IN THIS ISSUE:

  • Recognize Excellence in Nonprofit Work: Nominations for Excellence Awards Due March 6
  • Webinar on Tangible Ways to Ensure Your Community Counts During the 2020 Census
  • Policy Updates
  • Reminder: Deadline For Nonprofits to File Property Tax Exemption is March 1
  • Unrelated Business Income Tax Relief Available to Nonprofits
  • Revisions to OMB Uniform Guidance - Public Comment Period Open
  • Regional Meetings in Central, Greater Boston, and MetroWest Regions (with More to Come!)
  • Our Shared Sector: Why Inclusive Nonprofits Should Consider a "Culture Add" Over a "Culture Fit"
  • Nonprofit 411: 15 Governance Best Practices for Nonprofit Boards
  • Free Webinars
  • Jobs and Resources
Recognize Excellence in Nonprofit Work: Nominations for Excellence Awards due March 6

Every year, MNN honors exceptional nonprofit organizations and employees that represent the best of the nonprofit sector. Help MNN highlight the important work being done in every part of the Commonwealth by submitting a nomination for the 2020 Nonprofit Excellence Awards  by Friday, March 6, 2020 . 

Nominations are being accepted in six categories: Excellence in Advocacy, Innovation, Leadership, Partnership, by a Small Nonprofit, and by a Young Professional. Award finalists and winners will be honored at Nonprofit Awareness Day: A Celebration of Nonprofit Excellence presented by Citizens Bank in June.

Click the button below to nominate an individual or organization for a Nonprofit Excellence Award.
Webinar on Tangible Ways to Ensure Your Community Counts During the 2020 Census
Register for MNN's second Census webinar, " Getting to Work: Tangible Action Steps to Ensure a Complete Census Count in Your Community  on  Thursday, February 27 from 2:00-3:00 pm.  The webinar will provide an overview of specific strategies that nonprofits can use before the 2020 Census starts in mid-March. The presenters are Vatsady Sivongxay, Statewide Complete Count Coordinator, and Beth Huang, Director of the Massachusetts Voter Table. This is the second in the three-webinar series sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal and presented by MNN. The third webinar will be presented in March. Register below .
Policy Updates
Reminder: Deadline For Nonprofits to File Property Tax Exemption is March 1

This a reminder to nonprofits seeking property tax exemption that March 1 is the deadline to file the annual  State Tax Form 3ABC  w ith local assessors offices. Form 3ABC must be filed each year by charitable organizations that own real or personal property as of January 1 in order to receive a local tax exemption on that property for the fiscal year that begins the next July 1. ( Note : this does not   apply to nonprofits that are currently renting space.) For more information, see  this Department of Revenue guide  on filing, reporting, and eligibility requirements related to local property tax exemptions. 
Unrelated Business Income Tax Relief Available to Nonprofits

The IRS has issued  guidance  that will help nonprofits get back taxes paid on the now-repealed unrelated business income tax (UBIT) on transportation, known as the "nonprofit parking tax." The guidance instructs nonprofits to fill amended Form 990-Ts and write at the top, “Amended Return – Section 512(a)(7) Repeal” so that IRS officials will be prompted to process a refund.

On December 20, 2019, the President signed  H.R. 1865 –a bipartisan appropriations bill–which included the UBIT repeal.   MNN joined state and national partners last April in  calling for a repeal.
Revisions to OMB Uniform Guidance - Public Comment Period Open

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has  proposed revisions to the Uniform Guidance  to strengthen the guarantee that grantees receive reimbursement of indirect costs of at least 10 percent of their modified total direct costs (de minimis rate). The draft revisions also clarify that all granting agencies paying nonprofits with federal funds must pay nonprofits using the nonprofits' existing negotiated indirect cost rates. The public comment period on the proposed revisions is open until March 22, 2020. Comments can be submitted  here .
Regional Meetings in Central, Greater Boston, and MetroWest Regions (with More to Come!)
Learn how you can make your nonprofit organization – and the Massachusetts nonprofit sector – healthy in 2020 by attending a free Regional Meeting. This year's Regional Meeting series, "Healthy Sector, Healthy Workforce: Keeping Nonprofits and Employees Healthy in 2020 and Beyond," will review new and expanded MNN services and programs and will feature a presentation from the Massachusetts Health Connector on best practices for choosing health insurance plans.

