Insurance Providers for Homeschool Groups

09/10/2019 by Leave a Comment

There have been a lot of homeschool leaders sharing helpful information on insurance for homeschool groups on the I Am a Homeschool Group Leader Facebook group. (Come join us!)

Be aware that insurance is licensed by the states, so many insurance plans are limited to only a few states where they are licensed.

Here are insurance providers in no particular order that other homeschool groups have used and comments from homeschool leaders:

 

We use Erie Insurance. If you are in a state that they service, I can’t recommend them enough. The agent was responsive, answered my endless questions about the policy and the many what if’s I could think of, and they came in significantly cheaper than the NCG quote. The best part was they set us up on the same type of policy that a school would use (they were well aware of the type of co-op we were), so every year they can adjust my coverage based on the number of students.

Mennonite Mutual was least expensive for us.

Brotherhood Mutual. They were more reasonable and better insurance in my opinion. https://www.brotherhoodmutual.com

NCG (National Church Group) sold through HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) https://ncginsurance.com/home-school-insurance-solutions

There were concerns that NCG did not cover children ages 0-3 years old. As of August 29, 2019, they agreed to extend coverage to children in nursery care (ages 0-3 years) during homeschool group activities effective immediately.

This coverage will be available for an additional premium for nursery exposures within any homeschool co-op, support group, or Classical Conversations community.

The premium charge for this coverage is:Accident Medical – $20 flat charge and General Liability – $100 flat charge

For more info, contact NCG customer service  at homeschoolsupport@ncginsurance.com or at 833-409-8500.

Church Mutual will write policies for nonprofits. One leader said this,” They sent an agent to our building and she sat with me for two hours to understand our programs and needs. She made certain they cover what we need and do. AND, it was less than HALF the quote I got from Brotherhood! Its a really good rate in our opinion.”

I received a quote from Pro Insurance Managers for less than $300. It is event only general liability for the days we meet to do our program (18x/year). For us, a group just starting out, would this be a good choice? PRO Insurance Managers 1-877-CALL-PRO

Church Insurance Specialists, Inc. (in WV, OH, or PA). Contact Ron Shirey at 814-618-5532. You must have a board of directors, you may be an unincorporated association or an incorporated nonprofit, and you must have a religious purpose.

The policy will include general liability, a minimum of $1,000 personal property, sexual misconduct & abuse, accident medical, daycare exposure(for 3 & under), and directors & officers. He said the average quote is $2,000. Churches can be named as additional insured to cover their property.

Have employees? They can also quote you a worker’s comp policy and they offer a payroll service. For more information about their payroll service call 1-866-215-5540 and leave a message in the sales department.

 

Jamie Buckland, Classical Program Consultant gave an excellent webinar on insurance and a summary of questions you should ask your insurance provider when shopping for a policy.

Homeschool Risk 101: Understanding It & Transferring It

I attended the webinar and learned a ton! Very worth the low cost of $12.

Carol Topp, CPA

Helping Homeschool Leaders

Filed Under: Insurance Tagged With: ,

Homeschool groups and fundraisers. Do you know what your state requires?

08/27/2019 by 6 Comments

Michelle asked a question about fund raisers in a homeschool group:

Hi Carol,
We have had fund raisers in the past (Butterbraids, a frozen pastry) and have made approx. $1,500 doing that fund raiser. We had a cooking class that prepared hot lunches and the co-op made money on those. We will have less than $100 left in the check book. We have a Fed ID #. What do we do? What about next year? Is fund raising not a good idea for us as you say in your website? We thought about charging more for membership (we charge $35/ yr now) and if people wanted to do individual fund raisers that would be up to each family. What do you think? Thank you so much for your help to the homeschool community and for whatever answers you can give us.
Sincerely,
Michelle P

Dear Michelle,

Did I say fund raising is not a good idea? I didn’t mean to. Hopefully, I just warned groups that fund raising can be a lot of work.

Charitable Solicitation filings 
If you hold fundraisers by selling products to the public (outside your own membership) you may need to report your “solicitation” to your state, typically the Attorney General’s office.

In my home state of Ohio, nonprofits have to file a Charity Registration form if they do fund raising to the public. One year my homeschool co-op sold candles door to door and had to file a seven-page financial report with Ohio’s Attorney General Office. That report was such a nuisance (and the fund raiser was so much work) that the co-op no longer does sales to the public.

