the consent, pursuant to section 6501(c)(4) of the Code you request an advance ruling and agree to extend the statute of limitations on the assessment of excise tax under section 4940 of the Code. The tax will apply only if you do not establish public support status at the end of the 5-year advance ruling period. The assessment period will be extended for the 5 advance ruling years to 8 years, 4 months, and 15 days beyond the end of the first year. You have the right to refuse or limit the extension to a mutually agreed-upon period of time or issue(s). Publication 1035, Extending the Tax Assessment Period, provides a more detailed explanation of your rights and the consequences of the choices you make. You may obtain Publication 1035 free of charge from the IRS web site at www.irs.gov or by calling toll-free 1-800-829-3676. Signing this consent will not deprive you of any appeal rights to which you would otherwise be entitled. If you decide not to extend the statute of limitations, you are not eligible for an advance ruling. Consent Fixing Period of Limitations Upon Assessment of Tax Under Section 4940 of the Internal Revenue Code For Organization (Signature of Officer, Director, Trustee, or other authorized official) (Type or print name of signer) (Date) (Type or print title or authority of signer) For IRS Use Only IRS Director, Exempt Organizations (Date) b Request for Definitive Ruling: Check this box if you have completed one tax year of at least 8 full months and you are requesting a definitive ruling. To confirm your public support status, answer line 6b(i) if you checked box g in line 5 above. Answer line 6b(ii) if you checked box h in line 5 above. If you checked box i in line 5 above, answer both lines 6b(i) and (ii). (i) (a) Enter 2% of line 8, column (e) on Part IX-A. Statement of Revenues and Expenses. (b) Attach a list showing the name and amount contributed by each person, company, or organization whose gifts totaled more than the 2% amount. If the answer is “None,” check this box. (ii) (a) For each year amounts are included on lines 1, 2, and 9 of Part IX-A. Statement of Revenues and Expenses, attach a list showing the name of and amount received from each disqualified person. If the answer is “None,” check this box. (b) For each year amounts are included on line 9 of Part IX-A. Statement of Revenues and Expenses, attach a list showing the name of and amount received from each payer, other than a disqualified person, whose payments were more than the larger of (1) 1% of line 10, Part IX-A. Statement of Revenues and Expenses, or (2) $5,000. If the answer is “None,” check this box. 7 Yes Did you receive any unusual grants during any of the years shown on Part IX-A. Statement of Revenues and Expenses? If “Yes,” attach a list including the name of the contributor, the date and amount of the grant, a brief description of the grant, and explain why it is unusual. Form 1023 No (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Part XI Name: EIN: – Page 12 User Fee Information You must include a user fee payment with this application. It will not be processed without your paid user fee. If your average annual gross receipts have exceeded or will exceed $10,000 annually over a 4-year period, you must submit payment of $750. If your gross receipts have not exceeded or will not exceed $10,000 annually over a 4-year period, the required user fee payment is $300. See instructions for Part XI, for a definition of gross receipts over a 4-year period. Your check or money order must be made payable to the United States Treasury. User fees are subject to change. Check our website at www.irs.gov and type “User Fee” in the keyword box, or call Customer Account Services at 1-877-829-5500 for current information. 1 2 3 Yes Have your annual gross receipts averaged or are they expected to average not more than $10,000? If “Yes,” check the box on line 2 and enclose a user fee payment of $300 (Subject to change—see above). If “No,” check the box on line 3 and enclose a user fee payment of $750 (Subject to change—see above). Check the box if you have enclosed the reduced user fee payment of $300 (Subject to change). Check the box if you have enclosed the user fee payment of $750 (Subject to change). No I declare under the penalties of perjury that I am authorized to sign this application on behalf of the above organization and that I have examined this application, including the accompanying schedules and attachments, and to the best of my knowledge it is true, correct, and complete. Please Sign Here ! (Signature of Officer, Director, Trustee, or other authorized official) (Type or print name of signer) (Date) (Type or print title or authority of signer) Reminder: Send the completed Form 1023 Checklist with your filled-in-application. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 13 Schedule A. Churches 1a Do you have a written creed, statement of faith, or summary of beliefs? If “Yes,” attach copies of relevant documents. Yes No Yes No Yes No b Do you have a distinct religious history? If “Yes,” describe your religious history. Yes No c Do you have a literature of your own? If “Yes,” describe your literature. Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No b If you have members, do your members have voting rights, rights to participate in religious functions, or other rights? If “Yes,” describe the rights your members have. Yes No c May your members be associated with another denomination or church? Yes No d Are all of your members part of the same family? Yes No Do you conduct baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc.? Yes No Do you have a school for the religious instruction of the young? Yes No Yes No Yes No b Do you have a form of worship? If “Yes,” describe your form of worship. 2a Do you have a formal code of doctrine and discipline? If “Yes,” describe your code of doctrine and discipline. 3 Describe the organization’s religious hierarchy or ecclesiastical government. 4a Do you have regularly scheduled religious services? If “Yes,” describe the nature of the services and provide representative copies of relevant literature such as church bulletins. b What is the average attendance at your regularly scheduled religious services? 5a Do you have an established place of worship? If “Yes,” refer to the instructions for the information required. b Do you own the property where you have an established place of worship? 6 Do you have an established congregation or other regular membership group? If “No,” refer to the instructions. 7 How many members do you have? 8a Do you have a process by which an individual becomes a member? If “Yes,” describe the process and complete lines 8b–8d, below. 9 10 11a Do you have a minister or religious leader? If “Yes,” describe this person’s role and explain whether the minister or religious leader was ordained, commissioned, or licensed after a prescribed course of study. b Do you have schools for the preparation of your ordained ministers or religious leaders? 12 Is your minister or religious leader also one of your officers, directors, or trustees? Yes No 13 Do you ordain, commission, or license ministers or religious leaders? If “Yes,” describe the requirements for ordination, commission, or licensure. Yes No 14 Are you part of a group of churches with similar beliefs and structures? If “Yes,” explain. Include the name of the group of churches. Yes No 15 Do you issue church charters? If “Yes,” describe the requirements for issuing a charter. Yes No 16 Did you pay a fee for a church charter? If “Yes,” attach a copy of the charter. Yes No 17 Do you have other information you believe should be considered regarding your status as a church? If “Yes,” explain. Yes No Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 14 Schedule B. Schools, Colleges, and Universities If you operate a school as an activity, complete Schedule B Section I Operational Information 1a Do you normally have a regularly scheduled curriculum, a regular faculty of qualified teachers, a regularly enrolled student body, and facilities where your educational activities are regularly carried on? If “No,” do not complete the remainder of Schedule B. Yes No b Is the primary function of your school the presentation of formal instruction? If “Yes,” describe your school in terms of whether it is an elementary, secondary, college, technical, or other type of school. If “No,” do not complete the remainder of Schedule B. Yes No 2a Are you a public school because you are operated by a state or subdivision of a state? If “Yes,” explain how you are operated by a state or subdivision of a state. Do not complete the remainder of Schedule B. Yes No b Are you a public school because you are operated wholly or predominantly from government funds or property? If “Yes,” explain how you are operated wholly or predominantly from government funds or property. Submit a copy of your funding agreement regarding government funding. Do not complete the remainder of Schedule B. Yes No 3 In what public school district, county, and state are you located? 4 Were you formed or substantially expanded at the time of public school desegregation in the above school district or county? Yes No 5 Has a state or federal administrative agency or judicial body ever determined that you are racially discriminatory? If “Yes,” explain. Yes No 6 Has your right to receive financial aid or assistance from a governmental agency ever been revoked or suspended? If “Yes,” explain. Yes No 7 Do you or will you contract with another organization to develop, build, market, or finance your facilities? If “Yes,” explain how that entity is selected, explain how the terms of any contracts or other agreements are negotiated at arm’s length, and explain how you determine that you will pay no more than fair market value for services. Yes No Yes No Note. Make sure your answer is consistent with the information provided in Part VIII, line 7a. 8 Do you or will you manage your activities or facilities through your own employees or volunteers? If “No,” attach a statement describing the activities that will be managed by others, the names of the persons or organizations that manage or will manage your activities or facilities, and how these managers were or will be selected. Also, submit copies of any contracts, proposed contracts, or other agreements regarding the provision of management services for your activities or facilities. Explain how the terms of any contracts or other agreements were or will be negotiated, and explain how you determine you will pay no more than fair market value for services. Note. Answer “Yes” if you manage or intend to manage your programs through your own employees or by using volunteers. Answer “No” if you engage or intend to engage a separate organization or independent contractor. Make sure your answer is consistent with the information provided in Part VIII, line 7b. Section II Establishment of Racially Nondiscriminatory Policy Information required by Revenue Procedure 75-50. 1 Have you adopted a racially nondiscriminatory policy as to students in your organizing document, bylaws, or by resolution of your governing body? If “Yes,” state where the policy can be found or supply a copy of the policy. If “No,” you must adopt a nondiscriminatory policy as to students before submitting this application. See Publication 557. Yes No 2 Do your brochures, application forms, advertisements, and catalogues dealing with student admissions, programs, and scholarships contain a statement of your racially nondiscriminatory policy? Yes No a If “Yes,” attach a representative sample of each document. b If “No,” by checking the box to the right you agree that all future printed materials, including website content, will contain the required nondiscriminatory policy statement. ! 3 Have you published a notice of your nondiscriminatory policy in a newspaper of general circulation that serves all racial segments of the community? (See the instructions for specific requirements.) If “No,” explain. Yes No 4 Does or will the organization (or any department or division within it) discriminate in any way on the basis of race with respect to admissions; use of facilities or exercise of student privileges; faculty or administrative staff; or scholarship or loan programs? If “Yes,” for any of the above, explain fully. Yes No Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 15 Schedule B. Schools, Colleges, and Universities (Continued) 5 Complete the table below to show the racial composition for the current academic year and projected for the next academic year, of: (a) the student body, (b) the faculty, and (c) the administrative staff. Provide actual numbers rather than percentages for each racial category. If you are not operational, submit an estimate based on the best information available (such as the racial composition of the community served). Racial Category (a) Student Body Current Year Next Year (b) Faculty Current Year Next Year (c) Administrative Staff Current Year Next Year Total 6 In the table below, provide the number and amount of loans and scholarships awarded to students enrolled by racial categories. Racial Category Number of Loans Current Year Next Year Amount of Loans Number of Scholarships Amount of Scholarships Current Year Next Year Current Year Next Year Current Year Next Year Total 7a Attach a list of your incorporators, founders, board members, and donors of land or buildings, whether individuals or organizations. b Do any of these individuals or organizations have an objective to maintain segregated public or private school education? If “Yes,” explain. 8 Will you maintain records according to the non-discrimination provisions contained in Revenue Procedure 75-50? If “No,” explain. (See instructions.) Form Yes No Yes No 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 16 Schedule C. Hospitals and Medical Research Organizations Check the box if you are a hospital. See the instructions for a definition of the term “hospital,” which includes an organization whose principal purpose or function is providing hospital or medical care. Complete Section I below. Check the box if you are a medical research organization operated in conjunction with a hospital. See the instructions for a definition of the term “medical research organization,” which refers to an organization whose principal purpose or function is medical research and which is directly engaged in the continuous active conduct of medical research in conjunction with a hospital. Complete Section II. Section I Hospitals 1a Are all the doctors in the community eligible for staff privileges? If “No,” give the reasons why and explain how the medical staff is selected. Yes No 2a Do you or will you provide medical services to all individuals in your community who can pay for themselves or have private health insurance? If “No,” explain. Yes No b Do you or will you provide medical services to all individuals in your community who participate in Medicare? If “No,” explain. Yes No c Do you or will you provide medical services to all individuals in your community who participate in Medicaid? If “No,” explain. Yes No 3a Do you or will you require persons covered by Medicare or Medicaid to pay a deposit before receiving services? If “Yes,” explain. b Does the same deposit requirement, if any, apply to all other patients? If “No,” explain. Yes No Yes No 4a Do you or will you maintain a full-time emergency room? If “No,” explain why you do not maintain a full-time emergency room. Also, describe any emergency services that you provide. Yes No b Do you have a policy on providing emergency services to persons without apparent means to pay? If “Yes,” provide a copy of the policy. Yes No c Do you have any arrangements with police, fire, and voluntary ambulance services for the delivery or admission of emergency cases? If “Yes,” describe the arrangements, including whether they are written or oral agreements. If written, submit copies of all such agreements. Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No 5a Do you provide for a portion of your services and facilities to be used for charity patients? If “Yes,” answer 5b through 5e. b Explain your policy regarding charity cases, including how you distinguish between charity care and bad debts. Submit a copy of your written policy. c Provide data on your past experience in admitting charity patients, including amounts you expend for treating charity care patients and types of services you provide to charity care patients. d Describe any arrangements you have with federal, state, or local governments or government agencies for paying for the cost of treating charity care patients. Submit copies of any written agreements. e Do you provide services on a sliding fee schedule depending on financial ability to pay? If “Yes,” submit your sliding fee schedule. 6a Do you or will you carry on a formal program of medical training or medical research? If “Yes,” describe such programs, including the type of programs offered, the scope of such programs, and affiliations with other hospitals or medical care providers with which you carry on the medical training or research programs. b Do you or will you carry on a formal program of community education? If “Yes,” describe such programs, including the type of programs offered, the scope of such programs, and affiliation with other hospitals or medical care providers with which you offer community education programs. 7 Do you or will you provide office space to physicians carrying on their own medical practices? If “Yes,” describe the criteria for who may use the space, explain the means used to determine that you are paid at least fair market value, and submit representative lease agreements. Yes No 8 Is your board of directors comprised of a majority of individuals who are representative of the community you serve? Include a list of each board member’s name and business, financial, or professional relationship with the hospital. Also, identify each board member who is representative of the community and describe how that individual is a community representative. Yes No 9 Do you participate in any joint ventures? If “Yes,” state your ownership percentage in each joint venture, list your investment in each joint venture, describe the tax status of other participants in each joint venture (including whether they are section 501(c)(3) organizations), describe the activities of each joint venture, describe how you exercise control over the activities of each joint venture, and describe how each joint venture furthers your exempt purposes. Also, submit copies of all agreements. Note. Make sure your answer is consistent with the information provided in Part VIII, line 8. Yes No Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Section I Name: EIN: – Page 17 Schedule C. Hospitals and Medical Research Organizations (Continued) Hospitals (Continued) 10 Do you or will you manage your activities or facilities through your own employees or volunteers? If “No,” attach a statement describing the activities that will be managed by others, the names of the persons or organizations that manage or will manage your activities or facilities, and how these managers were or will be selected. Also, submit copies of any contracts, proposed contracts, or other agreements regarding the provision of management services for your activities or facilities. Explain how the terms of any contracts or other agreements were or will be negotiated, and explain how you determine you will pay no more than fair market value for services. Note. Answer “Yes” if you do manage or intend to manage your programs through your own employees or by using volunteers. Answer “No” if you engage or intend to engage a separate organization or independent contractor. Make sure your answer is consistent with the information provided in Part VIII, line 7b. Yes No 11 Do you or will you offer recruitment incentives to physicians? If “Yes,” describe your recruitment incentives and attach copies of all written recruitment incentive policies. Yes No 12 Do you or will you lease equipment, assets, or office space from physicians who have a financial or professional relationship with you? If “Yes,” explain how you establish a fair market value for the lease. Yes No 13 Have you purchased medical practices, ambulatory surgery centers, or other business assets from physicians or other persons with whom you have a business relationship, aside from the purchase? If “Yes,” submit a copy of each purchase and sales contract and describe how you arrived at fair market value, including copies of appraisals. Yes No 14 Have you adopted a conflict of interest policy consistent with the sample health care organization conflict of interest policy in Appendix A of the instructions? If “Yes,” submit a copy of the policy and explain how the policy has been adopted, such as by resolution of your governing board. If “No,” explain how you will avoid any conflicts of interest in your business dealings. Yes No Section II Medical Research Organizations 1 Name the hospitals with which you have a relationship and describe the relationship. Attach copies of written agreements with each hospital that demonstrate continuing relationships between you and the hospital(s). 2 Attach a schedule describing your present and proposed activities for the direct conduct of medical research; describe the nature of the activities, and the amount of money that has been or will be spent in carrying them out. 3 Attach a schedule of assets showing their fair market value and the portion of your assets directly devoted to medical research. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Section I 1 Name: EIN: – Page 18 Schedule D. Section 509(a)(3) Supporting Organizations Identifying Information About the Supported Organization(s) State the names, addresses, and EINs of the supported organizations. If additional space is needed, attach a separate sheet. Name Address EIN – – 2 Are all supported organizations listed in line 1 public charities under section 509(a)(1) or (2)? If “Yes,” go to Section II. If “No,” go to line 3. Yes No 3 Do the supported organizations have tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6)? Yes No Information to establish the “operated, supervised, or controlled by” relationship (Test 1) Is a majority of your governing board or officers elected or appointed by the supported organization(s)? If “Yes,” describe the process by which your governing board is appointed and elected; go to Section III. If “No,” continue to line 2. Yes No Information to establish the “supervised or controlled in connection with” relationship (Test 2) Does a majority of your governing board consist of individuals who also serve on the governing board of the supported organization(s)? If “Yes,” describe the process by which your governing board is appointed and elected; go to Section III. If “No,” go to line 3. Yes No Yes No Yes No b Do one or more members of the governing body of the supported organization(s) also serve as your officers, directors, or trustees or hold other important offices with respect to you? If “Yes,” explain and provide documentation; go to line 4d, below. If “No,” go to line 4c. Yes No c Do your officers, directors, or trustees maintain a close and continuous working relationship with the officers, directors, or trustees of the supported organization(s)? If “Yes,” explain and provide documentation. Yes No d Do the supported organization(s) have a significant voice in your investment policies, in the making and timing of grants, and in otherwise directing the use of your income or assets? If “Yes,” explain and provide documentation. Yes No 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) If “Yes,” for each 501(c)(4), (5), or (6) organization supported, provide the following financial information: ● Part IX-A. Statement of Revenues and Expenses, lines 1–13 and ● Part X, lines 6b(ii)(a), 6b(ii)(b), and 7. If “No,” attach a statement describing how each organization you support is a public charity under section 509(a)(1) or (2). Section II Relationship with Supported Organization(s)—Three Tests To be classified as a supporting organization, an organization must meet one of three relationship tests: Test 1: “Operated, supervised, or controlled by” one or more publicly supported organizations, or Test 2: “Supervised or controlled in connection with” one or more publicly supported organizations, or Test 3: “Operated in connection with” one or more publicly supported organizations. 1 2 3 Information to establish the “operated in connection with” responsiveness test (Test 3) Are you a trust from which the named supported organization(s) can enforce and compel an accounting under state law? If “Yes,” explain whether you advised the supported organization(s) in writing of these rights and provide a copy of the written communication documenting this; go to Section II, line 5. If “No,” go to line 4a. 4 Information to establish the alternative “operated in connection with” responsiveness test (Test 3) a Do the officers, directors, trustees, or members of the supported organization(s) elect or appoint one or more of your officers, directors, or trustees? If “Yes,” explain and provide documentation; go to line 4d, below. If “No,” go to line 4b. e Describe and provide copies of written communications documenting how you made the supported organization(s) aware of your supporting activities. Form Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Section II 5 Name: EIN: – Page 19 Schedule D. Section 509(a)(3) Supporting Organizations (Continued) Relationship with Supported Organization(s)—Three Tests (Continued) Information to establish the “operated in connection with” integral part test (Test 3) Do you conduct activities that would otherwise be carried out by the supported organization(s)? If “Yes,” explain and go to Section III. If “No,” continue to line 6a. Yes No 6 Information to establish the alternative “operated in connection with” integral part test (Test 3) a Do you distribute at least 85% of your annual net income to the supported organization(s)? If “Yes,” go to line 6b. (See instructions.) Yes No d Do you or the supported organization(s) earmark your funds for support of a particular program or activity? If “Yes,” explain. Yes No 7a Does your organizing document specify the supported organization(s) by name? If “Yes,” state the article and paragraph number and go to Section III. If “No,” answer line 7b. b Attach a statement describing whether there has been an historic and continuing relationship between you and the supported organization(s). Yes No Yes No Yes No If “No,” state the percentage of your income that you distribute to each supported organization. Also explain how you ensure that the supported organization(s) are attentive to your operations. b How much do you contribute annually to each supported organization? Attach a schedule. c What is the total annual revenue of each supported organization? If you need additional space, attach a list. Section III Organizational Test 1a If you met relationship Test 1 or Test 2 in Section II, your organizing document must specify the supported organization(s) by name, or by naming a similar purpose or charitable class of beneficiaries. If your organizing document complies with this requirement, answer “Yes.” If your organizing document does not comply with this requirement, answer “No,” and see the instructions. b If you met relationship Test 3 in Section II, your organizing document must generally specify the supported organization(s) by name. If your organizing document complies with this requirement, answer “Yes,” and go to Section IV. If your organizing document does not comply with this requirement, answer “No,” and see the instructions. Section IV Disqualified Person Test You do not qualify as a supporting organization if you are controlled directly or indirectly by one or more disqualified persons (as defined in section 4946) other than foundation managers or one or more organizations that you support. Foundation managers who are also disqualified persons for another reason are disqualified persons with respect to you. 1a Do any persons who are disqualified persons with respect to you, (except individuals who are disqualified persons only because they are foundation managers), appoint any of your foundation managers? If “Yes,” (1) describe the process by which disqualified persons appoint any of your foundation managers, (2) provide the names of these disqualified persons and the foundation managers they appoint, and (3) explain how control is vested over your operations (including assets and activities) by persons other than disqualified persons. Yes No b Do any persons who have a family or business relationship with any disqualified persons with respect to you, (except individuals who are disqualified persons only because they are foundation managers), appoint any of your foundation managers? If “Yes,” (1) describe the process by which individuals with a family or business relationship with disqualified persons appoint any of your foundation managers, (2) provide the names of these disqualified persons, the individuals with a family or business relationship with disqualified persons, and the foundation managers appointed, and (3) explain how control is vested over your operations (including assets and activities) in individuals other than disqualified persons. Yes No c Do any persons who are disqualified persons, (except individuals who are disqualified persons only because they are foundation managers), have any influence regarding your operations, including your assets or activities? If “Yes,” (1) provide the names of these disqualified persons, (2) explain how influence is exerted over your operations (including assets and activities), and (3) explain how control is vested over your operations (including assets and activities) by individuals other than disqualified persons. Yes No Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 20 Schedule E. Organizations Not Filing Form 1023 Within 27 Months of Formation Schedule E is intended to determine whether you are eligible for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) from the postmark date of your application or from your date of incorporation or formation, whichever is earlier. If you are not eligible for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) from your date of incorporation or formation, Schedule E is also intended to determine whether you are eligible for tax exemption under section 501(c)(4) for the period between your date of incorporation or formation and the postmark date of your application. Yes No Yes No b If your gross receipts were normally more than $5,000, are you filing this application within 90 days from the end of the tax year in which your gross receipts were normally more than $5,000? If “Yes,” stop here. Yes No 3a Were you included as a subordinate in a group exemption application or letter? If “No,” go to line 4. Yes No b If you were included as a subordinate in a group exemption letter, are you filing this application within 27 months from the date you were notified by the organization holding the group exemption letter or the Internal Revenue Service that you cease to be covered by the group exemption letter? If “Yes,” stop here. Yes No c If you were included as a subordinate in a timely filed group exemption request that was denied, are you filing this application within 27 months from the postmark date of the Internal Revenue Service final adverse ruling letter? If “Yes,” stop here. Yes No 1 Are you a church, association of churches, or integrated auxiliary of a church? If “Yes,” complete Schedule A and stop here. Do not complete the remainder of Schedule E. 2a Are you a public charity with annual gross receipts that are normally $5,000 or less? If “Yes,” stop here. Answer “No” if you are a private foundation, regardless of your gross receipts. 