Harbor Compliance Blog

Posted on June 15, 2017, by Harbor Compliance in Fundraising and Grants, Nonprofit Compliance.

Updated January 2019

“An active and engaged board is important to the success of a public charity and compliance with the tax law.”         – Compliance Guide for 501 (c)(3) Public Charities, IRS.gov

Ready to apply for 501(c)(3) status, … Read more

Posted on May 2, 2017, by Harbor Compliance in Fundraising and Grants, Nonprofit Compliance.

Mark your calendars! If your nonprofit’s fiscal year ends on December 31, state charitable renewals are due starting May 15. Note that this coincides with the IRS Form 990 due date.

Most states require a copy of Form 990 to … Read more

Posted on May 2, 2017, by Harbor Compliance in Fundraising and Grants, Nonprofit Compliance.

Any nonprofit wishing to be successful in this digital age must incorporate online initiatives into its fundraising strategy — and that means relying on online donation software.

You’ve probably come across numerous online donation tools on various nonprofit websites, so … Read more

Posted on March 28, 2017, by Harbor Compliance in Fundraising and Grants.

In our last contribution to Harbor Compliance, we provided you with a handy infographic for planning your fall auction!

But if you took our first piece of advice to use charity auction software during the planning process, your organization … Read more

Posted on March 22, 2017, by Harbor Compliance in Industry News, Nonprofit Compliance.

Important Compliance Deadline for Nonprofits: Form 990 is due on 5/15/2017

For nonprofits on a calendar tax year, the annual 990 return is due May 15, 2017. You must file this return in order to keep your organization’s federal tax … Read more

Posted on March 14, 2017, by Harbor Compliance in Fundraising and Grants.

Grant writing success can be an elusive animal. The industry average acceptance rate is about 1 in 10 submissions funded – even for nonprofits that have reached household name status.

So how can your nonprofit ensure the greatest chances at … Read more

Posted on February 21, 2017, by Harbor Compliance in Industry News, Nonprofit Compliance.

Nonprofits rejoice! The long-awaited streamlining of Form 990 extensions will finally come into effect for the 2016 tax year (i.e. tax years beginning January 1, 2016). Form 990 tax returns are due four and a half months after the exempt … Read more

Posted on January 26, 2017, by Harbor Compliance in Nonprofit Compliance.

A post by Marcy Ogborn, Content Manager for GiveGab. 

What constitutes as effective communication and marketing for nonprofit organizations is continually changing, but there are certain strategies you can implement that are timeless. By following the 4 S’s of successful … Read more

Posted on January 26, 2017, by Harbor Compliance in Fundraising and Grants, Nonprofit Compliance.

New Publication Provides Information on State Registration Requirements for Fundraising

Harbor Compliance and the National Council of Nonprofits (Council of Nonprofits) announced a “Best Practices Partnership” and unveiled a resource guide to help nonprofits with often-misunderstood state fundraising registration requirements.… Read more

Posted on December 14, 2016, by Erin Cusack in Business Compliance.

Without complete and up-to-date licenses, your business can face fines, closures, delays, and other penalties. While core to running a successful business, compliance with over 150,000 federal, state, and local licensing … Read more