Investigate what your state requires from groups doing fund raisers. These websites have information on nonprofit reporting requirements by state:

http://www.hurwitasociates.com/

https://www.harborcompliance.com/fundraising-registration

In general I encourage groups to get most of their income from membership fees and not depend too much on fund raising. Fund raising can be very successful or turn out very poorly. It is also a lot of work with sometimes only a few people doing all the work.

Individual fundraisers

I’m not sure what you mean by “individual fund raisers.” I do know that it is not proper to “award” a family for raising more money than another family, nor is it proper to set up individual accounts. It’s not right because it is not in keeping with the nonprofit motive or with the idea of a group benefit. In short, individuals are not supposed to benefit; the group is supposed to benefit.

 

My book Money Management in a Homeschool Organization covers fundraising and offers some ideas for easy fundraisers.

 

Are you up to date on your state filing requirements for your homeschool nonprofit organization? Do you even know that your state may require annual reports?

Most states require some reporting from nonprofit organizations on an annual basis. My webinar on IRS and State Filings for Homeschool Nonprofits will explain the state reports and help you research your state’s requirements.

 

 

Carol Topp, CPA

HomeschoolCPA.com

Filed Under: Fund raising, IRS Issues Tagged With: , , ,

Tiny Homeschool Groups: Do We Need a Bank Account?

08/22/2019 by Leave a Comment

Tiny Homeschool Groups: Do We Need a Bank Account?

Tiny homeschool groups have different challenges than large programs. They are limited on resources, volunteers, and activities. But they still have questions about legal status, money and taxes that the large homeschool organizations have.

In this 4-part podcast series, Carol Topp, CPA answers the common questions that tiny homeschool groups face. All podcasts are available at HomeschoolCPA.com/Podcast

  • Episode #175 Are We a Nonprofit?
  • Episode #176 Do We Need to File Anything?
  • Episode #177 Do We Need to Pay Taxes?
  • Episode #178 Do We Need a Bank Account?

In this episode Carol Topp will explain when a tiny homeschool group might need to open a checking account.

  • The pros and cons of operating in cash and without a checking account
  • Warning against using a personal checking account
  • Steps to take before opening a checking account

Join the Facebook group for homeschool leaders: I am a Homeschool Group Leader. 600+ homeschool leaders offer ideas, encouragement and respectful exchange of ideas. https://www.facebook.com/groups/72534255742/

 

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Money Management in a Homeschool Organization

  • Does your homeschool group manage their money well?
  • Do you have a budget and know where the money is spent?
  • Do you know how to prevent fraud?

This 115 page book will help you to open a checking account, establish a budget, prevent mistakes and fraud, use software to keep the books, prepare a financial statement and hire workers. Sample forms and examples of financial statements in clear English are provided.

Click here for more information

 

Filed Under: EINs and Names, Money & Budgets Tagged With: , , , ,

Still time to join the IRS and State Filings for Homeschool Nonprofits webinar

08/20/2019 by Leave a Comment

 

Carol Topp, the Homeschool CPA, will help you understand the IRS and state reports and file them yourself! In her webinar IRS and State Filings for Homeschool Nonprofits, Carol will explain the IRS annual returns and how to determine what your state may require as well.

You will learn:

  • The importance of maintaining 501c3 tax exempt status
  • The IRS Form 990 series. What form your group needs to file.
  • How to know if you’ve missed filing IRS returns
  • How to see Form 990-EZs and 990s from other nonprofits.
  • An explanation of the IRS Form 990-N.
  • What filings may be required by your state with examples

The live webinar will be TOMORROW evening Wednesday August 21, 2019 at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT/6 pm MT/5 pm PT

The webinar will last approximately one hour. There will be time for your questions. It will be recorded for viewing later.

The cost is $10 and you will receive:

  • Access to the live webinar on Wednesday August 21, 2019
  • An opportunity to ask questions via the live chat room
  • Handout of the slides
  • Recording to the webinar
  • IRS Forms, Instructions and samples
  • Template to summarize your state and IRS filing requirements for your board

 

I hope you can join me TOMORROW evening Wednesday August 21, 2019 at 8 pm ET.