4 Were you created on or before October 9, 1969? If “Yes,” stop here. Do not complete the remainder of this schedule. Yes No 5 If you answered “No” to lines 1 through 4, we cannot recognize you as tax exempt from your date of formation unless you qualify for an extension of time to apply for exemption. Do you wish to request an extension of time to apply to be recognized as exempt from the date you were formed? If “Yes,” attach a statement explaining why you did not file this application within the 27-month period. Do not answer lines 6, 7, or 8. If “No,” go to line 6a. Yes No Yes No Yes No 6a If you answered “No” to line 5, you can only be exempt under section 501(c)(3) from the postmark date of this application. Therefore, do you want us to treat this application as a request for tax exemption from the postmark date? If “Yes,” you are eligible for an advance ruling. Complete Part X, line 6a. If “No,” you will be treated as a private foundation. Note. Be sure your ruling eligibility agrees with your answer to Part X, line 6. b Do you anticipate significant changes in your sources of support in the future? If “Yes,” complete line 7 below. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 21 Schedule E. Organizations Not Filing Form 1023 Within 27 Months of Formation (Continued) 7 Complete this item only if you answered “Yes” to line 6b. Include projected revenue for the first two full years following the current tax year. Type of Revenue Projected revenue for 2 years following current tax year (a) From To 8 1 Gifts, grants, and contributions received (do not include unusual grants) 2 Membership fees received 3 Gross investment income 4 Net unrelated business income 5 Taxes levied for your benefit 6 Value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit without charge (not including the value of services generally furnished to the public without charge) 7 Any revenue not otherwise listed above or in lines 9–12 below (attach an itemized list) 8 Total of lines 1 through 7 9 Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold, or services performed, or furnishing of facilities in any activity that is related to your exempt purposes (attach itemized list) 10 Total of lines 8 and 9 11 Net gain or loss on sale of capital assets (attach an itemized list) 12 Unusual grants 13 Total revenue. Add lines 10 through 12 (b) From To (c) Total According to your answers, you are only eligible for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) from the postmark date of your application. However, you may be eligible for tax exemption under section 501(c)(4) from your date of formation to the postmark date of the Form 1023. Tax exemption under section 501(c)(4) allows exemption from federal income tax, but generally not deductibility of contributions under Code section 170. Check the box at right if you want us to treat this as a request for exemption under 501(c)(4) from your date of formation to the postmark date. ! Attach a completed Page 1 of Form 1024, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(a), to this application. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Section I Name: EIN: – Page 22 Schedule F. Homes for the Elderly or Handicapped and Low-Income Housing General Information About Your Housing 1 Describe the type of housing you provide. 2 Provide copies of any application forms you use for admission. 3 Explain how the public is made aware of your facility. 4a b c d Provide a description of each facility. What is the total number of residents each facility can accommodate? What is your current number of residents in each facility? Describe each facility in terms of whether residents rent or purchase housing from you. 5 Attach a sample copy of your residency or homeownership contract or agreement. 6 Do you participate in any joint ventures? If “Yes,” state your ownership percentage in each joint venture, list your investment in each joint venture, describe the tax status of other participants in each joint venture (including whether they are section 501(c)(3) organizations), describe the activities of each joint venture, describe how you exercise control over the activities of each joint venture, and describe how each joint venture furthers your exempt purposes. Also, submit copies of all joint venture agreements. Yes No Yes No Note. Make sure your answer is consistent with the information provided in Part VIII, line 8. 7 Do you or will you contract with another organization to develop, build, market, or finance your housing? If “Yes,” explain how that entity is selected, explain how the terms of any contract(s) are negotiated at arm’s length, and explain how you determine you will pay no more than fair market value for services. Note. Make sure your answer is consistent with the information provided in Part VIII, line 7a. 8 Do you or will you manage your activities or facilities through your own employees or volunteers? If “No,” attach a statement describing the activities that will be managed by others, the names of the persons or organizations that manage or will manage your activities or facilities, and how these managers were or will be selected. Also, submit copies of any contracts, proposed contracts, or other agreements regarding the provision of management services for your activities or facilities. Explain how the terms of any contracts or other agreements were or will be negotiated, and explain how you determine you will pay no more than fair market value for services. Note. Answer “Yes” if you do manage or intend to manage your programs through your own employees or by using volunteers. Answer “No” if you engage or intend to engage a separate organization or independent contractor. Make sure your answer is consistent with the information provided in Part VIII, line 7b. Yes No 9 Do you participate in any government housing programs? If “Yes,” describe these programs. Yes No Yes No Yes No 10a Do you own the facility? If “No,” describe any enforceable rights you possess to purchase the facility in the future; go to line 10c. If “Yes,” answer line 10b. b How did you acquire the facility? For example, did you develop it yourself, purchase a project, etc. Attach all contracts, transfer agreements, or other documents connected with the acquisition of the facility. c Do you lease the facility or the land on which it is located? If “Yes,” describe the parties to the lease(s) and provide copies of all leases. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 23 Schedule F. Homes for the Elderly or Handicapped and Low-Income Housing (Continued) Section II Homes for the Elderly or Handicapped 1a Do you provide housing for the elderly? If “Yes,” describe who qualifies for your housing in terms of age, infirmity, or other criteria and explain how you select persons for your housing. Yes No Yes No 2a Do you charge an entrance or founder’s fee? If “Yes,” describe what this charge covers, whether it is a one-time fee, how the fee is determined, whether it is payable in a lump sum or on an installment basis, whether it is refundable, and the circumstances, if any, under which it may be waived. Yes No b Do you charge periodic fees or maintenance charges? If “Yes,” describe what these charges cover and how they are determined. Yes No c Is your housing affordable to a significant segment of the elderly or handicapped persons in the community? Identify your community. Also, if “Yes,” explain how you determine your housing is affordable. Yes No 3a Do you have an established policy concerning residents who become unable to pay their regular charges? If “Yes,” describe your established policy. Yes No Yes No b Do you provide housing for the handicapped? If “Yes,” describe who qualifies for your housing in terms of disability, income levels, or other criteria and explain how you select persons for your housing. b Do you have any arrangements with government welfare agencies or others to absorb all or part of the cost of maintaining residents who become unable to pay their regular charges? If “Yes,” describe these arrangements. 4 Do you have arrangements for the healthcare needs of your residents? If “Yes,” describe these arrangements. Yes No 5 Are your facilities designed to meet the physical, emotional, recreational, social, religious, and/or other similar needs of the elderly or handicapped? If “Yes,” describe these design features. Yes No Section III Low-Income Housing 1 Do you provide low-income housing? If “Yes,” describe who qualifies for your housing in terms of income levels or other criteria, and describe how you select persons for your housing. Yes No 2 In addition to rent or mortgage payments, do residents pay periodic fees or maintenance charges? If “Yes,” describe what these charges cover and how they are determined. Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No 3a Is your housing affordable to low income residents? If “Yes,” describe how your housing is made affordable to low-income residents. Note. Revenue Procedure 96-32, 1996-1 C.B. 717, provides guidelines for providing low-income housing that will be treated as charitable. (At least 75% of the units are occupied by low-income tenants or 40% are occupied by tenants earning not more than 120% of the very low-income levels for the area.) b Do you impose any restrictions to make sure that your housing remains affordable to low-income residents? If “Yes,” describe these restrictions. 4 Do you provide social services to residents? If “Yes,” describe these services. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Name: EIN: – Page 24 Schedule G. Successors to Other Organizations 1a Are you a successor to a for-profit organization? If “Yes,” explain the relationship with the predecessor organization that resulted in your creation and complete line 1b. Yes No 2a Are you a successor to an organization other than a for-profit organization? Answer “Yes” if you have taken or will take over the activities of another organization; or you have taken or will take over 25% or more of the fair market value of the net assets of another organization. If “Yes,” explain the relationship with the other organzation that resulted in your creation. b Provide the tax status of the predecessor organization. c Did you or did an organization to which you are a successor previously apply for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) or any other section of the Code? If “Yes,” explain how the application was resolved. Yes No Yes No d Was your prior tax exemption or the tax exemption of an organization to which you are a successor revoked or suspended? If “Yes,” explain. Include a description of the corrections you made to re-establish tax exemption. e Explain why you took over the activities or assets of another organization. Yes No b Explain why you took over the activities or assets of a for-profit organization or converted from for-profit to nonprofit status. 3 Provide the name, last address, and EIN of the predecessor organization and describe its activities. Name: EIN: Address: 4 List the owners, partners, principal stockholders, officers, and governing board members of the predecessor organization. Attach a separate sheet if additional space is needed. Name 5 Address – Share/Interest (If a for-profit) Do or will any of the persons listed in line 4, maintain a working relationship with you? If “Yes,” describe the relationship in detail and include copies of any agreements with any of these persons or with any for-profit organizations in which these persons own more than a 35% interest. 6a Were any assets transferred, whether by gift or sale, from the predecessor organization to you? If “Yes,” provide a list of assets, indicate the value of each asset, explain how the value was determined, and attach an appraisal, if available. For each asset listed, also explain if the transfer was by gift, sale, or combination thereof. b Were any restrictions placed on the use or sale of the assets? If “Yes,” explain the restrictions. Yes No Yes No Yes No c Provide a copy of the agreement(s) of sale or transfer. 7 Were any debts or liabilities transferred from the predecessor for-profit organization to you? If “Yes,” provide a list of the debts or liabilities that were transferred to you, indicating the amount of each, how the amount was determined, and the name of the person to whom the debt or liability is owed. Yes No 8 Will you lease or rent any property or equipment previously owned or used by the predecessor for-profit organization, or from persons listed in line 4, or from for-profit organizations in which these persons own more than a 35% interest? If “Yes,” submit a copy of the lease or rental agreement(s). Indicate how the lease or rental value of the property or equipment was determined. Yes No 9 Will you lease or rent property or equipment to persons listed in line 4, or to for-profit organizations in which these persons own more than a 35% interest? If “Yes,” attach a list of the property or equipment, provide a copy of the lease or rental agreement(s), and indicate how the lease or rental value of the property or equipment was determined. Yes No Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) – Name: EIN: Page 25 Schedule H. Organizations Providing Scholarships, Fellowships, Educational Loans, or Other Educational Grants to Individuals and Private Foundations Requesting Advance Approval of Individual Grant Procedures Section I Names of individual recipients are not required to be listed in Schedule H. Public charities and private foundations complete lines 1a through 7 of this section. See the instructions to Part X if you are not sure whether you are a public charity or a private foundation. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) 1a Describe the types of educational grants you provide to individuals, such as scholarships, fellowships, loans, etc. b Describe the purpose and amount of your scholarships, fellowships, and other educational grants and loans that you award. c d e f If you award educational loans, explain the terms of the loans (interest rate, length, forgiveness, etc.). Specify how your program is publicized. Provide copies of any solicitation or announcement materials. Provide a sample copy of the application used. 2 Do you maintain case histories showing recipients of your scholarships, fellowships, educational loans, or other educational grants, including names, addresses, purposes of awards, amount of each grant, manner of selection, and relationship (if any) to officers, trustees, or donors of funds to you? If “No,” refer to the instructions. 3 Describe the specific criteria you use to determine who is eligible for your program. (For example, eligibility selection criteria could consist of graduating high school students from a particular high school who will attend college, writers of scholarly works about American history, etc.) Yes No 4a Describe the specific criteria you use to select recipients. (For example, specific selection criteria could consist of prior academic performance, financial need, etc.) b Describe how you determine the number of grants that will be made annually. c Describe how you determine the amount of each of your grants. d Describe any requirement or condition that you impose on recipients to obtain, maintain, or qualify for renewal of a grant. (For example, specific requirements or conditions could consist of attendance at a four-year college, maintaining a certain grade point average, teaching in public school after graduation from college, etc.) 5 Describe your procedures for supervising the scholarships, fellowships, educational loans, or other educational grants. Describe whether you obtain reports and grade transcripts from recipients, or you pay grants directly to a school under an arrangement whereby the school will apply the grant funds only for enrolled students who are in good standing. Also, describe your procedures for taking action if the terms of the award are violated. 