A bi-weekly update from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.                                        

IN THIS ISSUE:
MNN is the voice of the Commonwealth's nonprofit community and brings together all parts of the nonprofit ecosystem - organizations, funders, community and business leaders, and elected and appointed officials - to strengthen the capacity of the sector. MNN recently released its 2017-2018 public policy agenda, which focuses on the following four issues:

1. Strengthening nonprofit and government partnerships
2. Ensuring fair tax policy and supporting accountability
3. Encouraging innovation and talent
4. Increasing philanthropy, volunteerism, and civic engagement

See the full agenda here.

EITCCelebrate #EITC Awareness Day
On Friday, January 27th, the IRS is partnering with organizations across the country for EITC Awareness DayFor the past 40 years, the earned income tax credit (EITC) has provided an important financial cushion to millions of Americans. Those who qualify for the credit can receive as much as $6,242 from the IRS.  Last year, more than 27 million eligible workers and families across the country received more than $67 billion in EITC. In Massachusetts, nearly 400,000 eligible workers received a total of $838 million  in EITC, averaging $2,107 per claim. This day aims to bring attention to and increase eligibility awareness of the EITC, as well as the child tax credit (CTC), the additional child tax credit (ACTC), and the American opportunity tax credit (AOTC). Learn more about how to participate here. Learn whether you qualify for any of these credits here.

BakerBaker Administration's Proposed Employer Assessment
Last week, it was revealed that the Baker Administration is considering a proposal that would penalize employers that  fail to meet thresholds for health insurance coverage levels and employee participation  and to institute new price caps on healthcare providers.   Read the Boston Globe's article on the proposal  here .

MNN is gathering information on this proposal and analyzing its potential impacts on the nonprofit sector. We would like to hear from you about questions or concerns that you have with this
proposal. Please contact Tonja Mettlach, Director of Government Affairs, at  [email protected] .


Each month, MNN partners with one of our affiliate members - experts in their field - to present a free webinar on timely and relevant topics for the nonprofit sector. 

On February 22, Colleen Doherty & Catherine Ruben of  Eastern Benefits Group will be speaking about background checks. Reserve your spot here!
By William B. Ford, CPA, and Linda J. Kramer, CPA, MBA, G.T. Reilly & Company
 
You may have heard that new financial reporting
standards are coming down the pike that will affect your organization. The good news is that the new standards don't take effect for more than a year, giving you plenty of time to familiarize your organization with any new requirements. A review of your organization's financial reporting practices may be beneficial in preparation for the new standards.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-14, Presentation of Financial Statements for Not-for-Profit Entities. This ASU is the first phase of a two-phase project and is intended to make nonprofit financial reporting more transparent. Read more.
QUICK LINKS 
Director of Child Care Services, Catholic Charities of Boston
Member Recruitment Specialist , Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
Community Leader/Executive Director, L'Arche Boston North
Director of Development, Wellspring House, Inc. 
Executive Director, Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School
CRM Manager, Two Ten Footwear Foundation
Deputy Director, Silver Lining Mentoring
Development Manager , Community Harvest Project, Inc.
Family Law Staff Attorney, Community Legal Aid
Operations Manager, Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services
Assistant Director of Programs, Hildebrand Family Self Help Center
Director of Residential and Community Supports , Western Massachusetts Training Consortium
Events and Administrative Manager , Massachusetts Public Health Association
Marketing and Communications ManagerMENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership
Deputy Campus DirectorCitizen Schools
Donor Relations Manager , The Full Frame Initiative

As of  February 1, 2017, the grant and award opportunities listing will be moving over to our monthly  MemberNews e-newsletter.
For information on how to become an MNN member, please visit
our website  or  email  us at  [email protected] .

*Discounts for MNN members
Resources
The Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO)  is looking for partners. LEO is a research center in the Economics Department at Notre Dame, which aims to identify the effective, innovative, and scalable programs and policies that reduce poverty and improve lives in the U.S. LEO works in a number of program areas, including education, criminal justice, health, housing, and economic self-sufficiency to support a culture of continuous evaluation and improvement. LEO offers organizations i mpact evaluations to provide objective information about the impact of a program or policy on one or more measurable outcomes of interest.

LEO evaluation findings also inform decision-making among practitioners and policymakers more broadly. For qualified projects, LEO does not charge a fee for the evaluation. To learn more about partnering with LEO to develop top tier evidence about your program's impact on key outcomes of interest, visit https://leo.nd.edu/.
 
Join the  ASA Center For Consumer Advocacy ' s free webinar on February 2nd
to learn more about the federal Department of Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). PSLF forgives the balance of eligible borrower's federal student loans once they have made 120 qualifying payments while working for an eligible employer.

The  Barr Foundation  is currently  seeking proposals  from innovative schools and programs with the goal of supporting the development of exemplary schools and programs across the region. Applicants can begin preparing their proposals for one-year planning grants of up to $150,000 each to support the development of their school or program. All proposals for planning grants are due by February 15, 2017. For more information, click  here

ArtWeek is seeking applications for its Spring 2017 festival. Events will be held throughout Eastern Massachusetts from April 28 - May 7, and applications can be found at www.artweekboston.org.

Collective Impact Forum , a partnership between FSG and the Aspen Institute, is hosting its annual field-wide  Collective Impact Convening  on May 23-25 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. This national conference will attract more than 400 funders, backbone leaders, and other collective impact partners. Nonprofits who are currently involved in cross-sector partnerships - or interested in learning more about best practices in collective impact - are invited to attend.  Use promo code MA100 to take $100 off the individual three-day nonprofit rate of $945





New & Returning Affiliate Members 
*Special discount for MNN members

Provides individual and organizational development & strategic planning. Offers leadership coaching, board retreats, and team workshops.

Advises and represents nonprofit clients in all areas of law with an emphasis on labor, employment & employee benefits law as well as matters regarding dealings with state, municipal and governmental entities. 

Develops and offers high quality products and services that meet all stakeholder needs and requirements, and allows care providers in the Intellectual, Developmental and Mental Disabilities industry to minimize administrative time and maximize client interaction time. *Discounted rates up to 50% off of subscription of Ruby Electronic Docs.

A fundraising & strategy firm whose mission is to empower non-profits to create positive change in the world by providing superior solutions that maximize results.  *1 hour free consultation.

New & Returning