 

Carol Topp, CPA

HomeschoolCPA.com

Filed Under: 501(c)(3) status, IRS Issues, Nonprofit status Tagged With: , , , ,

What do you do after your homeschool group has tax exempt status?

08/15/2019 by Leave a Comment

Getting 501c3 tax exempt status is a great accomplishment! If you’ve done it, congratulations!

But you’re not finished with government forms just yet! Your state and the IRS have several reports that must be filed regularly to maintain that precious tax exempt stats.

Almost every homeschool group will have some reporting with the IRS and their state.

Carol Topp, the Homeschool CPA, will help you understand the IRS and state reports and file them yourself! In her webinar IRS and State Filings for Homeschool Nonprofits, Carol will explain the IRS annual returns and how to determine what your state may require as well.

You will learn:

  • The importance of maintaining 501c3 tax exempt status
  • The IRS Form 990 series. What form your group needs to file.
  • How to know if you’ve missed filing IRS returns
  • How to see Form 990-EZs and 990s from other nonprofits.
  • An explanation of the IRS Form 990-N.
  • What filings may be required by your state with examples

The live webinar will be on Wednesday August 21, 2019 at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT/6 pm MT/5 pm PT

The webinar will last approximately one hour. There will be time for your questions. It will be recorded for viewing later.

The cost is $10 and you will receive:

  • Access to the live webinar on Wednesday August 21, 2019
  • An opportunity to ask questions via the live chat room
  • Handout of the slides
  • Recording to the webinar
  • IRS Forms, Instructions and samples
  • Template to summarize your state and IRS filing requirements for your board

 

More information at HomeschoolCPA.com/Filings

 

Carol Topp, CPA

Filed Under: 501(c)(3) status, IRS Issues, Nonprofit status Tagged With: , , , ,

Board, bylaws and budget for homeschool groups

08/13/2019 by 2 Comments

A homeschool leader is asking some excellent questions about writing bylaws, establishing a board and collecting money.

Dear Carol,
I am co-directing an established homeschool group and we are in the process of writing by-laws. My question is:

  • Is it okay to not allow members to have a vote pertaining to the decisions of the homeschool board?
  • Can the by-laws be set up to allow suggestions and recommendations from the members at the approval of the board?
  • Also, is it legal to initially appoint a board without a vote and then fill vacancies at the discretion of the established board?

Our concern is to protect the vision of the homeschool group.

Your website has been a tremendous help to us. Thank-you for your time and ministry to homeschoolers.

Misty M

 

Misty,
You have asked several good questions. Your group is fortunate to have you as a co-director.

Yes, it is OK to not allow members to vote; I have been on several nonprofit boards that do not have members vote.

Yes, you can set up your bylaws to allow final approval of ideas to be a board responsibility. You may establish a practice of considering suggestions and recommendations; you may not need to formalize the practice in the bylaws.

Yes, you can appoint a board without a member vote. This is done quite frequently on nonprofit boards, especially fine arts boards (i.e., art museums, symphonies, ballets, etc). Many boards find new board members from interested members, volunteers or patrons.

As a guideline, your board should remember their fiduciary duty (duty of care and duty of loyalty) to manage the funds with the purpose/mission of the organization in mind and not for private gain or benefit.
The board’s job is

  • to provide for fiscal accountability,
  • approve the budget, and
  • formulate policies”

From “Major Duties of Board of Directors”

In other words, think first of what is best for the organization.

You might find my Homeschool Organization Board Manual to be helpful.

It is a template to create a board member binder. It has lists of important documents to keep in your binder and tools to help you run your meetings smoothly including a sample agenda that you can use over and over again.

But this is more than just a few cover sheets for your binder. It is also a 55-page board training manual with helpful articles.

I hope that helps!

Carol Topp, CPA

Filed Under: Boards, Money & Budgets Tagged With: ,

Tiny Homeschool Groups: Do We Need to Pay Taxes?

08/08/2019 by Leave a Comment

Tiny Homeschool Groups: Do We Need to Pay Taxes?

Tiny homeschool groups have different challenges than large programs. They are limited on resources, volunteers, and activities. But they still have questions about legal status, money and taxes that the large homeschool organizations have.

