How to keep any nonprofit out of trouble, running smoothly, and accomplishing its mission
"Jack Siegel--lawyer, accountant, management consultant, and computer whiz--takes the putative director or officer of a nonprofit organization on a useful and often entertaining voyage throughout the realm of the tax-exempt organizations universe, pointing out its quirks, foibles, and legal liabilities along the way. His handbook will make mandatory--and arresting--reading for those who are already serving as trustees, directors, officers, and key employees of exempt organizations, particularly charitable ones. Siegel's goal, in which he succeeds, is to help directors and officers of nonprofit organizations 'make better decisions.' The book is full of large policy analyses and paragraphs on the details, such as board size, board committees, board meeting formats, the contents of minutes, and the duties of officers.
Salted with some excellent real-life examples, what also sets this book apart from most in its genre is the tone: the writing style, the brusqueness, the bluntness. He complains that too many directors 'check their good judgment at the boardroom door.' He advises individuals who 'desire agreement and demand adulation' to stay off boards; he insists on 'commitment' and 'institutional tension' with the executive director. He warns prospective directors that some organizations want, in addition to time and judgment, 'either your money or your ability to raise money.' To my delight, he extols the virtues of 'some level of expenditures' for qualified lawyers and accountants.
Please join me in adding this most helpful handbook to your nonprofit library."
--Bruce R. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, author of The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations, Eighth Edition and Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization: A Legal Guide, Fourth Edition
From the Inside Flap
The first responsibility of nonprofit directors, officers, and managers is to make decisions that ensure that their organization's scarce resources are used in the most effective and efficient way possible to accomplish its mission. Failure to do so can be catastrophic, not only for the organization, but for the individuals responsible as well. When confronted, however, with the maze of complex regulations, shifting priorities, and remote but foreseeable risks that attend every nonprofit decision, how can anyone make such choices with confidence? A Desktop Guide for Nonprofit Directors, Officers, and Advisors offers a comprehensive overview of the legal, accounting, and financial issues that nonprofit directors and managers must grapple with every day. It provides the solid foundation that decision makers need to ask the right questions, understand the answers, and determine the best possible course of action in any situation. Author Jack Siegel explains the duties and responsibilities that come with the territory and shows readers how to read and analyze tax statements, obtain and maintain federal tax-exempt status, report and substantiate charitable contributions, and comply with state registration and reporting requirements, including Internet solicitation. Siegel also explores such issues as fundraising, pledges, and endowments; identifying and protecting against event and operational liabilities; director and officer indemnification and insurance; operational insurance; and risk management. Other important topics covered include: The effect of Sarbanes-Oxley reforms on nonprofit organizations The GAO audit standards Payments in lieu of taxes Form 990 The intermediate sanctions Evaluating an organization using a survey And much more Peppered with practical examples from a wide range of nonprofits, including social services agencies, schools, religious organizations, arts groups, museums, and foundations, A Desktop Guide for Nonprofit Directors, Officers, and Advisors is the ultimate resource for anyone who wants to make better decisions, avoid both organizational and personal liabilities, and ensure that the nonprofit organization delivers on its promises to donors and regulators alike.
