Posted May 2, 2022 with Tags Nonprofits, Foundations, Private Foundations
On Friday, April 29, 2022, Ramsey County District Court Judge Awsumb issued a decision in the highly publicized case brought by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office seeking removal of the three Otto Bremer Trust Trustees. Here we outline the decisions of the case and provide key takeaways for foundatio
Posted April 1, 2022 with Tags Nonprofits
A bill making its way through the Minnesota Legislature would be terribly damaging to Minnesota nonprofits. And, unfortunately, it looks like it has legs.
Posted October 29, 2021 with Tags Nonprofits
For nonprofits and the lawyers who love them, 2020 and 2021 have been full of frustrating interactions with the IRS. Getting the IRS to acknowledge and respond to basic communications has seemed more difficult than in the past. That is …
Posted September 15, 2021 with Tags Nonprofits
A nonprofit recently settled with the Minnesota Attorney General due to conflicts of interest and allegations of self-dealing. While it may be easy to dismiss the settlement as an example of a sham nonprofit obviously intended to benefit the for-profit …
Posted September 2, 2021 with Tags Nonprofits
A recent study found that nonprofit boards are 78.6 percent white. That means nonprofit boards do not reflect the make-up of the American population or the constituents these nonprofits and foundations serve. The National Council of Nonprofits has acknowledged the critical importance of diversity in nonprofit governance, saying: With a diversity of experience, expertise, and perspectives, a nonprofit is in a stronger position to plan for the future, manage risk, make prudent decisions, and take full advantage of opportunities. A diverse board that is also sensitive to cultural differences is usually one that has a stronger capacity to attract and retain talented board members - as well as to be in touch with community needs. Though diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) discourse has recently been present in programming, foundation gifting, and other industry lenses, community foundations are looking for new ways to take active steps towards deepening their DEI commitment, including an examination of board memberships.
Posted August 4, 2020 with Tags Nonprofits, Minnesota Nonprofits
The Minnesota Supreme Court concluded that an unpaid student intern working at a local nonprofit was entitled to the same protection against discrimination found in the Minnesota Human Rights Act as paid employees.
Posted April 10, 2020 with Tags Nonprofits, COVID-19, COVID-19 for Nonprofits
During the COVID-19 pandemic, here's how nonprofits should be approaching board and member meetings.
Posted March 25, 2020 with Tags Nonprofits, COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact all corners of life both locally and nationally, we have received questions from our nonprofit clients regarding the use of their endowment funds to help support their targeted communities. In addition to a quick review of Minnesota’s endowment fund law, we provide some action items to consider when faced with these spending decisions.
Posted March 17, 2020 with Tags Nonprofits, COVID-19
With Emergency Executive Order 20-05, Minnesota Governor Walz provided much-needed relief to Minnesota employers and employees facing immediate loss of work because of COVID-19. The March 16th Order waives the one-week waiting period before individuals can be considered eligible for unemployment and relaxes otherwise strict requirements to maximize the chances that unemployed and underemployed workers receive benefits quickly
Posted May 31, 2017 with Tags 501(r), Heidi Christianson, Fred Struve, Frederik Struve, Nonprofits
The Affordable Care Act imposed new requirements on tax-exempt hospitals under Section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 501(r) and its implementing regulations present a complex framework intended to promote “charitable” behavior by tax-exempt hospitals. By way of example, 501(r) requires a hospital to assess and address community health needs and to adopt billing and collection practices aimed at ensuring that patients who have a limited ability to pay for care are treated fairly.
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