In this 4-part podcast series, Carol Topp, CPA answers the common questions that tiny homeschool groups face. All podcasts are available at HomeschoolCPA.com/Podcast

  • Episode #175 Are We a Nonprofit?
  • Episode #176 Do We Need to File Anything?
  • Episode #177 Do We Need to Pay Taxes?
  • Episode #178 Do We Need a Bank Account?

In this episode Carol Topp will explain taxes for tiny homeschool groups:

  • How a tiny homeschool group can be tax exempt without applying.
  • How tiny groups can self-declare tax exempt status with the IRS.
  • State income tax exemption.
  • The IRS annual report Form 990-N.
  • Sales tax for small nonprofit organizations.

 

Join the Facebook group for homeschool leaders: I am a Homeschool Group Leader. 1,000+ homeschool leaders offer ideas, encouragement and respectful exchange of ideas. https://www.facebook.com/groups/72534255742/

 

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The IRS and Your Homeschool Organization

Does your homeschool group need to pay taxes? Could they avoid paying taxes by being a 501c3 tax exempt organization? Do you know the pros and cons of 501c3 status? Do you know what 501c3 status could mean for your homeschool group?

I have the answers for you in my book The IRS and Your Homeschool Organization. The information I share in my book has been helpful to homeschool support groups, co-ops, music and sports groups and will help you understand:

  • The benefits of 501c3 status
  • The disadvantages too!
  • What it takes to make the IRS happy
  • What your state requires
  • Why your organization should consider becoming a nonprofit corporation
  • What is the difference between nonprofit incorporation and tax exemption
  • IRS requirements after you are tax exempt

 

 

 

Filed Under: 501(c)(3) status Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Webinar: IRS and State Filings for Homeschool Groups

08/06/2019 by Leave a Comment

Getting 501c3 tax exempt status is a great accomplishment! If you’ve done that, congratulations!

But don’t think you are done with government forms just yet! Your state and the IRS have several reports that must be filed regularly to maintain your precious tax exempt stats.

Carol Topp, CPA the HomeschoolCPA has helped over 100 homeschool organizations apply for tax exempt status. She has prepared a webinar on IRS and State Filings for Homeschool Nonprofits. Carol explains the IRS annual reports for tax exempt nonprofits and how you can know what your state requires.

You will learn:

  • The importance of maintaining 501c3 tax exempt status
  • The IRS Form 990 series. What form your group needs to file.
  • How to know if you’ve missed filing IRS returns
  • How to see Form 990-EZs and 990s from other nonprofits.
  • An explanation of the IRS Form 990-N.
  • What filings may be required by your state with examples

After the webinar you will be equipped to file on your own the IRS Form 990-N and state forms saving you hundreds of dollars in professional fees.

 

This webinar is the third in a series of 3 webinar to teach homeschool nonprofit leaders how to create a nonprofit, get and maintain tax exempt status. The other two webinars are:

I highly recommend you watch the first two webinars on Create a Nonprofit for Your Homeschool Community and 501c3 Application for Homeschool Nonprofits. They are both a precursor to this webinar and tells you what to do to create a nonprofit and apply for 501c3 tax exempt status.

 

This third webinar on IRS and State Filings is for Homeschool Nonprofits if for groups that have received (or applied for) for tax exempt status with the IRS and:

  • Are unsure about IRS annual returns
  • Don’t know what forms their state requires from nonprofit organizations
  • Do fundraisers or ask for donations
  • Received a letter from the IRS or their state about missed reports
  • Need to know what to do to maintain their tax exempt status
  • Want to know what it takes to run a compliant nonprofit organization
  • People who want to DIY the IRS and state flings but need an experienced expert to teach them how.

The webinar will last approximately one hour.

The cost is only $10 and you will receive:

  • A recording of the webinar
  • Handout of the slides
  • IRS Users Guide for Form 990-N
  • Blank IRS Form 990-EZ and Instructions
  • Template to summarize your state and IRS filing requirements

 

Carol Topp, CPA
HomeschoolCPA.com
Helping Homeschool Leaders maintain tax exempt status.

Filed Under: 501(c)(3) status, IRS Issues, Nonprofit status Tagged With: , , , , ,

Should our bylaws include an indemnification clause?

