Every year it gets tougher for churches and nonprofits to comply with state, federal and local regulations. Yet they must – or face consequences.
Here’s hope and a how-to for staying on the right side of the law.
In Mark 12:17, Jesus was confronted about whether Israelites should pay Roman taxes. He famously responded, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.”
Churches and nonprofits in the United States don’t pay taxes like corporations. However, they are subject to a wide and growing list of mandates. Many organizations simply ignore the law, either willfully or out of ignorance. But ignorance of the law is not an excuse that will stand up in court. What if failure to comply with laws and regulations put the work of your ministry or nonprofit in jeopardy? It certainly can.
Few people join ministry or the nonprofit world because they love regulatory compliance. Yet this spares no one from the force of the law. Just a few of the many issues that could expose organizations to litigation or government sanction include:
Classifying employees improperly according to state and federal law
Failure to protect children from abuse
Improperly establishing a board of directors (or failing to have one at all)
Failure to follow organizational bylaws (or update them)
Mismanaging income tax deductions and exemptions for employees and pastors
Failure to properly insure
Failure to maintain facilities
What you don’t know can hurt you. Join us for this free webinar and get an overview of key compliance issues. You’ll learn how your church and nonprofit can begin taking steps to protect itself from unnecessary legal disruption and stay on the right side of the law.
OUR EXPERT
Max Herr is president of Church & Ministry Compliance Consulting. He has more than 25 years of experience in insurance, financial services, compliance and governance, including more than 10 years as a church treasurer. Max served as a church compliance specialist for the California Southern Baptist Convention for six years.