(cross-posted from my other blog, Attestation Update.)
Facebook has posted a really good guide to online security: Own Your Space – A Guide to Facebook Security
It is focused on Facebook, of course. It also has a lot of good stuff, such as general discussion of how to recognize a scam as a scam. Good ideas on general defensiveness when online.
Would be good for your staff to read it. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by Jim Ulvog
Previous post discussed the increasing visibility of the Driscoll tax case allowing a pastor to use $400,000 to buy a second house and not pay income tax on the $400,000. The Tax Court ruled that the clergy housing allowance concept applies to more than one home.
My concern is that extreme case is perceived as a typical example of the financial life of a pastor.
The average size of a church in the US is about 100 members. Therefore, the life of a typical pastor in America looks more like this:
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Posted by Jim Ulvog
It has been one year since I launched Nonprofit Update. On August 29, 2010 I started this blog to talk about issues affecting the nonprofit community. On October 14, 2010 I started moving topics of more interest to CPAs to a new blog, Attestation Update.
Many thanks to all who have stopped by to read! This has been fun and I look forward to many more years of blogging.
Here are some stats from the first year for those who are interested in such things.
Number of posts: Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by Jim Ulvog
Earlier this year I wrote a CPE course on SSARS requirements for CCH . Back in April I mentioned Compilation and Review: Practice Issues (Third Edition) was available. Discussed that course here. Two more SSARS classes I wrote are now online. Another will be available soon. Each of the following classes are two CPE hours.
Compilation and Review: Introduction. Course description from CCH:
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Posted by Jim Ulvog
The Apparent Project Blog explains the serous unintended consequence of giving help in Haiti while ignoring the economic context in their post Peanut Butter and Shelley.
Those of us in the West desperately need to understand the culture, economy, and local situation when we want to move cross-culturally. We can provide wonderful blessings but can cause harm without intending to.
I’ve discussed this in other posts: Does humanitarian aid actually help and how do we know? along with Cross-cultural partnerships.
Back to the situation in Haiti.
Some churches in the US are trying to help the hungry in Haiti by shipping huge quantities of peanut butter. Sounds like a great way to help since it is a superb source of protein – as good as pork for nourishment.
What do you think happens to the local economy if peanut butter and pork are major products? It can seriously disrupt the economy.
2 Comments | Economics, Pondering | Tagged: unintended consequences | Permalink
Posted by Jim Ulvog
A tax case way out in the outer limits, one that makes regulators irritated, is getting more attention.
Article in the Money & Investing section of the Wall Street Journal discussed the Phil Driscoll tax case: Tax Break for Clergy Questioned
Some background: Christian artist Phil Driscoll won a battle with the IRS. On one hand, the details don’t seem too outlandish.
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Posted by Jim Ulvog
SpaceX will launch it’s first space shot on a resupply flight to the space station in late November. NASA gave technical approval to the launch.
Why is this discussion in a blog about nonprofit issues? Three reasons.
First, is a superb illustration of stretching our brains. In the nonprofit sector we need to be intentionally thinking about the future. See my discussions here, here, here, here, here, and here. Just the idea of private space flights will stretch our brain.
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Posted by Jim Ulvog
Most states have some sort of registration requirement when an NPO outside that state get money from people inside that state. For a one-paragraph intro to the charitable solicitation issue, visit State Registration for Charities & Religious Organizations at TheMinistryBlog.
Contact any CPA who works with NPOs for more details.
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Posted by Jim Ulvog
What could a teenager working minimum wage 60 years ago buy with his summer earnings compared to now?
Mark Perry has a calculation at his blog Carpe Diem: Young Americans: Luckiest Generation in History:
Here is the short version:
1952 after working for the summer, a teen could buy:
2011, after working the summer, a teen could buy the functionally equivalent items as 1952:
Plus in 2011 our hypothetical teen still would have enough money left over at the end of the summer to buy some bonus stuff on top of matching types of things from 1952: Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by Jim Ulvog
(cross-post from my other blog, Attestation Update)
Looked at my settings. Much to my surprise, I found out I had opted-in to have my name and photo included in ads for products. Might be worth checking your settings.
First tidbit – social ads. Technique of using your photo and name on ads shown to people in your network for items that you have recommended or followed.
Second tidbit – you have to opt-out of social ads.
How?
1 Comment | Social media | Permalink
Posted by Jim Ulvog
I’m developing a post on the functional allocation issue. Particularly how expensive it is to conduct ministry in the American cultural context. Part of that discussion will be analogies to the “overhead” it takes the US military to accomplish its mission.
As a lead-in to that idea, consider the following blog post by Jasmine Lee, a photographer who went on a KC-10 flight to refuel some C-17s and the Thunderbird flight demonstration team.
U.S. Air Force Media Flight – Travis Air Force Base… Part I
Some really cool pictures. A good photographer, decent equipment, flight of F-16s, a tanker to put you 100 feet from said flight, and awe-inspiring skill of the USAF crews combined to produce fabulous photos.
Also an amazing 37 second video of an F-16 sliding into position to draw fuel.
As you look at the pix, consider the amount of effort that is behind the scenes.
1 Comment | Non-profit accounting, Other stuff | Permalink
Posted by Jim Ulvog
John Bredehoft has a creative two-part post comparing technology in 2011 and 1981. Focus is on the change in portability – the ease of getting news anywhere and being able to reach someone anywhere.
What if modern portability existed, or didn’t exist, 30 years ago?
More on changes in portability
Communication then:
3 Comments | cartoons and other creative visualizations, Information Technology | Permalink
Posted by Jim Ulvog
Previously looked at a visual comparing US states to other countries. This visual compares metropolitan areas to countries.
If U.S. Cities Were Countries, How Would They Rank?
A few tidbits from the article:
1 Comment | cartoons and other creative visualizations | Permalink
Posted by Jim Ulvog
You already know you really need to get your most critical data backed up. Losing all your ministry data or donor information could destroy your ministry.
But backup is such a hassle.
Here are eight online services that allow you to do backups out on the net. That makes it a lot easier and makes your data a lot safer.
1 Comment | Information Technology | Permalink
Posted by Jim Ulvog
Whether you serve in a church or ministry, having your staff use social ministry to communicate is a very good thing. The social media tools available today are easy, cheap, effective, and far-reaching. It is fascinating to think how easy it is to communicate with your audience.
Just like everything else in life, there is a downside.
Your Church Blog points out a few things we should be careful of:
1 Comment | Information Technology, Social media | Permalink
Posted by Jim Ulvog
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