6 Who is on the selection committee for the awards made under your program, including names of current committee members, criteria for committee membership, and the method of replacing committee members? 7 Are relatives of members of the selection committee, or of your officers, directors, or substantial contributors eligible for awards made under your program? If “Yes,” what measures are taken to ensure unbiased selections? Yes No Note. If you are a private foundation, you are not permitted to provide educational grants to disqualified persons. Disqualified persons include your substantial contributors and foundation managers and certain family members of disqualified persons. Section II Private foundations complete lines 1a through 4f of this section. Public charities do not complete this section. 1a If we determine that you are a private foundation, do you want this application to be considered as a request for advance approval of grant making procedures? Yes No N/A b For which section(s) do you wish to be considered? ● 4945(g)(1)—Scholarship or fellowship grant to an individual for study at an educational institution ● 4945(g)(3)—Other grants, including loans, to an individual for travel, study, or other similar purposes, to enhance a particular skill of the grantee or to produce a specific product 2 Do you represent that you will (1) arrange to receive and review grantee reports annually and upon completion of the purpose for which the grant was awarded, (2) investigate diversions of funds from their intended purposes, and (3) take all reasonable and appropriate steps to recover diverted funds, ensure other grant funds held by a grantee are used for their intended purposes, and withhold further payments to grantees until you obtain grantees’ assurances that future diversions will not occur and that grantees will take extraordinary precautions to prevent future diversions from occurring? Yes No 3 Do you represent that you will maintain all records relating to individual grants, including information obtained to evaluate grantees, identify whether a grantee is a disqualified person, establish the amount and purpose of each grant, and establish that you undertook the supervision and investigation of grants described in line 2? Yes No Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) – Name: EIN: Page 26 Schedule H. Organizations Providing Scholarships, Fellowships, Educational Loans, or Other Educational Grants to Individuals and Private Foundations Requesting Advance Approval of Individual Grant Procedures (Continued) Section II Private foundations complete lines 1a through 4f of this section. Public charities do not complete this section. (Continued) Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) 4a Do you or will you award scholarships, fellowships, and educational loans to attend an educational institution based on the status of an individual being an employee of a particular employer? If “Yes,” complete lines 4b through 4f. Yes No b Will you comply with the seven conditions and either the percentage tests or facts and circumstances test for scholarships, fellowships, and educational loans to attend an educational institution as set forth in Revenue Procedures 76-47, 1976-2 C.B. 670, and 80-39, 1980-2 C.B. 772, which apply to inducement, selection committee, eligibility requirements, objective basis of selection, employment, course of study, and other objectives? (See lines 4c, 4d, and 4e, regarding the percentage tests.) c Do you or will you provide scholarships, fellowships, or educational loans to attend an educational institution to employees of a particular employer? Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No If “Yes,” will you award grants to 10% or fewer of the eligible applicants who were actually considered by the selection committee in selecting recipients of grants in that year as provided by Revenue Procedures 76-47 and 80-39? d Do you provide scholarships, fellowships, or educational loans to attend an educational institution to children of employees of a particular employer? If “Yes,” will you award grants to 25% or fewer of the eligible applicants who were actually considered by the selection committee in selecting recipients of grants in that year as provided by Revenue Procedures 76-47 and 80-39? If “No,” go to line 4e. e If you provide scholarships, fellowships, or educational loans to attend an educational institution to children of employees of a particular employer, will you award grants to 10% or fewer of the number of employees’ children who can be shown to be eligible for grants (whether or not they submitted an application) in that year, as provided by Revenue Procedures 76-47 and 80-39? N/A N/A N/A If “Yes,” describe how you will determine who can be shown to be eligible for grants without submitting an application, such as by obtaining written statements or other information about the expectations of employees’ children to attend an educational institution. If “No,” go to line 4f. Note. Statistical or sampling techniques are not acceptable. See Revenue Procedure 85-51, 1985-2 C.B. 717, for additional information. f If you provide scholarships, fellowships, or educational loans to attend an educational institution to children of employees of a particular employer without regard to either the 25% limitation described in line 4d, or the 10% limitation described in line 4e, will you award grants based on facts and circumstances that demonstrate that the grants will not be considered compensation for past, present, or future services or otherwise provide a significant benefit to the particular employer? If “Yes,” describe the facts and circumstances that you believe will demonstrate that the grants are neither compensatory nor a significant benefit to the particular employer. In your explanation, describe why you cannot satisfy either the 25% test described in line 4d or the 10% test described in line 4e. Form 1023 (Rev. 6-2006) Form 1023 Checklist (Revised June 2006) Application for Recognition of Exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code Note. Retain a copy of the completed Form 1023 in your permanent records. Refer to the General Instructions regarding Public Inspection of approved applications. Check each box to finish your application (Form 1023). Send this completed Checklist with your filled-in application. If you have not answered all the items below, your application may be returned to you as incomplete. Assemble the application and materials in this order: ● Form 1023 Checklist ● Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative (if filing) ● Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization (if filing) ● Expedite request (if requesting) ● Application (Form 1023 and Schedules A through H, as required) ● Articles of organization ● Amendments to articles of organization in chronological order ● Bylaws or other rules of operation and amendments ● Documentation of nondiscriminatory policy for schools, as required by Schedule B ● Form 5768, Election/Revocation of Election by an Eligible Section 501(c)(3) Organization To Make Expenditures To Influence Legislation (if filing) ● All other attachments, including explanations, financial data, and printed materials or publications. Label each page with name and EIN. User fee payment placed in envelope on top of checklist. DO NOT STAPLE or otherwise attach your check or money order to your application. Instead, just place it in the envelope. Employer Identification Number (EIN) Completed Parts I through XI of the application, including any requested information and any required Schedules A through H. ● You must provide specific details about your past, present, and planned activities. ● Generalizations or failure to answer questions in the Form 1023 application will prevent us from recognizing you as tax exempt. ● Describe your purposes and proposed activities in specific easily understood terms. ● Financial information should correspond with proposed activities. Schedules. Submit only those schedules that apply to you and check either “Yes” or “No” below. Schedule A Yes No Schedule E Yes No Schedule B Yes No Schedule F Yes No Schedule C Yes No Schedule G Yes No Schedule D Yes No Schedule H Yes No An exact copy of your complete articles of organization (creating document). Absence of the proper purpose and dissolution clauses is the number one reason for delays in the issuance of determination letters. ● Location of Purpose Clause from Part III, line 1 (Page, Article and Paragraph Number) ● Location of Dissolution Clause from Part III, line 2b or 2c (Page, Article and Paragraph Number) or by operation of state law Signature of an officer, director, trustee, or other official who is authorized to sign the application. ● Signature at Part XI of Form 1023. Your name on the application must be the same as your legal name as it appears in your articles of organization. Send completed Form 1023, user fee payment, and all other required information, to: Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 192 Covington, KY 41012-0192 If you are using express mail or a delivery service, send Form 1023, user fee payment, and attachments to: Internal Revenue Service 201 West Rivercenter Blvd. Attn: Extracting Stop 312 Covington, KY 41011 Internal Revenue Service Tax Exempt and Government Entities Exempt Organizations Compliance Guide for 501(c)(3) Public Charities Covers: Activities that may jeopardize a charity's exempt status Federal information returns, tax returns or notices that must be filed Recordkeeping—why, what, when Governance considerations Changes to be reported to the IRS Required public disclosures Resources for public charities i 501 What activities may jeopardize a public charity’s tax-exempt status?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Private Benefit and Inurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Political Campaign Intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Legislative Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What federal information returns, tax returns and notices must be filed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Form 990, Return Of Organization Exempt From Income Tax, Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return Of Organization Exempt From Income Tax and Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations not Required To File Form 990 or 990-EZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Form 990 and Form 990-EZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations not Required To File Form 990 or 990-EZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Employment Tax Returns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why keep records? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evaluate Charitable Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitor Budgetary Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepare Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepare Annual Information and Tax Returns . . . . . . . . . . . Identify Sources of Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Substantiate Revenues, Expenses and Deductions for Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) Purposes . . . Comply with Grant-Making Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comply with Racial Nondiscrimination Requirements . . . . 2 2 3 8 10 10 13 16 18 20 22 23 23 24 24 24 25 25 25 What records should be kept? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Accounting Periods and Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Supporting Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 How long should records be kept?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Record Retention Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 What governance procedures and practices should an organization consider adopting or have in place?. . . . . . . Mission Statement & Organizational Documents . . . . . . . . Governing Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Governance and Management Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Financial Statement and Information Reporting . . . . . . . . . Transparency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 31 31 32 32 32 How should changes be reported to the IRS?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Reporting Changes on the Annual Information Return . . . 33 Determination Letters and Private Letter Ruling Requests. 33 What disclosures are required?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Inspection of Annual Returns and Exemption Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sale of Free Government Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charitable Contributions—Substantiation And Disclosure. 35 35 38 38 How to get IRS assistance and information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Specialized Assistance for Tax-Exempt Organizations. . . . . 41 Tax Publications for Exempt Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Forms for Exempt Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 General IRS Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back cover (c)(3) F ederal tax law provides tax benefits to nonprofit organizations recognized as exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). The Code requires that tax-exempt organizations must comply with federal tax law to maintain tax-exempt status and avoid penalties. In this publication, the IRS addresses activities that could jeopardize a public charity's tax-exempt status. It identifies general compliance requirements on recordkeeping, reporting, and disclosure for exempt organizations (EO’s) described in section 501(c)(3) of the Code that are classified as public charities. Content includes references to the statute, Treasury regulations, IRS publications and IRS forms with instructions. Publication 4221-PC is neither comprehensive nor intended to address every situation. To learn more about compliance rules and procedures that apply to public charities exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3), see IRS Publication 557, Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization, and the Life Cycle of a Public Charity on www.irs.gov/eo. Stay abreast of new EO information, also on this Web site, by signing up for the EO Update, a free newsletter for tax-exempt organizations and practitioners who represent them. For further assistance, consult a tax adviser. 