07/30/2019 by Leave a Comment

I’m reading your amazing ebook The IRS and Your Homeschool Organization, and I noted a difference in the bylaws example in your ebook vs your website.

There is an Article 7 Indemnification on the website sample bylaws.

Is an Indemnification section necessary to have in our bylaws?

Thank you,
Nicole

 

Nicole,

I’m glad the book is helpful!

You asked, “Is an Indemnification section necessary?”

 

What:

Let’s start by explaining what indemnification is. It means ‘to indemnify’:

indemnify

to compensate for damage, loss sustained, expense incurred, etc.
to guard, secure against anticipated loss; give security against (future damage or liability).

 

How does it work?
A nonprofit organization might include in their bylaws a clause such as this:

Indemnification
“The Organization agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the board members, its officers, directors and employees, from and against all liability, loss, cost or expense (including attorney’s fees) by reason of liability imposed upon the Organization, arising out of or related to organization’s activities, whether caused by or contributed to by the members or any other party indemnified herein, unless caused by the sole negligence of the member or any other party indemnified herein. Organization may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any such person against any such liability, cost or expense.”

Why have an indemnity clause:
It assures nonprofit board members that the nonprofit organization will pay any legal fees related to the organization’s activities or their board service (unless caused by the sole negligence of the board member). Typically, the nonprofit purchases Directors and Officer (D&O) insurance to pay for the legal bills when and if they arise.

Some people will not serve on a nonprofit board without an indemnity clause and without Directors and Officer insurance. So having this clause in the bylaws and a D&O policy helps attract and retain board members.

 

Why not have an indemnity clause:
Some nonprofits are small and they do not have the financial means to pay legal bills of board members or purchase Directors and Officer insurance.

True Story: I am on the board of a local charity (not a homeschool group) and we were reading over the bylaws word-by-word and updating them (a great idea to do that every few years!). The bylaws had an indemnification clause much like the one above. We were all a bit confused by the language and unclear what it meant.
One of the long-time, experienced board members said that the last sentence was the most important. It said: “The organization may purchase insurance for such indemnification as determined by the board.” This is a tiny charity, all volunteer, and we do not carry insurance to cover Directors and Officers. We decided to delete the indemnification clause since we had no resources to pay for attorney fees or D&O insurance. The indemnification clause was a promise we could not keep.

 

What should we do?

It’s best to research indemnification and talk it over with your board. Your board can decide to include it in your bylaws or not.

This is not legal advice. I recommend you contact an attorney if you need additional assistance.

 

Carol Topp, CPA

Helping Homeschool Leaders

Filed Under: Boards, Insurance Tagged With: , , ,

Tiny Homeschool Groups: Do We Need to File Anything?

07/25/2019 by Leave a Comment

Tiny Homeschool Groups: Do We Need to File Anything?

Tiny homeschool groups have different challenges than large programs. They are limited on resources, volunteers, and activities. But they still have questions about legal status, money and taxes that the large homeschool organizations have.

In this 4-part podcast series, Carol Topp, CPA answers the common questions that tiny homeschool groups face. All podcasts are available at HomeschoolCPA.com/Podcast

  • Episode #175 Are We a Nonprofit?
  • Episode #176 Do We Need to File Anything?
  • Episode #177 Do We Need to Pay Taxes?
  • Episode #178 Do We Need a Bank Account?

In this episode of the HomeschoolCPA podcast, Carol Topp discusses:

  • Bylaws do not typically need to be filed anywhere. They are an internal document. Sample bylaws for a homeschool group
  • Articles of Association (if you remain an unincorporated association) or Articles of Incorporation (if you formed a nonprofit corporation in your state). Samples available here
  • Charitable solicitation registration if you solicit donations or hold fund raisers in your state. Get information on your state’s filing requirements from https://www.harborcompliance.com/information/nonprofit-compliance-guide
  • Business licenses for nonprofits (only 6 states require a business license)
  • Employer Identification Number. Helpful tips.

 

Join the Facebook group for homeschool leaders: I am a Homeschool Group Leader. 600+ homeschool leaders offer ideas, encouragement and respectful exchange of ideas. https://www.facebook.com/groups/72534255742/

 

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How to Start Them, Run Them and not Burn Out

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Filed Under: EINs and Names, Nonprofit status Tagged With: , , ,