A nonprofit is like a house made of only windows and with no curtains. Everything done should be made known to the public in some way. The IRS Form 990 or Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax Form, was designed to enhance transparency and promote tax compliance while minimizing the burden for the filing organization.
Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum,
- Read Chapter 4 from your textbook.
- Review Demystifying the 990-PF Links to an external site..
- Find two Form 990 filed by different nonprofits using one of the following websites:
- GuideStarLinks to an external site.
- This website is free but requires you to sign up to use. For help navigating this website, review this video:US IRS Form 990 Nonprofits Guidestar Search Links to an external site..
- Nonprofit Explorer: Research Tax-Exempt OrganizationsLinks to an external site.
- GuideStarLinks to an external site.
- Watch Form 990 Tutorial – Full Links to an external site..
In your initial discussion forum post,
- Include the links to the two Form 990s you found.
- Describe what each Form 990 tells you about the two companies you chose.
- Discuss your thoughts about whether you would consider donating to these nonprofits based on their Form 990 and why.
- Explain some of the benefits and drawbacks of Form 990 in terms of financial transparency, trust, and accountability.