1 What activities may jeopardize a public charity’s tax-exempt status? Once a public charity has completed the application process and has established that it is exempt under section 501(c)(3), the charity’s officers, directors, trustees and employees must ensure that the organization maintains its tax-exempt status and meets its ongoing compliance responsibilities. A 501(c)(3) public charity that does not restrict its participation in certain activities and does not absolutely refrain from others, risks failing the operational test and jeopardizing its tax-exempt status.The following summarizes the limitations on the activities of public charities. Private Benefit and Inurement A public charity is prohibited from allowing more than an insubstantial accrual of private benefit to individuals or organizations.This restriction is to ensure that a tax-exempt organization serves a public interest, not a private one. If a private benefit is more than incidental, it could jeopardize the organization’s tax-exempt status. No part of an organization’s net earnings may inure to the benefit of an insider. An insider is a person who has a personal or private interest in the activities of the organization such as an officer, director, or a key employee.This means that an organization is prohibited from allowing its income or assets to accrue to insiders. An example of prohibited inurement would include payment of unreasonable 2 501 compensation to an insider. Any amount of inurement may be grounds for loss of tax-exempt status. If a public charity provides an economic benefit to any person who is in a position to exercise substantial influence over its affairs (that exceeds the value of any goods or services provided in consideration), the organization has engaged in an excess benefit transaction. A public charity that engages in such a transaction must report it to the IRS. Excise taxes are imposed on any person who engages in an excess benefit transaction with a public charity, and on any organization manager who knowingly approves such a transaction. (See Reporting Excess Benefit Transactions on page 15). A public charity that becomes aware that it may have engaged in an excess benefit transaction should consult a tax advisor and take appropriate action to avoid any potential impact it could have on the organization’s continued exempt status. Go to www.irs.gov/eo for details about inurement, private benefit, and excess benefit transactions. Political Campaign Intervention Public charities are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) a candidate for public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violation of this prohibition may result in revocation of tax-exempt status and/or imposition of certain excise taxes. 501 3 (c)(3)- PC 3 Certain activities or expenditures may not be prohibited depending on the facts and circumstances. For example, the conduct of certain voter education activities (including the presentation of public forums and the publication of voter education guides) in a non-partisan manner do not constitute prohibited political campaign activity. Other activities intended to encourage people to participate in the electoral process, such as voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, would not constitute prohibited political campaign activity if conducted in a non-partisan manner. On the other hand, voter education or registration activities with evidence of bias that would favor one candidate over another, oppose a candidate in some manner, or have the effect of favoring a candidate or group of candidates, will constitute campaign intervention. The political campaign activity prohibition is not intended to restrict free expression on political matters by leaders of public charities speaking for themselves as individuals. However, for their organizations to remain tax exempt under section 501(c)(3), organization leaders cannot make partisan comments in official organization publications or at official functions. When speaking in a non-official capacity, these leaders should clearly indicate that their comments are personal, and not intended to represent the views of the organization. Some section 501(c)(3) organizations take positions on public policy issues, including issues that divide candidates in an election for public office. However, section 501(c)(3) organizations must avoid any issue advocacy that functions as political campaign intervention. Even if a statement does not expressly 4 501 tell an audience to vote for or against a specific candidate, an organization delivering the statement is at risk of violating the political campaign intervention prohibition if there is any message favoring or opposing a candidate. A statement can identify a candidate not only by stating the candidate's name but also by other means such as showing a picture of the candidate, referring to political party affiliations, or other distinctive features of a candidate's platform or biography. All the facts and circumstances need to be considered to determine if the advocacy is political campaign intervention. The IRS considers the following factors that tend to show an advocacy communication is political campaign activity: N whether the statement identifies one or more candidates for a given public office, N whether the statement expresses approval or disapproval for one or more candidates' positions and/or actions, N whether the statement is delivered close in time to the election, N whether the statement makes reference to voting or an election, N whether the issue addressed in the communication has been raised as an issue distinguishing candidates for a given office, N whether the communication is part of an ongoing series of communications by the organization on the same issue that are made independent of the timing of any election, and N whether the timing of the communication and identification of the candidate are related to a non-electoral event such as a scheduled vote on 501 5 (c)(3)- PC 5 specific legislation by an officeholder who also happens to be a candidate for public office. A communication is particularly at risk of political campaign intervention when it makes reference to candidates or voting in a specific upcoming election. Nevertheless, the communication must still be considered in context before arriving at any conclusions. Political candidates may be invited to appear or speak at organization events in their capacity as candidates, or individually (not as a candidate). Candidates may also appear without an invitation at organization events that are open to the public. When a candidate is invited to speak at a public charity's event as a candidate, factors in determining whether the organization participated or intervened in a political campaign include the following: N whether the public charity provides an equal opportunity to the political candidates seeking the same office, N whether the public charity indicates any support of or opposition to the candidate. N whether any political fundraising occurs. When a candidate is invited to speak at a public charity’s event in an individual (non-candidate) capacity, factors in determining whether the organization participated or intervened in a political campaign include the following: N whether the individual is chosen to speak solely for reasons other than candidacy for public office, N whether the individual speaks in a non-candidate capacity or references his or her candidacy or the election, 6 501 N whether the organization maintains a nonpartisan atmosphere on the premises or at the event where the candidate is present, and N whether the organization clearly indicates the capacity in which the candidate is appearing and does not mention the individual's political candidacy or the upcoming election in the communications announcing the candidate's attendance at the event. In determining whether candidates are given an equal opportunity to participate, a public charity should consider the nature of the event to which each candidate is invited, in addition to the manner of presentation. For example, a public charity that invites one candidate to speak at its well attended annual banquet, but invites the opposing candidate to speak at a sparsely attended general meeting, will likely be found to have violated the political campaign prohibition, even if the manner of presentation for both speakers is otherwise neutral. Sometimes a public charity invites several candidates to speak at a public forum. A public forum involving several candidates for public office may qualify as an exempt educational activity. However, if the forum is operated to show a bias for or against any candidate, then the forum would be prohibited campaign activity, as it would be considered intervention or participation in a political campaign. When an organization invites several candidates to speak at a forum, it should consider the following factors: N whether questions for the candidate are prepared and presented by an independent nonpartisan panel, N whether the topics discussed by the candidates cover a broad range of issues that the candidates 7 501 would address if elected to the office sought and are of interest to the public, Nwhether each candidate is given an equal opportunity to present his or her views on the issues discussed, Nwhether the candidates are asked to agree or disagree with positions, agendas, platforms or statements of the organization, and whether a moderator comments on the questions or otherwise implies approval or disapproval of the candidates. Read Revenue Ruling 2007-41 at www.irs.gov/eo for additional information on the prohibition against political campaign intervention. When a 501(c)(3) public charity participates in political campaign activity, it jeopardizes both its tax-exempt status and its eligibility to receive tax-deductible contributions. In addition, an excise tax may be imposed in addition to, or instead of revocation. Legislative Activities A public charity is not permitted to engage in substantial legislative activity (commonly referred to as lobbying). An organization will be regarded as attempting to influence legislation if it contacts, or urges the public to contact, members or employees of a legislative body for purposes of proposing, supporting or opposing legislation, or advocates the adoption or rejection of legislation. If lobbying activities are substantial, a 501(c)(3) organization may fail the operational test and risk losing its tax-exempt status and/or be liable for excise taxes. Substantiality is measured by either the substantial part test or the expenditure test. 8 501 The substantial part test determines substantiality on the basis of all the pertinent facts and circumstances in each case.The IRS considers a variety of factors, including the time and expenditures devoted by the organization to the activity, when determining whether the lobbying activity is substantial. As an alternative, a public charity (other than a church) may elect to use the expenditure test by filing Form 5768, Election/Revocation of Election by an Eligible Section 501(c)(3) Organizations To Make Expenditures To Influence Legislation. Under the expenditure test, a public charity’s lobbying activity will not jeopardize its tax-exempt status provided its expenditures related to lobbying do not normally exceed a set amount specified in section 4911 of the Code.This limit is generally based on the size of the organization and may not exceed $1 million. Also, under the expenditure test, a public charity that engages in excessive lobbying activity over a four-year period may lose its tax-exempt status, making all of its income for that period subject to tax. Should the organization exceed its lobbying expenditure dollar limit in a particular year, it must pay an excise tax equal to 25 percent of the excess. Read the Life Cycle of a Public Charity at www.irs.gov/eo for additional information about the rules against substantial legislative activities. Public charities that engage in lobbying activities must report lobbying activities on Form 990, Schedule C, Political Campaign and Lobbying Activities. 9 501 What federal information returns, tax returns and notices must be filed? While 501(c)(3) public charities are exempt from federal income tax, most of these organizations have information reporting obligations under the Code to ensure that they continue to be recognized as tax-exempt. In addition, they may also be liable for employment taxes, unrelated business income tax, excise taxes, and certain state and local taxes. Form 990, Return Of Organization Exempt From Income Tax, Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return Of Organization Exempt From Income Tax and Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations not Required To File Form 990 or 990-EZ Public charities generally file either a: NForm 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, NForm 990-EZ, Short Form Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, or NForm 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations not RequiredTo File Form 990 or 990-EZ. Form 990 has been substantially redesigned for 2008 and beyond (to be filed in 2009 and later). The type of Form 990 series return a public charity must file is generally determined by the organization's gross receipts and total assets.The IRS redesigned Form 990 and adjusted the filing thresholds over a graduated three-year transition period, starting in 2008, to allow small organizations to file Form 990-EZ while they become familiar with and prepare to use the new Form 990. 10 501 The charts below explain which Form 990 tax-exempt organization is required to file in the coming tax years. 2008 Tax Year (Filed in 2009 or 2010) Form to File Gross receipts normally ≤ $25,000 990-N Gross receipts > $25,000 and < $1 million, and Total assets < $2.5 million 990-EZ or 990 Gross receipts ≥ $1 million, or Total assets ≥ $2.5 million 2009 Tax Year (Filed in 2010 or 2011) 990 Form to File Gross receipts normally ≤ $25,000 990-N Gross receipts > $25,000 and < $500,000, and Total assets < $1.25 million 990-EZ or 990 Gross receipts ≥ $500,000, or Total assets ≥ $1.25 million 2010 Tax Year and later (Filed in 2011 and later) 990 Form to File Gross receipts normally ≤ $50,000 990-N Gross receipts > $50,000 and < $200,000, and Total assets < $500,000 990-EZ or 990 Gross receipts ≥ $200,000, or Total assets ≥ $500,000 990 Filing Dates Forms 990, 990-EZ, and 990-N must be filed by the 15th day of the fifth month after the end of the organization’s annual accounting period.The due date for the Forms 990 and 990-EZ may be extended for three months, without showing cause, by filing Form 8868, Application for Extension of Time To File an Exempt Organization Form, before the due date. An additional three-month extension may be 501 11 (c)(3)- PC 11 requested on Form 8868 if the organization shows reasonable cause why the return cannot be filed by the extended due date. An organization cannot request for extension for filing the Form 990-N; however, there is no penalty for filing it late. See Filing Penalties and Revocation of Tax-Exempt Status on page 18. Filing Exceptions Public charities that are not required to file Forms 990 or 990-EZ include: N churches and certain church-affiliated organizations, N certain organizations affiliated with governmental units, N subordinate organizations included in a group return filed by the parent organization, and N organizations whose annual gross receipts are normally $25,000 or less (see Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations not Required To File Form 990 or 990-EZ on page 16). If a public charity is excepted from filing a Form 990 or Form 990-EZ because annual gross receipts are normally $25,000 or less, and it elects to file the Form 990 or Form 990-EZ, it must complete the entire return; otherwise, it must file the e-Postcard, Form 990-N, electronically. An organization that only completes those items of information on the Form 990 or Form 990-EZ that are required to be provided on an electronic Form 990-N will not be deemed to have met its electronic notice requirement. See Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) forTax-Exempt Organizations not Required To File Form 990 or 990EZ on page 16. 