One of the hot new buzzwords of the nonprofit sector is—Transparency. What is your organization doing to educate and inform donors about your organization's practices, and their rights as donors and as members of the public? Particularly in the area of fundraising, ethics and transparency are key words to remember and to stress with your donor public.

information about the revised 990 form. Also, we are including some material about communicating with your donors through newsletters, which is one way to provide important facts bout your organization to your constituents.

1. Invite donors to be part of the development process—i.e. provide input into your case, your development plan, your donor recognition program.
2. Ask members of your Board to host donor cultivation events at which the annual report if presented.
3. Publish the Donor Bill of Rights in your newsletter along with a story about ethical fundraising.
4. Utilize the section on the 990 form which allows you to explain your programs and your success in fulfilling your mission.
5. Be sure to register with appropriate state regulatory authorities if the states in which you raise fund require registration.
   

As a nonprofit organization, we thought you’d be interested in knowing that the IRS is requesting public comments on a discussion draft of a redesigned Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, filed by many public charities and other tax-exempt organizations. The redesign of Form 990 is based on three guiding principles: enhancing transparency, promoting tax compliance, and minimizing the burden on the filing organization. Comments are due no later than September 14, 2007.
You can see the draft and find out how to submit comments on our website, at the following location: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=171216,00.html. You can also sign up for EO Update, our electronic newsletter with information for tax-exempt organizations and tax practitioners – attorneys, accounts, and others – who represent them. For your convenience, here’s a link to the newsletter information page: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=135307,00.html.

Bobby Zarin, Director
Customer Education and Outreach
Exempt Organizations, Tax-Exempt and Government Entities
Internal Revenue Service

The following article, with permission from Emerson & Church, Publishers, is excerpted from Tom Ahern’s book, Raising More Money With Newsletters Than You Ever Thought Possible. To order the book, visit www.emersonandchurch.com or call 508-359-0019.

By Tom Ahern

Almost every donor newsletter I see suffers from at least one of the following fatal flaws. You would be shocked by how many donor newsletters suffer from all seven.

Flaw #1: Your newsletter fails the "you test." I'll explain that simple (but critical) test in my book. For now just keep in mind that a good donor newsletter is friendly, even intimate, in tone. If you insist instead on an institutional voice, you distance yourself from your readers.

Flaw #2: Your newsletter skimps on emotional triggers. You already know that charity starts when you move a heart. In a donor newsletter, tugging the heartstrings is a full-time job.

Flaw #3: You claim it's a newsletter (i.e., a bearer of news), but it's really just an excuse to say hi. Here's a dead giveaway: You devote your front page to a ponderous letter “from the desk of” an executive director or board chair.

Beware: a newsletter with no news value is a waste of time and money. And donors are quite demanding: they want very specific kinds of news. Their interest in your organization can quickly wane if you fail to deliver.

Flaw #4: Your newsletter is not "donor-centered." It does not make the donor feel needed or wanted. Remember: people don't give to your organization. They give through your organization, in an effort to change the world. You have to give the donor credit as well as thanks.

Flaw #5: The newsletter is not set up for rapid skimming and browsing. On the contrary, you assume people will read long articles. Here's the harsh truth: most of your audience won't have time to give your newsletter more than a glance. If you bury important information in long articles, most people will miss it.

Flaw #6: Your newsletter has weak or dysfunctional headlines. If any of the fatal flaws deserves the title of "Most Deadly," this is it. Headlines have a function: to summarize the key points of the story. Almost every nonprofit newsletter I've run across has suffered to some degree from poor-to-worthless headlines. Of all the fatal flaws, inept headlines do the most damage. They make it impossible for your newsletter to succeed.

Flaw #7: It depends far too much on statistics (and far too little on anecdotes) to make your case.

For advice on how to fix these fatal flaws, read Tom Ahern’s book, Raising More Money With Newsletters Than You Ever Thought Possible, published by Emerson & Church, Publishers www.emersonandchurch.com.

Many people have wanted to attend workshops but because of distance or the fact that some of our workshops are held for predetermined audiences, it has been impossible to attend. Watch for our new Webinars through Affinity Seminars, where you can get top-notch education in the comfort of your home or office, save money and traveling time.

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