Articles by

Olsen Thielen

Flipping the Switch with an Employee Survey

Many employers labor along with little to no idea what their employees are really thinking or feeling about a variety of critical employment issues.
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Create a Nonprofit Executive Search Plan – Before it Becomes Necessary

Selecting a new chief executive or other senior staffer is one of the most important decisions your not-for-profit board is likely to face. Even if there’s no immediate hiring need, it’s smart to prepare for the process. That way, you’ll be ready to execute an efficient executive search when the
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Is One of Your Nonprofit’s Board Members Behaving Badly?

Your not-for-profit has probably spent a lot of time and effort attracting board members who have the knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment to make a difference to your organization. Unfortunately, what begins as a good relationship can sour over time, and you may find yourself in the tough position of having
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Material Participation Key to Deducting LLC and LLP Losses

If your business is a limited liability company (LLC) or a limited liability partnership (LLP), you know that these structures offer liability protection and flexibility as well as tax advantages.
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Reporting Collaborative Activities: A Complex Issue for Nonprofits

For accounting purposes, the simplest relationship between nonprofits may be a collaborative arrangement. These are typically contractual agreements in which two or more organizations are active participants in a joint operating activity — for example, a hospital that’s jointly operated by two nonprofit health care organizations.
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ESOPs Offer Businesses Tax and Other Benefits

With an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), employee participants take part ownership of the business through a retirement savings arrangement.
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Keeping Your Organization’s Investment Policy Up-to-Date

Any Organization that invests assets should have a well-written investment policy statement (IPS).  An IPS is a document that outlines overall strategy for investing, your short and long-term goals, and the process by which investment decisions are made.
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Nonprofits: Harness the Power of Personal Appeal

You’ve probably heard it before: People don’t give to causes — they give to those asking on behalf of a cause. That’s why a personal appeal continues to be such a powerful not-for-profit fundraising tool. In fact, requests from friends or family members typically drive most charitable donations. By appealing
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Does Your Nonprofit’s Board Understand its Fiduciary Duties?

Interest in not-for-profits’ governance practices from lawmakers, watchdog groups and the general public has been growing in recent years. If your board hasn’t reviewed its roles and responsibilities recently, now is a good time.
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All Fringe Benefits Aren’t Equal for Tax Purposes

A fringe benefit is “a form of pay (including property, services, cash or cash equivalent), in addition to stated pay, for the performance of services. But the tax treatment of a fringe benefit can vary dramatically based on the type of benefit.
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Not-for-Profits Must Avoid Excess Benefit Transactions

Not-for-profits that ignore the IRS’s private benefit and private inurement provisions do so at their own peril. These rules prohibit an individual inside or outside a nonprofit from reaping an excess benefit from the organization’s transactions. Violation of such rules can have devastating consequences.
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Three Types of Information Your Nonprofit’s Board Needs

Information is power. And regularly supplying information to your not-for-profit’s board of directors is the key to the board properly fulfilling its duties. This doesn’t mean you have to share every internal email or phone message. Board members should, however, receive and understand information that will help them work together
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Consider Tax Consequences Before Making an Employee a Partner

Offering employees an equity interest in your business can be a powerful tool for attracting, retaining and motivating quality talent. If your business is organized as a partnership, however, there are some tax traps you should watch out for.
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Loans Between Your Business and Its Owners

It’s common for closely held businesses to transfer money into and out of the company, often in the form of a loan. However, the IRS looks closely at such transactions: Are they truly loans, or actually compensation, distributions or contributions to equity?
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Should Your Not-for-Profit Take Out a Loan?

Debt is an integral part of many for-profit companies’ strategic plans, yet it has traditionally carried a stigma in the not-for-profit world. That view is changing, as more organizations borrow money for major capital purchases, new program funding and other reasons. But before your nonprofit borrows, it’s important to understand
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