Illinois State Charter - Current- Reapplied for copy in 2004.
Annual Report to the Illinois Secretary of State - Past - Years 2001, 2002, 2003 - past due. Currently- Years 2001, 2002, 2003 completed & filed - April 2004. All subsequent annual reports completed & filed. Current 2007-08 annual report completed & filed - March, 2007.
Annual Report to the Illinois Attorney General - Past - Last year annual report filed - 1993. Currently- Corporation application reapplied for, 3 years previous plus current 2006-07 annual report completed & filed - June 2007. As of August 2007- received confirmation that Titan's are in good standing. This is the 1st time since 1993.
Annual Tax Forms to the Internal Revenue Service - Past - 3 years past due. Currently- completed & filed - August 2004. All subsequent annual tax forms completed & filed. The current 2006-07 tax forms completed & filed - June 2007. Taxes with penalties that were due for the years 2001-2004- totaled $7,700.00. A requested was made to waive all the taxes & penalties- Waiver granted.
Illinois Sales Tax Exemption Letter- Last letter expired June, 2004. Renewed - May 2004. - Currently - Letter expires in June 2009.
Federal Nonprofit Tax Exemption - Past - Never applied for. Currently - Applied for in June, 2007. Approved September 26th, 2007. Now recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Food Permit- Currently - Food Permit applied for & received. Health inspection already performed & passed.
1. Recruit and Hire Well
How often have you heard "We need to recruit board members of affluence and influence"? I contend that if the portfolios of board members don't include wisdom and integrity, their affluence and influence often translate into a liability rather than an asset. And the record shows many an organization enduring much pain because of poor (for lack of a better word) board leadership.
But it is leadership at all organizational levels, including management, that establishes the organization's corporate culture. A nonprofit's leaders should provide both example and oversight when it comes to moral and ethical issues, circumstances and decision making.
2. Educate Staff about What's at Risk
Believe it or not, many people don't understand what's at risk if they don't perform their jobs in an ethical, accountable manner. And ethical lapses are easy to make, especially when the corporate culture gives a wink and a nod to unethical behavior.
What's at risk? Just about everything. Think Enron, Arthur Andersen, World Com, Global Crossing, and a slew of others, including numerous nonprofits that have suffered greatly because they failed to understand the risks of questionable or unethical behavior. We'll refrain from mentioning names here, but if you follow the sector you know who they are.
3. Be Transparent about Your Finances
Ever since Deep Throat told Bob Woodward to "follow the money," scrutiny surrounding financial malfeasance has only intensified. Be sure that you can account to your funders for how your organization spent their money; better yet, how their gifts made a difference in helping you achieve your mission.
Poor bookkeeping is no excuse. Hire a certified accountant, if necessary.
4. Speak Truth to Authority
Create a corporate culture in which employees feel free to speak truthfully to management.
Surveys show that a large percentage of employees who see misconduct don't speak up either because they believe their superiors won't take action or fear that they will face retaliation if they report what they saw. This hesitation tends to create an unhealthy, at-risk work environment.
5. Legal Should Not be the Litmus Test
There's a difference between what's legal and what's ethical, and it is up to an organization's leadership to understand what that difference is. If you're sitting around a conference table trying to split hairs between the two, don't go to your legal department for a resolution to your dilemma. They're being paid to find you a loophole. Rather, ask yourself, "What would my mother think if this decision we're about to make finds itself on the front page of the local newspaper or on the 6 o'clock news?"
Let's strive to give people something to believe in again!