12 501 Special Requirements for Supporting Organizations and Donor Advised Funds Public charities that are supporting organizations described in section 509(a)(3) are generally required to file Form 990 or Form 990-EZ even if their gross receipts are normally $25,000 or less, effective for returns filed after August 17, 2006. Supporting organizations of religious organizations need not file Form 990 or Form 990-EZ if their gross receipts are normally $5,000 or less. Such organizations will, however, be required to file the Form 990-N. Supporting organizations will be required to indicate whether they are a Type 1, Type 2, a Type 3-Functionally Integrated or Type 3-Other supporting organization, identify their supported organizations, and annually certify that they are not controlled by a disqualified person. See the instructions for Schedule A (Form 990 or Form 990-EZ), Public Charity Status and Public Support and Notice 2006-109 to determine an organization’s appropriate supporting organization type for information return purposes. Learn about new requirements applicable to supporting organizations on the IRS Nonprofits and Charities Web site at www.irs.gov/eo. Sponsoring organizations of donor advised funds (defined as organizations that maintain one or more donor advised funds), and organizations that have controlled entities are required to file Form 990 rather than Form 990-EZ or 990-N. Form 990 and Form 990-EZ Form 990 consists of a core form and schedules. Each organization that files the form must complete the entire core form. The core Form 990 includes a 501 13 (c)(3)- PC 13 Summary Page that provides a "snapshot" of the organization's key financial and operating information for the current and prior year. All Form 990 filers will provide information about their program service accomplishments, compensation of certain officers, directors and key employees as well as information about governance practices and procedures and financial information. Each organization that files Form 990 must complete Part IV of Form 990, Checklist of Required Schedules, to determine which schedules it must complete based on its activities. See the instructions for Form 990-EZ for information about which schedules 990-EZ filers must complete. Schedule A, Public Charity Status and Public Support, and Schedule B, Schedule of Contributors Public charities that file Form 990 or Form 990-EZ must file Schedule A of that return. Schedule A is used to report information about the organization's public charity status and public support. A new organization will be classified as a public charity, and not a private foundation, for its first five years if it can show that it can reasonably be expected to be publicly supported. If the organization can make this showing, it will be a public charity for its first five years regardless of the public support it actually receives. The IRS will monitor a new organization's public charity status after the first five years of existence based on the public support information reported annually by the organization on Schedule A of Form 990 based on a five year computation period 14 501 that consists of the current year and the four years immediately preceding the current year. Beginning with the organization's sixth year and for all succeeding years, if an organization meets the public support test on Schedule A, the organization will remain a public charity for that current year and the next year. If a publicly supported charity fails the public support test for two consecutive years, it will be reclassified as a private foundation. An organization that received an advance ruling determining it a publicly supported organization on or after June 9, 2008, will automatically be classified as a publicly supported organization and need not file Form 8734 at the end of the advance ruling period. See Publication 4220, Applying for 501(c)(3) TaxExempt Status, for details on the distinctions between public charities and private foundations. Also go to www.irs.gov/eo for additional information on the elimination of the advance ruling process. Most public charities that received contributions of $5,000 or more from any one contributor must file Schedule B, Schedule of Contributors. See Part IV, line 2 of Form 990 and the instructions to Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ) for complete instructions Also see www.irs.gov/eo for additional information about other schedules that a public charity may be required to complete based on the nature of its activities. Reporting Excess Benefit Transactions If a public charity believes it provided an excess benefit to a person who is in a position to exercise 501 15 (c)(3)- PC 15 substantial influence over the organization’s affairs, it must report the transaction on Form 990 or Form 990-EZ. Excess benefit transactions are governed by section 4958 of the Code. See Appendix G of the Form 990 Instructions for a discussion of section 4958, and Schedule L, Part I, regarding reporting of excess benefit transactions . Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations not Required To File Form 990 or 990-EZ Any public charity that is not required to file Form 990 or 990-EZ because its annual gross receipts are normally $25,000 or less must instead file Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations not Required to File Form 990 or Form 990-EZ. Only churches, their integrated auxiliaries, and conventions or associations of churches, and subordinate organizations included in a group return filed by a parent organization are excused from filing Form 990-N. The Form 990-N is due by the 15th day of the fifth month after the close of your tax period. For example, if your organization’s tax period ends on December 31, 2009, the Form 990-N is due May 15, 2010. The e-Postcard cannot be filed until the organization's tax year ends. You can access the e-Postcard filing system through the IRS Charities and Nonprofits Web site, www.irs.gov/eo or by going directly to the filing system Web site at http://epostcard.form990.org. The form must be completed and filed electronically. There is no paper form. 16 501 An organization is required to provide the following information on Form 990-N: N the organization’s legal name, N any other names the organization uses, N the organization’s mailing address, N the organization’s Web site address (if applicable), N the organization’s employer identification number (EIN), also known as a taxpayer identification number (TIN), N name and address of a principal officer of the organization, N the organization’s annual tax period, N confirmation that the organization’s annual gross receipts are still normally $25,000 or less, and N if applicable, a statement that the organization has terminated or is terminating (going out of business). Read Filing Penalties and Revocation of Tax-Exempt Status on page 18 on the consequences for failure to file this annual electronic notice and www.irs. gov/eo for information about the Form 990-N. e-Filing Requirements Public charities with $10 million or more in total assets and that also file at least 250 returns in a calendar year, (including income, excise, employment tax, and information returns such as Forms W-2 and 1099), are required to electronically file Form 990. Other public charities are given a choice to file Form 990 electronically. Click on the “IRS e-file” logo on the IRS Web site to get the facts on e-filing. 501 17 (c)(3)- PC 17 FILING PENALTIES AND REVOCATION OF TAX-EXEMPT STATUS If a Form 990 or Form 990-EZ is not filed, the IRS may assess penalties on the organization of $20 per day until it is filed. This penalty also applies when the filer fails to include required information or to show correct information. The penalty for failure to file a return or a complete return may not exceed the lesser of $10,000 or 5 percent of the organization’s gross receipts. For an organization that has gross receipts of over $1 million for the year, the penalty is $100 a day up to a maximum of $50,000. The IRS may impose penalties on organization managers who do not comply with a written demand that the information be filed. Section 6033(j) of the Code provides that failure to file Form 990, Form 990-EZ, or Form 990-N for 3 consecutive years results in revocation of tax-exempt status as of the filing due date for the third return. An organization whose exemption is revoked under this section must apply for reinstatement by filing a Form 1023 and paying a user fee, whether or not the organization was originally required to file for exemption. Reinstatement of exemption may be retroactive if the organization shows that the failure to file was for reasonable cause. Information with respect to the implementation of Section 6033(i) is available at www.irs.gov/eo. Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return A public charity must file a Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return, if it has $1,000 or more of gross income from an unrelated trade or business during the year. Net income from income-producing activities is taxable if the activities: N constitute a trade or business, N are regularly carried on, and N are not substantially related to the organization’s exempt purpose. 18 501 Examples of unrelated business income may include income from advertising in publications, income from gaming (except for income from traditional bingo under certain circumstances), and income from the sale of merchandise unrelated to the organization's exempt purpose. Whether an income-producing activity is an unrelated trade or business activity depends on all the facts and circumstances. For more information, see IRS Publication 598, Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations. The public charity must pay quarterly estimated tax on unrelated business income if it expects its tax for the year to be $500 or more. Form 990-W, Estimated Tax on Unrelated Business Taxable Income for TaxExempt Organizations, is a worksheet to determine the amount of estimated tax payments required. FORM 990-T FILING PENALTIES An organization may be subject to interest and penalty charges if it files a late return, fails to pay tax when due, or fails to pay estimated tax, if required, even if it did not expect its tax for the year to be $500 or more. Exceptions and Special Rules Income from certain trade or business activities is excepted from the definition of unrelated business income. Earnings from these sources are not subject to the unrelated business income tax. Exceptions generally include business income from: N activities, including fundraisers, that are conducted by volunteer workers, or where donated merchandise is sold; 501 19 (c)(3)- PC 19 N activities conducted by a charitable organization or by a governmental college or university for the convenience of members, students, patients or employees; N qualified conventions and trade shows; N qualified sponsorship activities; and N qualified bingo activities. Income from investments and other “passive” activities is usually excluded from the calculation of unrelated business taxable income. Examples of this type of income include earnings from routine investments such as certificates of deposit, savings accounts, or stock dividends, royalties, certain rents from real property, and certain gains or losses from the sale of property. Special rules apply to income derived from real estate or other investments purchased with borrowed funds. Such income is called “debt-financed” income. Unrelated debt-financed income generally is subject to the unrelated business income tax. To learn about unrelated business income, get Publication 598, Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations, Form 990-T instructions, and Form 990-W instructions at www.irs.gov. Employment Tax Returns Like other employers, all public charities that pay wages to employees must withhold, deposit, and pay employment tax, including federal income tax withholding and Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes. A public charity must withhold federal income tax from employee wages and pay FICA on 20 501 each employee paid $100 or more in wages during a calendar year.To know how much income tax to withhold, a public charity should have a Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate, on file for each employee. Employment taxes are reported on Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return. If a small employer (one who has withheld employment taxes of $1,000 or less during the year) has been instructed by IRS to file Form 944, Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return instead of Form 941, the employer must do so.The employer must file Form 944 even if there is no tax due or if the taxes exceed $1,000 unless IRS tells it to file Form 941 (or it is filing a final return). See the instructions to Form 944 for information on how to have the filing requirement changed from Form 944 to Form 941. Any person that fails to withhold and pay employment tax may be subject to penalties. Public charities do not pay federal unemployment (FUTA) tax. Public charities do not generally have to withhold or pay employment tax on payments to independent contractors, but they may have information reporting requirements. If a charity incorrectly classifies an employee as an independent contractor, it may be held liable for employment taxes for that worker. The requirements for withholding, depositing, reporting and paying employment taxes are explained in Publication 15, Circular E, Employer’s Tax Guide. For help in determining if workers are employees or independent contractors, see 21 501 Publication 15-A, Employer’s Supplemental Tax Guide. Publication 557, Tax Exempt Status forYour Organization, covers the employment tax responsibilities of public charities.These IRS publications can be downloaded at www.irs.gov. Employment Taxes and Churches Although churches are excepted from filing Form 990, they do have employment tax responsibilities. Employees of churches or church-controlled organizations are subject to income tax withholding, but may be exempt from FICA taxes. Like other 501(c)(3) organizations, churches are not required to pay federal unemployment tax (FUTA). In addition, although ministers generally are common law employees, they are not treated as employees for employment tax purposes.These special employment tax rules for members of the clergy and religious workers are explained in Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers. Churches also should consult Publications 15 and 15-A and Publication 1828, Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations. Why keep records? In general, a public charity must maintain books and records to show that it complies with tax rules. The charity must be able to document the sources of receipts and expenditures reported on Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt From IncomeTax or 22 501 Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax, and Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return. (See Prepare Annual Information and Tax Returns on page 24.) If an organization does not keep required records, it may not be able to show that it qualifies for taxexempt status or should be classified as a public charity.Thus, the organization may lose its taxexempt status or be classified as a private foundation rather than a public charity. In addition, a public charity may be unable to complete its returns accurately and, hence, may be subject to penalties described under Filing Penalties and Revocation of Tax-Exempt Status on page 18. When good recordkeeping systems are in place, a public charity can evaluate the success of its programs, monitor its budget, and prepare its financial statements and returns. Evaluate Charitable Programs A charity can use records to evaluate the success of its charitable program and determine whether the organization is achieving desired results. Good records can also help a charity identify problem areas and determine what changes it may need to make to improve performance. Monitor Budgetary Results Without proper financial records, it is difficult for a charity to assess whether it has been successful in adhering to budgetary guidelines.The ability to monitor income and expenses and ensure that the organization is operating within its budget is crucial to successful stewardship of a public charity. 