Spokes | Resources for Nonprofits

Find Us On Social Media:

Free Human Resources Hotline

by

SLO Cal Careers has partnered with the California Employers Association to provide San Luis Obispo County employers with a no-cost human resources hotline. Get advice on:

  • Hiring and firing best practices
  • Paid sick leave laws
  • Wage and hour laws
  • Employee handbook policies
  • HR compliance
  • Accommodations in the workplace
  • And much more!

HR Directors are available for San Luis Obispo County Employers
Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Call 888.710.0905.

This WIOA Title I financially assisted program or activity is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. California Relay Service 711 or 1-800-735-2922 (English) 1-800-855-3000 (Spanish).

Can we pay our volunteers?

by

We appreciate our volunteers so much. Most of our nonprofits could not begin to provide services without the help of selfless volunteers. It’s natural to want to reward them. But can you pay them something for their hard work?

Frankly, no. California Labor Code has a strict definition of volunteer. It is someone who “performs work for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons…without promise, expectation, or receipt of any compensation for work performed.”

It is permissible to reimburse volunteers for necessary expenses incurred in their volunteer work for you. You can certainly have a volunteer appreciation party and treat everyone to some refreshments. Likewise, a token of appreciation such as some flowers, a plaque, or a framed certificate of appreciation is fine.

Just not cash or a check (or even a “cash equivalent” such as a gift card). From the IRS’s point of view, that would be income. From California’s point of view, it could make them your “employee.”

Learn more:

Can the treasurer be the bookkeeper?

by

A new nonprofit was struggling to put together its first board of directors. The organizers had contracted with someone to be the bookkeeper and they wondered if it would be acceptable to have that person also serve on the board as the treasurer. The answer: maybe, but it might not be the best idea.

One issue is conflict of interest. Directors of nonprofits are not to benefit financially from their role on the board. So, even if the bookkeeper were a director but not the treasurer, if her firm is paid to do the bookkeeping, that could easily be seen as a conflict of interest. That might be mitigated if the firm did the bookkeeping pro bono. Another possible mitigation is to get bids from several bookkeepers and, if the bookkeeper’s firm is willing to do the work for significantly less, then that also might mitigate the conflict. In the latter situation, the board would want to clearly document the research that was done, and the bookkeeper would recuse herself from participating in the decision to contract with her firm.

A second issue to consider is that a fundamental part of the treasurer’s responsibilities is to provide financial oversight. So, if the treasurer is the bookkeeper, he/she is overseeing him/herself. In that case, it would be prudent to put a structure in place to ensure oversight. For example, the board might formally appoint another person to be the Chief Finance Officer and provide a written description of the CFO’s duties, which would include oversight.

The board also needs to keep in mind that if the organization is paying the director/bookkeeper, then that person becomes an “interested person.” In California, no more than 49% of the board of directors may be interested persons.

Finally, whatever arrangements are made, the board would be wise to put in place some basic internal controls. Here are two useful resources on that topic.

Can you fire a volunteer?

by

In a recent Spokes roundtable, the topic of the “dysfunctional volunteer” came up. Most volunteers are valuable assets for or organizations. We couldn’t do what we do without them. But occasionally, we experience a volunteer who is not contributing, or worse, creating a drain on the organization.

There are various forms of dysfunction. A volunteer may promise but not deliver. He may not have the knowledge or skills to be of help. She may distract staff or other volunteers from what they need to be doing.

As with hiring employees, the best approach to recruiting volunteers is to have a sound system for vetting them, learning about their talents and interests, and matching those to the tasks your organization needs accomplished. Sometimes, though, things just don’t work out. For the benefit of both the organization and the volunteer, it may be time to part company.

The following two resources provide sound advice on how to let a volunteer go in the most respectful and productive manner.


Before you convene…

by

Whether we’re talking about our staff, our board members, our constituents, or the public at large, bringing people together can be a productive way to deal with the challenges we face. But convening people can also waste people’s time or, worse, backfire.

Fortunately, there are steps we can take to help ensure that when we convene, we succeed! The Rockefeller Foundation has a long history of convening groups to grapple with weighty problems. The Foundation follows four core principles:

  • Focus on a single purpose.
  • Design for the experience.
  • Be intentional about participants.
  • Make commitments explicit and deliver.

Learn about each of these as well as additional tactics to make your convening more effective in this article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Guiding nonprofits to achieve their goals through support and expert resources.

How Can We Make A Difference Together?

Spokes welcomes local professionals who would like to share their expertise in support of the nonprofit sector.

Get Started Contributing

Recent Articles