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Your not-for-profit has likely grown and evolved since it was founded. Have your bylaws kept pace? Bylaws are the rules and principles that define your organization \u2014 and, if you haven\u2019t revisited them recently, they may not be as effective as they could be.<\/p>\n
Rules and procedures<\/strong><\/p>\n Typically, bylaws cover such topics as the broad charitable purpose of an organization. They also include rules about the size and function of the board; election terms and duties of directors and officers; and basic guidelines for voting, holding meetings, electing directors and appointing officers.<\/p>\n Without being too specific, your bylaws should provide procedures for resolving internal disputes, such as the removal and replacement of a board member. If you\u2019re not familiar with the bylaws, you should get up to speed fast.<\/p>\n Making changes<\/strong><\/p>\n What if you need to change your organization\u2019s bylaws? First, make sure you have the authority to do so. Most bylaws contain an amendment paragraph that defines the procedures for changing them. Consider creating a bylaw committee made up of a cross-section of your membership or constituency. This committee will be responsible for reviewing existing bylaws and recommending revisions to your board or members for a full vote.<\/p>\n The bylaw committee needs to focus on your nonprofit\u2019s mission, not its organizational politics. A bylaw change is appropriate only<\/em> if you want to change your nonprofit\u2019s governing structure, not its operating procedures.<\/p>\n Other considerations<\/strong><\/p>\n If your nonprofit is incorporated, ensure that any proposed bylaw changes conform to your articles of incorporation. For example, the \u201cpurposes\u201d clause in your bylaws must match that in your articles of incorporation. Any new provision or language changes in your bylaws contrary to the objectives and ideals included in your incorporation documents may invalidate the revisions.<\/p>\n Bylaw provisions that suggest you\u2019ve strayed from your original mission also can jeopardize your federal tax-exempt status. So make sure your bylaw amendments are consistent with that tax-exempt purpose. If changes are \u201cstructural or operational,\u201d report the amendments on your Form 990.<\/p>\n Know what they contain<\/strong><\/p>\n Your board and staff need to be familiar with exactly what your nonprofit\u2019s bylaws contain \u2014 and what they don\u2019t. If they\u2019re incomplete or don\u2019t reflect your organization\u2019s current mission, it\u2019s time to revise them. Questions? Contact us.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2019<\/em><\/p>\n <\/body> Your not-for-profit has likely grown and evolved since it was founded. Have your bylaws kept pace? Bylaws are the rules and principles that define your organization \u2014 and, if you haven\u2019t revisited them recently, they may not be as effective as they could be. Rules and procedures Typically, bylaws cover such topics as the broad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-not-for-profit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13998\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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