4Thought Blog

Over the years, #GivingTuesday has grown from a hashtag to a global movement connecting nonprofits with donors around the world and helping them sustain mission-driven growth.

While the day has traditionally been a benchmark for an organization’s end-of-year campaigns, 2020 has added pressure for nonprofits to maximize the giving season.

As COVID-19 became a global health and economic crisis, nonprofits were called to the frontlines. While this surge in demand allowed some organizations to grow their staff, donors and visibility, others were faced with deep financial hardships.

If your nonprofit's staffers can work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, they probably are. But what about when the crisis ends?

As workers have become accustomed to remote work, many now prefer it. In fact, several recent surveys have found that approximately half of U.S. employees would rather work from home. This is particularly true of parents with younger children.

Many employers also like remote work. They're finding that employees are as productive — if not more productive — now. And if staffers remain at home after the pandemic ends, your organization may be able to break its office lease or sell its facility and save a bundle on operational costs.

Before you take that step, however, consider what the costs and risks may be.

Nonprofits have at least one thing in common with for-profits: Only the strong survive.

The nonprofit sector is extremely competitive and even a relatively small shift of fortunes can threaten an organization's future. When events such as the death of a major donor or the loss of grants, organizations turn to their leaders to minimize the damage and restore stability. But all too often there is no plan in place to tackle risks.

Astute nonprofit leaders don’t wait for a storm. By making a risk analysis and confronting the possibilities ahead of time, they prepare their organization to weather rough times.

Several months into the COVID-19 crisis, most nonprofit organizations have formulated at least temporary plan for sustaining operations. But short-term solutions should be complemented by long-term strategic planning that reprioritizes objectives.

Specifically, your nonprofit needs to focus on three areas: social impact, economic viability and capacity to deliver. Let's take a look.

During these financially challenging times, many nonprofit organizations have had to get creative to raise adequate revenue to sustain operations.

But new activities, however well-intentioned, can lead to tax trouble. Your nonprofit risks exposure to the unrelated business income tax if it operates outside its usual charitable scope.

Here's how to avoid unwanted tax exposure.

Fundraising is the lifeblood of virtually every charitable organization. However, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought the fundraising efforts of many nonprofits to a virtual standstill. This is particularly true if your nonprofit's mission is unrelated to human health and services or other causes related to the pandemic.

Maybe you've operated in challenging circumstances before — for example, during the recession following 2008's financial collapse. Even so, high unemployment and general uncertainty about the severity and longevity of the COVID-19 crisis is likely to make this time even more difficult. Here are some ideas for navigating the greatest obstacles:

The recent Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides relief to employers struggling to stay afloat during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The nonprofit sector is no exception. In fact, some provisions in the new law are specifically tied to charities.

Following is a brief summary of seven key benefits for nonprofit employers and supporters.

If your nonprofit has been active for many years, it probably has experienced significant change — it may even have drifted from its initial mission. There are many possible reasons for this. Perhaps the underlying issues your organization addresses have evolved or you've decided there are more pressing issues that deserve your attention.

Or maybe a larger funding base or new supporters have encouraged you to think bigger and expand your mission's scope. It's possible that other nonprofits in your community have folded and you've assumed responsibility for their clients.

It's common, even healthy, for long-running nonprofits to experience these changes. However, you can't let your mission drift too far without formalizing the shift. Otherwise, you might risk your organization's tax-exempt status. If you've been dragging your feet, now's the time to act.

Your nonprofit CPA auditor should help you assess opportunities, risks and financing opportunities.

They should have connections in the community and a good relationship with your board so your organization can be on solid financial footing.

Do you plan on making contributions to charity this year? If you're in a giving mood, you may be rewarded with sizeable charitable deductions on your tax return.

But the tax law is fraught with numerous twists and turns, so you must be careful to navigate the rules.