Register for a Regional Meeting below. Regional Meetings are free and open to all nonprofits. Meetings for the Southeast, Pioneer Valley, and Cape & Islands regions will be announced soon.
Central Regional Meeting
Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020 from 9:30-11:30 am
The Hanover Theatre, 551 Main Street, Worcester, MA
Greater Boston Regional Meeting
Friday, Mar. 20, 2020 from 9:00-11:00 am
The Boston Foundation, 75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA
Presented with The Boston Foundation
MetroWest Regional Meeting
Thursday, April 9, 2020 from 8:30-10:30 am
Special Olympics Massachusetts, 512 Forest Street, Marlborough, MA
Presented with the MetroWest Nonprofit Network and sponsored by the Massachusetts CORE Plan
" Our Shared Sector ," a partnership between MNN and YW Boston, explores the intersection of nonprofit work and efforts across the sector to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. Reach out here with any feedback or suggestions for Our Shared Sector.
Why Inclusive Nonprofits Should Consider a “Culture Add” Over a “Culture Fit”
When nonprofits interview a potential employee, they are not just looking at their skills and past experiences. Often, teams look for a sense of how an interviewee would work with existing staff and whether they hold the values of the organization. This evaluation is often branded as a search for a “culture fit”–as in, “does this person fit into the existing culture of our organization?” However, when a hiring team becomes very focused on cultural fit, they will be more likely to hire those who are familiar to them. Even if unconsciously, hiring teams can make judgements based on who they believe would be the easiest to train or get to know, often choosing those similar to them.


New and Returning Affiliate Members
*discount to MNN members
You can see a full listing of affiliates in our online Business Directory . Many affiliates offer discounts to our members!

Cambridge Trust Company is a full service commercial community bank providing a full suite of products and services. *Complimentary investment review.

Community Connections, Inc. is a nonprofit organizations has been serving people with disabilities since 1985.

Greenleaf Healing is an expert sober home located in Boston, MA.
Insource Services offers cost-effective, outsourced Finance, Technology, and HR management consulting. *4 hours of services at no cost in accounting, human resource, or IT management.

Leise Jones specializes in photography for nonprofit groups and mission-driven companies. *10% off event photography services for first-time clients (two hour minimum coverage).

The Massachusetts Health Connector makes it easier for small business to offer health insurance to their employees.

Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, advises and represents its nonprofit clients in all areas of law with an emphasis on labor, employment, and employee benefits law.


Non Profit Capital Management provides outsourced day-to-day bookkeeping and financial consulting.

Sharon Hogan offers accounting and financial services for nonprofits. *Free two-hour question, answer, and planning session; 10% off hourly rate for first 3 months.

Sharon McDonald works with nonprofits in managing their private corporate and foundation grant programs.
NONPROFIT 411
15 Governance Best Practices for Nonprofit Boards

Individuals choose to get involved with nonprofit boards for a variety of reasons such as a passion for a charity’s mission, a desire to give back, a commitment to enhance one’s experience, or a pursuit of new business opportunities. Whatever the reason, those individuals frequently do not fully understand their fiduciary responsibilities when they volunteer to serve on a nonprofit board. To this end, every nonprofit board should consider these 15 governance best practices.
FREE WEBINARS
This webinar from Pear Associates will focus on how to strategically plan for growth opportunities. Webinar participants will learn to pursue strategic opportunities by cultivating partnerships and relationships, identifying new markets and creating new programs. Also, participants will learn to identify their organization’s value proposition, and marketing strategies to communicate their value to a range of audiences. Finally, participants will learn strategies for creating a business development plan including conducting an environmental scan to determine competition, the political/economic landscape, and funding opportunities.  Register here .
The term “member” is often used loosely and can easily lead to confusion about whether a nonprofit has members for state nonprofit corporate law purposes, who members are, and what rights they have. Even nonprofits aware they have members may not be clear on whether their members get to vote and if so, when or how. In some cases, failure to obtain proper member approval may invalidate corporate actions. Join Hemenway & Barnes attorneys as they clarify the difference between voting members and other types of members, what rights voting members have, and how their role differs from that of the board. The webinar will also cover requirements for members’ meetings and votes and other legal aspects of having members.  Register here .
JOBS and RESOURCES
Job Opportunities

