A Denver, Co.-based organization has agreed to cease its operations after reaching a settlement with the state over whether the group was really a nonprofit.
Fired Up For Kids would transfer all of its assets to a new group, according to a report on TheDenverChannel.com. The group got in hot water with Colorado's Office of the Attorney General over its sale of firefighter calendars. It's website stated that all proceeds from the calendars would go to The Children's Hospital Burn Center, and it's pamphlets presented Fired Up For Kids as a nonprofit.
The Attorney General's office saw things much differently.
In December 2011, the state filed a lawsuit against Fired Up For Kids alleging the group operated as a for-profit business despite the fact that it had registered as a nonprofit. Prosecutors also accused the organization's owner, Kirsten Hamling, of using company accounts and assets for personal uses, including airline tickets and gym memberships. Hamling defended herself after the lawsuit was fired, saying that the donations to the hospital were voluntary and that she was "in no way contractually obligated" to give money to the hospital.
In the end, it appears Hamling decided it was a better course to settle rather than fight the lawsuit.
Assets for the now dissolved Fired Up For Kids will go to a new organization, Colorado Firefighter Calendar, Inc. Proceeds from the calendar will still go to the Children's Hospital Burn Center, in addition to promoting fire safety and awareness.
You can read the full story on TheDenverChannel.com.
Showing posts with label for-profit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label for-profit. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Nonprofit And For-Profit Newsrooms Working Together
Nonprofit organizations partnering with for-profit corporations is nothing new but in recent years they've become more commonplace. When there is a common goal, these partnerships can be very fruitful. And now, for-profit and nonprofit newsrooms are discovering they need each other.
The PBS website MediaShift, in conjunction with the Investigative Reporting Program, conducted a roundtable discussion with local media experts on this subject. With budgets tightening at newsrooms across the country, established media outlets are finding they don't have the resources for extensive investigative reports. Spending six months on a story isn't exactly the best way to make money. That's where nonprofit news organizations come in.
Sites like the Voice of San Diego and the St. Louis Beacon have been popping up, filling the gap in investigative journalism. Major news outlets, not wanting to lose this area of reporting entirely, have found that working with these nonprofit news sites makes for a partnership that benefits both sides. This benefit can be seen in a recent project by Frontline, an investigation show hosted on PBS. They worked with PBS, The Guardian, and CBC on a project, and found that they were able to accomplish a lot more by sharing resources.
It's not all roses and sunshine, though. Mary Walter-Brown, who works at the Voice of San Diego, spoke to the roundtable discussion about her experience partnering with a local NBC affiliate. They would often have people from the Voice as experts, but Brown says they still have trouble getting them to explain their mission to viewers. It seems some fledgling news organizations seeking nonprofit status also are having difficulty explaining their mission to the IRS.
We recommend that you read the rest of the roundtable discussion on PBS's website. What do you think of the stories they shared there? Has your organization had similar experiences in their partnerships with for-profits?
The PBS website MediaShift, in conjunction with the Investigative Reporting Program, conducted a roundtable discussion with local media experts on this subject. With budgets tightening at newsrooms across the country, established media outlets are finding they don't have the resources for extensive investigative reports. Spending six months on a story isn't exactly the best way to make money. That's where nonprofit news organizations come in.
Sites like the Voice of San Diego and the St. Louis Beacon have been popping up, filling the gap in investigative journalism. Major news outlets, not wanting to lose this area of reporting entirely, have found that working with these nonprofit news sites makes for a partnership that benefits both sides. This benefit can be seen in a recent project by Frontline, an investigation show hosted on PBS. They worked with PBS, The Guardian, and CBC on a project, and found that they were able to accomplish a lot more by sharing resources.
It's not all roses and sunshine, though. Mary Walter-Brown, who works at the Voice of San Diego, spoke to the roundtable discussion about her experience partnering with a local NBC affiliate. They would often have people from the Voice as experts, but Brown says they still have trouble getting them to explain their mission to viewers. It seems some fledgling news organizations seeking nonprofit status also are having difficulty explaining their mission to the IRS.
We recommend that you read the rest of the roundtable discussion on PBS's website. What do you think of the stories they shared there? Has your organization had similar experiences in their partnerships with for-profits?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
NPT Jobs: For-Profit To Nonprofit: Making The Transition
Crossposted from NPT Jobs
It is common to see people from the for-profit world make jump to the nonprofit sector. The ultimate goals of a nonprofit and a for-profit might be different, but their management styles have a lot in common. That doesn't mean there aren't things that for-profit executives should keep in mind before switching their career paths.
Nonprofit hours aren't always the typical eight-hour workday. "No big deal", you might be think, "I had to work overtime a lot at my last job." We're talking about more than your normal overtime work here. There are often special events like galas, telethons, or community service work that can extend to all hours of the day, including weekends. Make sure to ask the kind of time commitment expected when you go in for an interview.
For-profit companies can have easy access to the things because of an abundance of money. Nonprofits aren't the picture of poverty they are sometimes made out to be, but they do need to use the donor dollars they get effectively. This can be a bit of an adjustment for employees who are used to having more resources at their disposal. This might not be the case depending on the organization you choose to work for, but it's something to keep in mind.
There are other differences to consider when transitioning to the nonprofit sector, but these are the two biggest adaptations you will have to make. Feel free to add your own experiences in the comments section below.
It is common to see people from the for-profit world make jump to the nonprofit sector. The ultimate goals of a nonprofit and a for-profit might be different, but their management styles have a lot in common. That doesn't mean there aren't things that for-profit executives should keep in mind before switching their career paths.
Nonprofit hours aren't always the typical eight-hour workday. "No big deal", you might be think, "I had to work overtime a lot at my last job." We're talking about more than your normal overtime work here. There are often special events like galas, telethons, or community service work that can extend to all hours of the day, including weekends. Make sure to ask the kind of time commitment expected when you go in for an interview.
For-profit companies can have easy access to the things because of an abundance of money. Nonprofits aren't the picture of poverty they are sometimes made out to be, but they do need to use the donor dollars they get effectively. This can be a bit of an adjustment for employees who are used to having more resources at their disposal. This might not be the case depending on the organization you choose to work for, but it's something to keep in mind.
There are other differences to consider when transitioning to the nonprofit sector, but these are the two biggest adaptations you will have to make. Feel free to add your own experiences in the comments section below.
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