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我必须强调,这本书在处理“顾问”这一群体责任界定上的清晰度,是市场上同类书籍中少见的亮点。很多指南往往只聚焦于董事会内部的运作,而忽略了外部法律顾问、财务顾问乃至战略顾问在组织架构中的独特角色与潜在的责任边界。这本书清晰地界定了“提供建议”与“承担决策责任”之间的鸿沟,这对于那些希望有效利用外部专业力量,同时又避免不必要风险暴露的NPO领导者来说,至关重要。它用一种非常务实的口吻告诉我们,如何设置聘用合同中的责任豁免条款,以及在接收外部建议时,内部应尽的“审慎审查”义务。这种对治理生态系统中所有利益相关者的全面覆盖,使得这本书的视野显得更为宏大和完整。它不仅仅是一本关于“如何不犯错”的手册,更像是一份关于“如何构建一个健康、可持续的领导力生态系统”的行动指南。
评分这本书的封面设计着实抓人眼球,那种沉稳又不失现代感的蓝绿色调,配上清晰有力的字体,让人一眼就能感受到它传递出的专业与可靠。我最初翻开它,是冲着它书名里提到的“董事会、高管和顾问”这些核心角色去的。坦白说,在非营利组织(NPO)这个领域里,信息往往零散不成体系,很多新人或者经验尚浅的领导者都在摸索中前行,找不到一个能系统梳理治理结构和法律责任的“灯塔”。我尤其欣赏作者在开篇部分对治理结构复杂性的拆解,那种不回避现实挑战的坦诚,以及试图用最直白的方式解释晦涩法律条文的努力,是值得肯定的。它不像某些教科书那样干巴巴地堆砌术语,反而更像是一位资深前辈在耐心地为你铺陈一张全景地图,告诉你组织顺利航行需要哪些关键的锚点和风帆。特别是关于信托责任(Fiduciary Duties)那部分的阐述,用日常运营中的小故事来佐证复杂的法律概念,让初次接触这些概念的读者也能迅速把握要点,而不是陷入术语的迷宫。我个人觉得,这本书的价值就在于,它把原本高高在上的“最佳实践”拉到了地面上,用一种非常可操作的语言,武装了那些真正在一线为组织奔走的领导者。
评分这本书的行文节奏把握得相当到位,读起来一点都不拖沓,这一点对于我们这些时间极其宝贵的管理者来说,简直是福音。它没有那种为了凑字数而插入的冗余背景介绍,每一个章节的引入都直奔主题,仿佛直接进入了下一个需要解决的核心问题。我特别关注了关于“冲突的利益处理”那一章节,那部分内容写得极其细腻和周到。在实际操作中,NPO面临的利益冲突情境千变万化,从高管薪酬的制定到供应商的选择,无不潜藏着灰色地带。这本书并没有提供一个放之四海而皆准的“标准答案”,而是提供了一套严谨的“决策框架”,指导读者如何基于组织的使命和透明度原则,一步步构建起稳固的防火墙。这种“授人以渔”的教学方式,远比直接给出“你应该怎么做”的指令更有力量。我合上书本时,脑海中已经勾勒出了我组织内部审查流程的优化蓝图,这直接的转化效率,是我阅读其他同类书籍时很少体验到的快感。这种实用性和即时应用价值,才是衡量一本商业或管理类书籍是否成功的硬指标。
评分这本书的语气非常具有建设性,它没有居高临下的说教感,反而像是一位经验老到的伙伴在分享他的“避坑心得”。我尤其欣赏作者在讨论“文化建设与合规性”时所采取的视角转换。很多时候,合规被视为一种冰冷的外在要求,是不得不应付的监管负担。然而,这本书巧妙地将其融入到NPO的核心文化建设中,强调只有当透明、诚信成为组织基因的一部分时,各种治理机制才能真正发挥作用,而不是沦为墙上的装饰品。这种从“硬规则”向“软文化”的延伸,显示出作者对非营利组织特殊性的深刻理解。毕竟,NPO的生命力来源于信任,而信任的基石就是无可挑剔的治理实践。阅读完后,我感觉自己对于如何将复杂的治理要求“内化”为日常工作习惯,有了一个清晰的路线图,这比单纯背诵几条规定要有效得多。
评分从排版和视觉设计的角度来看,这本书的用心程度也令人赞叹。它显然不是那种批量生产、敷衍了事的工具书。章节之间的过渡非常流畅,而且关键的法律条款、需要重点注意的风险点,都被用醒目的色块或图标进行了区分。这使得在需要快速查阅某一特定信息时,眼睛能够迅速定位到核心内容,极大地提高了查找效率。尤其是书中穿插的那些“案例剖析”环节,虽然只是简短的篇幅,但其选择的角度都非常刁钻且贴合实际——比如处理突发性的媒体危机,或者应对捐赠人突然撤资的紧急情况。这些案例的分析,往往不仅仅停留在“发生了什么”,更深入地探讨了“如果当时董事会采取了不同的决策路径,结果会有何不同”。这种“反事实分析”的引入,极大地增强了阅读的代入感和思考的深度。它让你在阅读时就仿佛置身于一个模拟的压力测试环境中,提前演练了如何在高压下做出符合治理规范的判断。
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