Charity Governance

RIVERSPLASH HOLDS LARGER LESSONS ON TAX-EXEMPT STATUS FOR ALL CHARITIES

DATELINE: June 3, 2008, Chicago

Yesterday we used the chaos that occurred this past weekend in Milwaukee at its annual RiverSplash Festival as an opportunity to discuss some of the precautions that all nonprofits that run outdoor fundraising festivals should consider taking. The events of last Saturday night hold larger lessons for any charity that partners with a for-profit entity.

When we wrote about RiverSplash yesterday, we did report the basic facts, but tried to downplay the chaos and violence so that our larger points would not be obscured. The facts are now clearer. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett referred to the event as a...

UNLUCKY BINGO PLAYER’S SON INJURED AT NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING EVENT: ANOTHER REASON TO READ LEASES CAREFULLY

Dateline: May 3, 2007, Chicago

Nonprofits that stage events off premises should pay careful attention to the indemnification and insurance provisions contained in what are often one or two day leases. This is particularly true when holding a meeting or convention at a large conference hotel. These agreements are notorious for requiring the meeting sponsor to indemnify the hotel for any damage to the facilities caused by one of the meeting attendees. This often includes not only damage to the meeting rooms, but also to attendee…