23 501 Prepare Financial Statements It is important to maintain sufficient financial information in order to prepare accurate and timely annual financial statements. A charity may need these statements when it is working with banks, creditors, contributors, and funding organizations. Some states require charities to make audited financial statements publicly available. Prepare Annual Information and Tax Returns Records must support income, expenses, and credits reported on Form 990 series and other tax returns. Generally, these are the same records used to monitor programs and prepare financial statements. Books and records of public charities must be available for inspection by the IRS. If the IRS examines a public charity’s returns, the organization must have records to explain items reported. Having a complete set of records will speed up the examination. Identify Sources of Receipts Public charities may receive money or property from many sources. With thorough recordkeeping, a charity can identify the sources of receipts. Organizations need this information to separate program from non-program receipts, taxable from non-taxable income, and to complete Schedule A, as well as other schedules of the Form 990 the organization may be required to complete, noted in What federal information returns, tax returns, and notices must be filed? An organization should maintain a list of its donors and grantors and the amount of cash contributions or grants (or a description of the noncash contributions) received from each. 24 501 Substantiate Revenues, Expenses and Deductions for Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) Purposes An organization needs to keep records of revenues derived from, and expenses attributable to, an unrelated trade or business so that it can properly prepare Form 990-T and calculate its unrelated business taxable income. Comply with Grant-Making Procedures (Grants to Individuals) A public charity that makes grants to individuals must keep adequate records and case histories to demonstrate that such grants serve its charitable purposes. Case histories on grants to individuals should show names, addresses, purposes of grants, manner of selection, and relationship (if any) that the recipient has with any members, officers, trustees, or donors of the organization. For more information about appropriate records required to report on grants made within the United States, see Schedule I of Form 990 and instructions. See also Schedule F of Form 990 for information about records required to report on foreign grants. Comply with Racial Nondiscrimination Requirements (Private Schools) Private schools must keep records that show that they have complied with requirements relating to racial nondiscrimination, including annual publication of a racially nondiscriminatory policy through newspaper or broadcast media to the general community served. For more information, see Schedule E of Form 990. 25 501 What records should be kept? Except in a few cases, the law does not require a special kind of record. A public charity can choose any recordkeeping system, suited to its activities, that clearly shows the organization’s income and expenses.The types of activities a public charity conducts determines the type of records that should be kept for federal tax purposes. A public charity should set up a recordkeeping system using an accounting method that is appropriate for proper monitoring and reporting of its financial activities for the tax year. If a public charity has more than one program, it should ensure that the records appropriately identify the income and expense items that are attributable to each program. A recordkeeping system should generally include a summary of transactions.This summary is ordinarily written in the public charity’s books (for example, accounting journals and ledgers).The books must show gross receipts, purchases, expenses (other than purchases), employment taxes, and assets. For most small organizations, the checkbook might be the main source for entries in the books while larger organizations would need more sophisticated ledgers and records. A public charity must keep documentation that supports entries in the books. Accounting Periods and Methods A public charity must keep its books and records based on an annual accounting period called a tax year in order to comply with annual reporting requirements. 26 501 Accounting Periods - A tax year is usually 12 consecutive months.There are two types of tax years. calendar tax year This is a period of 12 consecutive months beginning January 1 and ending December 31. fiscal tax year This is a period of 12 consecutive months ending on the last day of any month except December. Accounting Method - An accounting method is a set of rules used to determine when and how income and expenses are reported. A public charity chooses an accounting method when it files its first annual return.There are two basic accounting methods: cash method Under the cash method, a public charity reports income in the tax year received. It usually deducts expenses in the year paid. accrual method Under an accrual method, a public charity generally records income in the tax year earned, (i.e., in the tax year in which a pledge is received, even though it may receive payment in a later year.) It records expenses in the tax year incurred, whether or not it pays the expenses that year. For more information about accounting periods and methods, see Publication 538, Accounting Periods and Methods, and the instructions to Form 990 and Form 990-EZ. Supporting Documents Organization transactions such as contributions, purchases, sales, and payroll will generate supporting documents.These documents — grant applications and awards, sales slips, paid bills, invoices, receipts, deposit slips, and canceled checks — contain information to be recorded in accounting records. It is important to keep these documents 27 501 because they support the entries in books and the entries on tax and information returns. Public charities should keep supporting documents organized by year and type of receipt or expense. Also, keep records in a safe place. Records Management GROSS RECEIPTS Gross receipts are the amounts received from all sources, including contributions. A public charity should keep supporting documents that show the amounts and sources of its gross receipts. Documents that show gross receipts include: donor correspondence, pledge documents, cash register tapes, bank deposit slips, receipt books, invoices, credit card charge slips, and Forms 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income. PURCHASES, INCLUDING ACCOUNTING FOR INVENTORY Purchases are items bought, including any items resold to customers. If an organization produces items, it must account for any items resold to customers. Thus, for example, the organization must account for the cost of all raw materials or parts purchased for manufacture into finished products. Supporting documents should show the amount paid, and that the amount was for purchases. Documents for purchases include: canceled checks, cash register tape receipts, credit card sales slips, and invoices. These records will help a public charity determine the value of its inventory at the end of the year. See Publication 538, Accounting Periods and Methods, for general information on methods for valuing inventory. EXPENSES Expenses are the costs a public charity incurs (other than purchases) to carry on its program. Supporting documents should show the amount paid and the purpose of the expense. Documents for expenses include: canceled checks, cash register tapes, contracts, account statements, credit card sales slips, invoices, and petty-cash slips for small cash payments. EMPLOYMENT TAXES Organizations that have employees must keep records of compensation and specific employment tax records. See Publication 15, Circular E, Employer’s Tax Guide, for details. 28 501 ASSETS & LIABILITIES Assets are the property, such as investments, buildings and furniture an organization owns and uses in its activities. Liabilities reflect the pecuniary obligations of the organization. A public charity must keep records to verify certain information about its assets and liabilities. Records should show: - when and how the asset was acquired - whether any debt was used to acquire the asset - documents that support mortgages, notes, loans, or other forms of debt - purchase price - cost of any improvements - deductions taken for depreciation, if any - deductions taken for casualty losses, if any, such as losses resulting from fires or storms - how the asset was used - when and how the asset was disposed of - selling price - expenses of sale Documents that may show the above information include: purchase and sales invoices, real estate closing statements, canceled checks, and financing documents. If a public charity does not have canceled checks, it may be able to show payment with certain financial account statements prepared by financial institutions. These include account statements prepared for the financial institution by a third party. All information, including account statements must be highly legible. The following defines acceptable account statements. 29 IF payment is by: THEN statement must show: check check number, amount, payee’s name, and date the check amount was posted to the account by the financial institution electronic funds transfer amount transferred, payee’s name, and date the transfer was posted to the account by the financial institution credit card amount charged, payee’s name, and transaction date 501 How long should records be kept? Public charities must keep records for federal tax purposes for as long as they may be needed to document evidence of compliance with provisions of the Code. Generally, this means the organization must keep records that support an item of income or deduction on a return until the statute of limitations for that return runs.The statute of limitations has run when the organization can no longer amend its return and the IRS can no longer assess additional tax. Generally, the statute of limitations runs three years after the date the return is due or filed, whichever is later. An organization may be required to retain records longer for other legal purposes, including state or local tax purposes. Record Retention Periods Record retention periods vary depending on the types of records and returns. Permanent Records – Some records should be kept permanently. These include the application for recognition of tax-exempt status, the determination letter recognizing tax-exempt status, and organizing documents, such as articles of incorporation and by-laws, with amendments, as well as board minutes. Employment Tax Records – If an organization has employees, it must keep employment tax records for at least four years after the date the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later. Records for Non-Tax Purposes – When records are no longer needed for tax purposes, an organization should keep them until they are no longer needed for non-tax purposes. For example, a grantor, insurance company, creditor, or state agency may require that records be kept longer than the IRS requires. 30 501 What governance procedures and practices should an organization consider adopting or have in place? While federal law does not mandate any particular management structures, operational policies or administrative practices, it is important that public charities be thoughtful about the governance practices that are most appropriate for that charity in assuring sound operations and compliance with the tax law. While you may not be required to have one policy or another, the IRS is authorized by section 6033 to ask for information we consider to be relevant to tax administration, including governance. Mission Statement and Organizational Documents The IRS encourages every charity to adopt, establish and regularly review a mission statement to explain the organization's purposes and guide its work. Significant changes in your organizational documents should be reported to the IRS, as noted below. Governing Body An active and engaged board is important to the success of a public charity and compliance with the tax law. A governing board should be composed of persons who are informed and active in overseeing a charity's operations and finances.To guard against insider transactions that could result in misuse of charitable assets, the governing board should include independent members and should not be dominated by employees or others who are not independent because of business or family relationships. 31 501 Governance and Management Policies Although the Internal Revenue Code does not require charities to have particular governance and management polices, the IRS does encourage boards of charities to consider whether the implementation of policies relating to executive compensation, conflicts of interest, investments, fundraising, documentation of governance decisions, document retention, and whistleblower claims may be necessary and appropriate. Further, if a public charity has chapters or affiliates, it is encouraged to have procedures or policies in place to ensure consistency in operations. Financial Statements and Information Reporting Board members are encouraged to regularly review the organization's financial statements and information returns, and consider whether an independent auditor is appropriate. Transparency Public charities are encouraged to adopt and monitor procedures to ensure that information about its mission, activities, finance and governance is made publicly available. Go to www.irs.gov/eo for more information about governance. 32 501 How should changes be reported to the IRS? Reporting Changes on the Annual Information Return A public charity that is required to file Form 990 or Form 990-EZ must report name, address, structural and operational changes on its annual information return. Regardless of whether a public charity files an annual information return, it may also report these changes to the EO Determinations Office at the mailing address set out in How to get IRS assistance and information at the end of this publication; however, such reporting does not relieve the organization from reporting the changes on its annual information return. For information about informing the IRS of a termination or merger see Pub 4779, Facts AboutTerminating or Merging Your Exempt Organizations. TIP: Attach copies of any signed or state certified articles of incorporation, or association, constitution or trust instrument or other organization document, or the bylaws or other governing document showing changes to your return. If signed or state certified copies of a governing document are not available, an authorized officer may certify that the governing document provided is a complete and accurate copy of the original document. Determination Letters and Private Letter Ruling Requests A public charity may request a copy of a lost exemption letter or an updated exemption letter that reflects a name or address change from the EO Determinations office. A public charity that has had a change in its public charity or private foundation status should request a new determination letter from the EO Determinations office as well. See 33 501 How to get IRS assistance and information for the appropriate address for the EO Determinations office. An organization may request a determination letter regarding the effect of certain changes on its tax exempt status or public charity status. For example, as noted above, a determination letter will be issued to classify or reclassify an organization as a public charity or a private foundation. A public charity may also request a determination letter to approve the treatment of a contribution as an unusual grant, or to determine whether an organization is exempt from filing annual information returns in certain situations. However, the IRS will not make any determination regarding any completed transaction. If a public charity is unsure about whether a proposed change in its purposes or activities is consistent with its status as an exempt organization or as a public charity, it may want to request a private letter ruling. The IRS issues private letter rulings on proposed transactions and on completed transactions—if the request is submitted before the return is filed for the year in which the transaction was completed.The IRS generally does not issue rulings to public charities on any other completed transactions.The IRS will issue letter rulings to public charities on matters involving a public charity’s exempt status, its public charity status, as well as other matters including issues under sections 501 through 514, 4911, 4912, 4955, 4958, 6033, 6104, and 6115. Consult www.irs.gov/eo for the appropriate procedures for preparing and submitting a request for a determination letter, private letter ruling, replacement exemption letter or a letter reflecting a new name and address. For general information about reporting changes, you may contact EO customer service at (877)829-5500. 