Risk Management

This sample statement defines self-dealing transactions and describes the appropriate approval process and why prohibition of private inurement is important for all organizations.

Sample Statement for Self-Dealing Transactions

Classifying Employees Correctly as either an independent contractor or employee and then as an exempt or non-exempt employee is critical for avoiding costly legal fees, penalties, and back owed overtime wages plus back taxes. (National Council of Nonprofits)

Employee Classification Conundrum offers a step-by-step assessment to help determine whether an employee should be classified as exempt versus non-exempt under the Department of Labor's Fair Labor Standards Act. (Nonprofit Risk Management Center)

Your organization might be wondering how to get involved in elections. It's important to understand what types of election-related activities you can and can't do, as detailed in this excerpt Common Ground.

© North Carolina Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Inc. From Common Ground, a publication of the N.C. Center for Nonprofits

Nonprofits must establish that the executive compensation (salary and benefits for senior level personnel) provided at their organization is "reasonable and not excessive." The IRS recommends a three step process referred to as "rebuttable presumption" to substantiate the reasonableness of compensation offered by an organization and provides legal guidelines: 

Executive directors sit in a unique position of authority and leadership, directing a staff while also answering to a board of directors. Effective executives learn to see their board as partner rather than boss. They also engage and mobilize their board to do high-priority work that benefits the organization. Join the Center and Third Space Studio for this webinar to explore some of the habits and mindsets that executive directors can use to create a strong sense of shared leadership with the board.

Learn about parties able to take legal action against your organization, and about Directors' and Officers' (D&O) liability insurance, in: Who Can Sue a Nonprofit Board? (Nonprofit Risk Management Center)

"ts governance™ was designed to help executive directors, board members, and senior staff manage cyber risk within nonprofit organizations. The introduction helps nonprofit leaders understand the risk landscape and their role in managing cyber risk, part one explains how to lead the organization toward an improved cybersecurity posture, and part two introduces The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Cybersecurity Framework1, which is a widely used, free methodology for managing cybersecurity."

True or false? Neither the nonprofit nor its counsel may reveal the substance of your communications without your express consent. Learn the answer to this and other questions in Four Myths about Attorney-Client Privilege. (Society of Nonprofits, formerly Nonprofit World, 2007)

“Red folders” are a simple risk management tool that can go a long way. Call a red folder day for everyone on staff – including the CEO. The assignment is for everyone to use no more than two pages to sum up their key activities. It may include a list sorted by daily, monthly, or quarterly tasks or it may make more sense to organize the list by type of duty. It depends on the role, so let people have some flexibility.

Red Folders: A Simple Risk Management Tool