Tag Archive for Tax-Exempt

Defining an Amutah [Israeli Charity]

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"Harry" by Thomas Hawk

The Hebrew word amutah, referring to a charity in Israel, is used both correctly and incorrectly to describe just about any nonprofit organization registered in the country. But wait, it get’s more confusing. Not all charities are charities, sometimes they’re companies. And sometimes a charity isn’t tax-exempt while a company might be.

Confused? Don’t worry. In this post I’ll cover the various terms and statuses available to Israeli charities — along with links to government websites — that will help you find the answer to the bottom-line question burning in your mind: Is this organization worthy of my donation?

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Insight Not Accuracy: Why The New York Times is Important

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A recent New York Times’ article attacked American charities that help build communities in Israel’s West Bank and IRS policy that enables donations to these organizations to be tax-deductable. As with any piece about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, many people have been quick to attack or defend the veracity of the article.

To nonprofit organizations, the value of the article is not the accuracy of the authors’ claims, but rather the article’s insight into current concerns and trends influencing the nonprofit sector. These can serve as warnings and guidelines to US charities that operate internationally.

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Weekly Must-Reads: May 23

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A list of great articles from around the web that I posted to Twitter from May 16 – May 22, 2010. This week’s topics include: Strategy & Governance; US Tax Tidbits; Social Media & Fundraising; Economy & Finance; and Potpourri.

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4 Reasons Why the I.R.S. Interim Report "Exempt Organizations – Universities Compliance Project" is an Important Read

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Too many times the IRS has hinted at the direction to which it is heading, with people taking little notice. Well, in quiet screams, the IRS is doing it again, with the release of their interim report: “IRS Exempt Organizations – Colleges and Universities Compliance Project.”

I preface that I have not yet read the report, but I will. And here’s why I think you should too:

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Are “American Friends of” Organizations a Thing of the Past?

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International organizations have been highly successful in raising funds from the United States through U.S. based charities commonly referred to as “Friends of” organizations. These charities are registered in the States and have 501(c)3 tax-exempt status and, thus, allowing these donations to these essentially foreign organizations to be tax-deductible.

As you can imagine, many international causes consider a “Friends of” organization as a crucial step in their fundraising strategy.

Hence, recent conversations I have had are causing me to worry.

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