Learning Officer , Barr Foundation
Director of Finance and Administration , Essex County Community Foundation
Vice President of Human Resources , Community Connections Inc.
Program Associate - Education , Barr Foundation
Executive Director , Old North Foundation
Policy Associate , Frontier Group
Director of Development , Mass Mentoring Partnership
Philanthropy Officer , The Phoenix - Sober Active Community
Executive Director , Brookline Teen Center
Chief Executive Officer , Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
Community Engagement Manager , Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
Junior Accountant & Administrator , Four Paws International
Program Coordinator , The GroundTruth Project, Inc.
Administrative Coordinator , Cooperative Development Institute
Staff Attorney , Metrowest Legal Services, Inc.
Leadership Gifts Officer , Samaritans Inc.
Director of Development , The Lenny Zakim Fund
Client Success Manager , Craftsman Technology Group
ELA Teacher - Special Education in Institutional Settings - DMH , Collaborative for Educational Services
Executive Assistant to the CEO , Centering Healthcare Institute
Horticulture Field Manager , Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy
Executive Director , Valley Community Development
Staff Accountant & Payroll Specialist , MassHire Greater Brockton Workforce Board
Counselor (Tewksbury) , Middlesex Human Service Agency, Inc.
Development Operations Coordinator , Big Sister Association of Greater Boston
President and CEO , Way Finders, Inc.
Site Director , Wayside Youth & Family Support Network
Advocacy Director , Latinos for Education
Maintenance Technician , Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservatory
Asset Building Director , Lawrence CommunityWorks Inc.
Mobility Mentor (part time) , Just-A-Start Corporation
Manager of Operations & Outreach , Grow Native Massachusetts
Executive Director , Merrimack River Watershed Council
Resources
Applications for the Champions in Action program are being accepted until Friday, February 21 . Champions in Action is a partnership between Citizens Bank and necn to provide support for nonprofit organizations that address the most pressing issues in our communities. The category of Champions in Action this year is Environmental Stewardship. The selected organization will receive promotional and volunteer support, as well as a $35,000 unrestricted contribution from Citizens Bank. Click here to submit an application.

Mass Mentoring Partnership will be placing 25 AmeriCorps Ambassadors (AAOMs) for the 2020-2021 service year to support mentoring and youth-serving programs throughout Massachusetts. AAOMs serve 11 months (August-June). This program is ideal for organizations searching for ways to recruit more volunteers, build or improve programs, or enhance or create systems and processes. For more information, please contact Janeen Smith at  jsmith@massmentor.org . 

The Office of Community Health at Boston Children’s Hospital is doing a rapid-response RFP for 2020 Census Education and Outreach. A total of $50,000 will be available. The  deadline to apply is Monday, February 24 at 5:00 pm . Eligible organizations include nonprofit child serving organizations, faith-based organizations, community coalitions, or community development corporations with community organizing and outreach capacity. Preference will be given to organizations whose activities will have a primary focus within the City of Boston. Click here for more information.
New and Returning MNN Nonprofit Members
Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund - Asian Women for Health - Boston Gay Men's Chorus - Boston Cares - Centering Healthcare Institute - Children's Trust - Children's Vision Massachusetts - Easter Seals Massachusetts - Encore Boston Network, Inc. - Entrepreneurship for All - Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts - Fertility Within Reach - Friends of Cutillo Park, Inc. - FSHD Society - Girls Incorporated of Worcester - Greater Lowell Community Foundation - Human Service Forum - Kids in Disability Sports, Inc. - Lawyers Clearinghouse - Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, Inc. - Linda Loring Nature Foundation - Lyra Music Inc. - Manomet, Inc. - Mass Mentoring Partnership - Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center - Massachusetts Health Council - Metro Community Development Corp. - Neurofibromatosis Northeast - New England Village - North American Indian Center of Bosto n - On The Rise, Inc. - Ovations for the Cure - People Making a Difference through Community Service, Inc. - Philanthropy Massachusetts - Provide, Inc. - Providers' Council - Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research - Save One Life - South Shore Conservatory - Special Olympics Massachusetts, Inc. - Steps to Success Inc. - The Boston Foundation - The Gloucester Adventure, Inc. - The GroundTruth Project, Inc. - The Hyams Foundation, Inc. - The KEY Program, Inc. - The Literacy Lab - The Possible Project - The Seeds of Hope Mentoring Program, Inc. - The Wish Project - Thom Child & Family Services - Thrive Support & Advocacy - United Nations Association of Greater Boston - Up With Books, Inc. - Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue - Youth Development Organization, Inc.
MNN's work is made possible by our members and supporters including the Barr Foundation, The Boston Foundation, and the Highland Street Foundation. If you'd like to share a story or information that is important to Massachusetts nonprofits, contact fmartinez@massnonprofitnet.org .