34 501 What disclosures are required? There are a number of disclosure requirements for public charities. Detailed information on federal tax law disclosure requirements for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations can be found in Publication 557, Tax Exempt Status for Your Organization, on the IRS Charities and Nonprofits Web site at www.irs.gov/eo. Public Inspection of Annual Returns and Exemption Applications A public charity must make the following documents available for public inspection and copying upon request and without charge (except for a reasonable charge for copying). The IRS also makes these documents available for public inspection and copying. A public charity may place reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of in person inspection and copying, and may charge a reasonable fee for providing copies. It can charge no more for the copies than the per page rate the IRS charges for providing copies. See www.irs.gov/foia/index.html for current IRS copying fees. Although the IRS charges no fee for the first 100 pages, the organization can charge a fee for all copies. The organization can also charge the actual postage costs it pays to provide copies. A tax-exempt organization does not have to comply with individual requests for copies if it makes the documents widely available. This can be done by posting the documents on a readily accessible Web site. For details on disclosure rules and procedures for public charities, see Life Cycle of a Public Charity and the instructions to Forms 990 and 1023 at www.irs.gov/eo. Because certain forms, by law, must be made publicly available by the IRS and the filer, do not 35 501 include any personal identifying information, such as social security numbers not required by the IRS, on these forms. Exemption Application – A public charity must make available for public inspection its exemption application, Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, along with each of the following documents: N all documents submitted with Form 1023; N all documents the IRS requires the organization to submit in support of its application; and N the exemption ruling letter issued by the IRS. Annual Information Return – A public charity must make available for public inspection its annual information return (Form 990 series) with schedules, attachments, and supporting documents filed with the IRS. However, a public charity that files a Form 990 or Form 990-EZ does not have to disclose the names and addresses of contributors listed on Schedule B. All other information, including the amount of contributions, the description of noncash contributions, and any other information provided will be open to public inspection unless it clearly identifies the contributor. NOTE: If an organization files a copy of Form 990, or Form 990-EZ, and attachments, with any state, it should not include its Schedule B in the attachments for the state, unless a schedule of contributors is specifically required by the state. States that do not require the information might inadvertently make the schedule available for public inspection along with the rest of the Form 990 or Form 990-EZ. 36 501 Certain information may be withheld from public inspection. A return must be made available for a period of three years from the date the return is required to be filed or is actually filed, which ever is later. Form 990 -T – A public charity must make its Form 990-T filed after August 17, 2006 available for public inspection. Schedules, attachments and supporting documents filed with Form 990-T that do not relate to unrelated business income tax are not required to be made available. Read Notice 2007-45 and Notice 2008-49 at www.irs.gov for interim guidance regarding how the returns are to be made public. See Announcement 2008-21 for procedures the public may use to request a 501(c)(3) organization's Form 990-T from the IRS. Public Inspection and Disclosure Procedures – A public charity may place reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of in-person inspection and copying, and may charge a reasonable fee for providing copies. It can charge no more for the copies than the per page rate the IRS charges for providing copies. A tax-exempt organization does not have to comply with individual requests for copies if it makes the documents widely available. This can be done by posting the documents on a readily accessible Web site. For details on disclosure rules and procedures for 501(c)(3) organizations, see the Life Cycle of a Public Charity and the instructions to Forms 990, 990-T and 1023 at www.irs.gov/eo. All publicly-available information may be obtained from the IRS for a fee by using Form 4506-A, Request for Public Inspection or Copy of Exempt 37 501 or Political Organization IRS Form. An organization may obtain a complete copy of its own application by filing Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return. PENALTIES Penalties apply to responsible persons of a tax-exempt organization who fail to provide the documents as required. A penalty of $20 per day may apply for as long as the failure continues. A $10,000 maximum penalty applies to a failure to provide an information return; no maximum penalty applies to application requests. Sale of Free Government Information If a public charity offers to sell, or solicits money for, specific information or a routine service that is available free from the federal government, the organization must make an express statement at the time of solicitation about the free service. An organization that intentionally disregards this requirement is subject to a penalty. Charitable Contributions— Substantiation And Disclosure A public charity should be aware of the substantiation and recordkeeping rules imposed on donors who intend to claim a charitable contribution deduction and the disclosure rules imposed on charities that receive certain quid pro quo contributions. Recordkeeping Rules A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any cash, check, or other monetary contribution made on or after January 1, 2007, unless the donor maintains a record of the contribution in the form of either a bank record (such as a cancelled check) or a written communication from the charity (such as a receipt or a letter) showing the name of the charity, date, and the amount of the contribution. 38 501 Substantiation Rules A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient public charity. A public charity may assist the donor by providing a timely written statement including the name of the public charity, date and amount of any cash contribution, and description of any non-cash contributions. In addition, the acknowledgment should indicate whether any goods or services were provided in return for the contribution. If any goods or services were provided in return for a contribution, the organization should provide a description and good faith estimate of the value of such goods or services. The public charity may either provide separate acknowledgments for each single contribution of $250 or more or one acknowledgment to substantiate several single contributions of $250 or more. Separate contributions are not aggregated for purposes of measuring the $250 threshold. There are no IRS forms for the acknowledgment. Letters, postcards, or computer-generated forms with the above information are acceptable. An organization can provide either a paper copy of the acknowledgment or an electronic acknowledgment, such as an e-mail, to the donor. Disclosure Rules That Apply to Quid Pro Quo Contributions Contributions are deductible only to the extent that they are gifts and no consideration is received in return. Depending on the circumstances, ticket purchases and similar payments made in 39 501 conjunction with fundraising events may not qualify as charitable contributions in full. A contribution made by a donor in exchange for goods or services is known as a quid pro quo contribution. A donor may only take a charitable contribution deduction to the extent that the contribution exceeds the fair market value of the goods and services the donor receives in return for the contribution. If a public charity conducts fundraising events such as benefit dinners, shows, and membership drives, where something of value is given to those in attendance, it must provide a written statement informing donors of the fair market value of the specific items or services it provided in exchange for contributions.Token items and services of intangible religious value need not be taken into account. A public charity should provide the written disclosure statement in advance of any event, determine the fair market value of any benefit received, and state this information in fundraising materials such as solicitations, tickets, and receipts.The disclosure statement should be made, at the latest, at the time payment is received. Subject to certain exceptions, the disclosure responsibility applies to any fundraising circumstance where each complete payment, including the contribution portion, exceeds $75. Read Publication 1771, Charitable Contributions— Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements, and Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, for details on the federal tax law for organizations such as public charities, including churches, that receive tax-deductible charitable contributions and for taxpayers who make contributions. 40 501 How to get IRS assistance and information The IRS offers help that is accessible either online, via mail by telephone, and at IRS walk-in offices in many areas across the country. IRS forms and publications can be downloaded from the Internet and ordered by telephone. Specialized Assistance for Tax-Exempt Organizations Get help with questions about applying for taxexempt status, annual filing requirements, and information about exempt organizations through the IRS Exempt Organizations (EO). EO Web site www.irs.gov/eo Highlights: NThe Life Cycle of a Public Charity describes the compliance obligations of charities. N Subscribe to the EO Update, an electronic newsletter with information for tax-exempt organizations and tax practitioners who represent them. EO Web based training www.stayexempt.org Web based training modules: NTax Exempt Status N Unrelated Business income N Employment Issues N Form 990 N Required Disclosures Mini-Courses on topics of interest 41 501 EO Customer Service (877) 829-5500 EO Determinations Office mailing address Internal Revenue Service TE/GE, EO Determinations Office P.O. Box 2508 Cincinnati, OH 45201 Tax Publications for Exempt Organizations Get publications via the Internet or by calling the IRS at (800) 829-3676. Pub 1, Your Rights as a Taxpayer Pub 15, Circular E, Employer’s Tax Guide Pub 15-A, Employer’s Supplemental Tax Guide Pub 463, Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses Pub 517, Social Security and Other Information for Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers Pub 526, Charitable Contribution Pub 538, Accounting Periods and Methods Pub 557, Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization Pub 571, Tax-Sheltered Annuity Programs for Employees of Public Schools and Certain Tax- Exempt Organizations Pub 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records Pub 598, Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations Pub 1771, Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements Pub 1828, Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations 42 Pub 3079, Gaming Publication for Tax-Exempt Organizations Pub 3833, Disaster Relief, Providing Assistance Through Charitable Organizations Pub 4220, Applying for 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status Pub 4221-NC, Compliance Guide for Tax-Exempt Organizations (other than those described in section 501(c)(3)) Pub 4221-PF, Compliance Guide for 501(c)(3) Private Foundations Pub 4302, A Charity’s Guide to Vehicle Donations Pub 4303, A Donor’s Guide to Vehicle Donations Pub 4630, Exempt Organizations Products and Services Navigator Pub 4741, The New Form 990-What Tax-Exempt Organizations Need to Know Pub. 4742, New Form 990 Preparation Checklist Pub 4752, The New e-Postcard (Form 990-N)— What Smaller Organizations Need to Know to Stay Tax-Exempt Pub 4779, Facts about Terminating or Merging Your Exempt Organization Forms for Exempt Organizations Get forms via the Internet or by calling the IRS at (800) 829-3676. Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return Form 944, Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax 43 Form 990-PF, Return of Private Foundation or Section 4947(a)(1) Nonexempt Charitable Trust Treated as a Private Foundation Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) For Tax-Exempt Organizations not Required To File Form 990 or 990-EZ Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return Form 990-W, Estimated Tax on Unrelated Business Taxable Income for Exempt Organizations Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code Form 1024, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(a) Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts Form 4720, Return of Certain Excise Taxes Under Chapters 41 and 42 of the Internal Revenue Code Form 5578, Annual Certification of Racial Non-Discrimination for a Private School Exempt from Federal Income Tax Form 5768, Election/Revocation of Election by an Eligible Section 501(c)(3) Organization To Make Expenditures to Influence Legislation Form 8282, Donee Information Return Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions Form 8868, Extension of Time To File an Exempt Organization Return TD F 90-22.1, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts 44 General IRS Assistance Get materials on the latest tax laws, assistance with forms and publications, and filing information. IRS Web site www.irs.gov Federal tax questions (800) 829-4933 Employment tax questions (800) 829-4933 Order IRS forms and publications (800) 829-3676 Publication 4221-PC (07-2009) Catalog Number 49829R Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service www.irs.gov
© Copyright 2024