Blog & Newsroom

Individuals and Organizations Encouraged to Give

On March 18, Philanthropic partners across Northeast Ohio today announced the creation of the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund, which will soon distribute grants to nonprofit organizations serving on the front lines of the pandemic throughout Greater Cleveland.

Contributions to the Rapid Response Fund now total $3.95 million from 18 different organizations.

Funding partners urge other foundations, corporate entities, individuals, and other organizations to contribute to the fund via ClevelandFoundation.org/Response. Donations of any amount are welcomed, and all contributions are tax deductible.

Initial support for the fund was made possible by:

The State of Ohio is taking action to help small business affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

On March 17, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted sent a letter and application to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to qualify the State of Ohio for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

This federal program will enable small businesses and non-profits throughout the state impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 to apply for low-interest loans for up to $2 million in assistance, which can provide vital economic support to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.

Zinner & Co. partner Sue Krantz, CPA, CGMA, recently completed her term on the Board of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.

For the past nine years, Krantz was honored to serve, most recently as Treasurer and a member of the Executive Committee. 

“While my term has come to a close, I was proud and in awe of the significant accomplishments, which took place at CRCC while I was a member of the Board,” she said. “CRCC expanded its offices and staffing in order to improve access to its free services, which are now offered in four counties, in many regional satellite offices and at partner agency locations.”

Recently passed legislation will benefit nonprofit organizations by repealing an unpopular unrelated business income tax (UBIT) on expenses of nonprofits that provide transportation fringe benefits to their employees.

The “Parking Tax,” which was imposed under I.R.C. Section 512(a)(7) upon enactment of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, has now been retroactively repealed under the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act.

Selecting a firm to conduct your not-for-profit’s audit services can feel like a daunting task. There are hundreds of firms online and most (if not all) claim to perform not-for-profit audit services.. How can you know which audit firm is the right for your Organization?

Selecting the right audit firm is like creating a long-term relationship with a partner that is dedicated to helping your organization fulfill its mission. Selecting the wrong firm can feel like trying to swim with a 500 lb. weight strapped to your back.So how can you be sure you are selecting the best fit for your needs?

At one point or another, you’ve probably been asked to complete a survey after visiting a business. Many businesses even offer incentives such as discounts on future purchases or entries into drawings for prizes. These firms invest heavily to hear your feedback, but is it worth it?

Not-for-profits are different from for-profit businesses, but one of their commonalities is the need for high levels of service and ongoing engagement with clients.

Your organization’s website should be one of your most valuable assets. It’s like a 24/7/365 salesperson that is constantly generating new sales leads and customers. However, if your website isn’t designed with mobile, you’ll be lucky if anyone sees it at all.

Approximately 125 billion business-to-business emails are sent every day. Roughly 111 billion personal emails are sent each day. If you want your marketing emails to rise to the top in a sea full of 236 billion daily emails, you need to stand out.

Your organization’s website can be one of your greatest assets or a HUGE liability. It’s largely a factor of how much effort you put into building and maintaining it.

Your website should be like a round-the-clock salesperson or fundraiser, but only if you follow best practices and put time and attention into developing and maintaining it.

A public relations disaster can bring any organization to it’s knees, and nowhere is this more true than not-for-profits. A critical component of surviving negative attention is responding to it in a thoughtful and timely way. One of the best ways to achieve this is to have a fully-developed crisis communication plan.