How to Bedazzle Your Form 990: How Charities Can Use a Boring Tax Form to Optimize Trust and Relationships
Over 1.5 MILLION public charities are competing for the same pool of donors, so you need to take every chance to share your mission and accomplishments. Your Form 990 is most likely published on your website as well as other public databases (e.g., Candid) and you'd be mistaken if you think no one is reading it. Donors and their professional advisors, funders, prospective board members, and prospective employees are all turning to the 990 to learn more about your work… and AI engines are scraping the information as well! Debra Faulk, founder of Cause & Effect LLC, says, "The 990 is a snapshot of financial health, governance and operations in one document. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for nonprofits to sell themselves in the mission and program descriptions required on the Form 990.”
In this program, Debra joins us to share examples of the strongest and weakest 990s she's encountered while reviewing grant applications. And she'll highlight the specific opportunities the 990 offers to make your case and stand out in the crowd.
You'll learn to consider what your audience wants to know about:
- Finances: including how money is spent throughout the organization
- Impact: what program services you performed and your performance metrics
- Legitimacy: how long your organization has existed and how successful you are in meeting goals