Reports
Find reports from state and national sources on all aspects of nonprofits such as the role nonprofits play in the quality of daily life, giving patterns, nonprofit employment data, information regarding compliance with IRS regulations and much more.
The Impact of Charitable Nonprofit Organizations on Iowa’s Economy and Quality of Life
This report provides data on the impact of the nonprofit sector on Iowa’s economy and quality of life and encourages consideration of the charitable nonprofit sector in decision making.
Key decisionmakers at all levels, potential donors, business leaders and others will find this material useful.
Frequently Asked Questions about Reports
Yes there are stricter limitations on gifts to private foundations. Gifts to public charities by individuals have an annual limit of fifty percent of the donor's adjusted gross income. Gifts to private foundations however place that limit at thirty percent of the donor's adjusted gross income. The figures are somewhat different for corporate donors who can deduct ten percent of their taxable income. If the contribution is capital gain property rather than cash, the limitation is then thirty percent for public charities and twenty percent for foundations. The Iowa Principles and Practices for Charitable Nonprofit Excellence states that "Charitable nonprofits must be aware of and comply with Internal Revenue Code provisions (see e.g. I.R.C. section 170)" (VIII E 2). This is to make sure inaccurate information about gifts is not passed on to donors. A good source for these rules is IRS Publication 526 Charitable Contributions
Form 1023 requires a four-year projected budget. It can be helpful to review the Form 990s of similar organizations. For guidance on developing a budget it can be helpful to review the Form 990s of similar organizations. For example, if you are creating a nonprofit animal shelter, look at an Iowa animal shelter's 990 filings. Form 990s can be found on the Guidestar website.
The cause selected should be in line with the company’s corporate goals. It is not necessary that the target audience for the company’s product be the primary beneficiary of the cause, but a sincere link should exist between the company's business goals and the cause to which it commits itself. A company should first select a cause then choose the charities with which it will work. Partnering with charities is essential, but over-dependence can hurt the program’s development. Financial contributions are an important part of any cause program, but a successful cause program does not always require only donations of cash. Commitment of various other resources such as professional skills, technical knowledge, advertising, and equipment are also important. A company should communicate its involvement in a cause program through every possible channel. Programs in which customers can participate and promote informally are more effective.
No. When one buys a raffle ticket one is buying the chance to win the item up for raffle. Since the fair market value of the chance to win the item up for raffle is equal to the price of the ticket, the transaction is merely a purchase; therefore the purchaser has not made a donation.
Many states, under state solicitation laws, require that the nonprofit organization register with the state before participating in fundraising within the state. In order to assist nonprofit organizations in this registration process the National Association of State Charities Officials and the National Association of Attorneys General have created the Unified Registration Statement (URS). The URS “represents an effort to consolidate the information and data requirements of all states that require registration of nonprofit organizations performing charitable solicitations within their jurisdictions.”
A donor should not attach the written acknowledgement from the recipient organization to the donor's individual income tax return. Instead the donor must keep the written acknowledgement to substantiate the contribution.
