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(February 22, 2012) California voters may face as many as three ballot measures this November that increase income taxes. (February 21, 2012) To give California’s businesses a distinct advantage in China, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. recently announced plans to open new trade and investment offices in China. (February 17, 2012) The California Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its Small Business Advocate of the Year Award. The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced a proposed rule to implement amendments to the Family and Medical Leave Act that expand the leave for military caregivers and create special eligibility provisions for airline flight crew employees. (February 15, 2012) The California Chamber of Commerce is helping businesses build their HR muscle at a topic-packed training session in San Diego on March 7 focused on the employment life cycle. A group of California business organizations has collaborated to launch a first-its-kind business-oriented website aimed at providing employers with accurate and easy-to-understand information about the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (February 13, 2012) Since January 1, California employers have been paying higher taxes because the state has not repaid money it borrowed from the federal government to pay unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. (February 10, 2012) The California Chamber of Commerce 2012 Business Issues and Legislative Guide is available now at www.calchamber.com/businessissues. (February 9, 2012) Starting July 1, businesses and public entities that generate four cubic yards or more of waste per week and multifamily units of five or more will be required to recycle. (February 8, 2012) The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) is apprising business owners that they may be eligible for thousands of dollars in state and federal tax benefits and other incentives for hiring qualified veterans.
(2/21/12) Proponents for three tax measures slated for the November ballot are focusing heavily on schools because voters prioritize education funding most. But it remains an open question how other programs will fare. Advocates for low-income residents fear safety-net programs remain vulnerable no matter what happens on the ballot in November. Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal raises several billion dollars for the state's general fund that he says would help protec... (2/16/12) California nonprofits are invited to participate in a national survey that will examine the state of the nonprofit sector from a financial perspective. The Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF, offices in both San Francisco and Los Angeles) is conducting its fourth annual nationwide survey, and we hope that you will add your voice. The survey, which is anonymous and takes only 10-15 minutes to fill out, collects data on important financ... (2/16/12) New programs are taking shape under California Medi-Cal waiver, a $10 billion program that is part of the state¹s effort to prepare for a major influx of beneficiaries who will be covered when the Affordable Care Act expands eligibility in 2014. The waiver was adopted to set aside
some federal Medicaid requirements so California can reshape systems, shifting from an emphasis on responding to health crises to preventing them altoget... (2/14/12) California has a big stake in the debate begun Monday with release of the Obama administration's proposed fiscal year 2013 budget. All told, the administration identified 210 federal programs for notable cuts or consolidation. Among the largest
proposed increases are a multi-billion dollar boost for "Project Rebuild," an effort to help cities buy and fix up abandoned and foreclosed properties and the "Community College ... (2/13/12) Want to know what's in - and what's out - of the 2013 federal budget as proposed by the White House and slated to be the subject of debate in the coming months? You can find summary and details direct from the source click here.
If you see something in the budget plans you want to let us know about, send an e-mail to klarsen@canonprofits.org. You can also keep yourself informed about the latest state and ... (2/10/12) The state's official nonpartisan budget analyst has begun its release of its views on the governor's proposed 2012 budget. Its overview is already up on its website and a complete set of detailed reviews of the following subject areas will be available soon: Proposition 98 and K-12 Education, Higher Education, Health, Social Services, Resources, Transportation, and Criminal Justice. For more information, click here. (2/8/12) Roughly half of Los Angeles County's 6,300 human-services nonprofits (which provide such services as emergency shelter, food, hospice care, and support for foster children, at-risk youth and the elderly) are struggling in the wake of the deep recession, according to a new study released by the Center for Civil Society at the UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs. This report follows-up on a 2002 survey of Los Angeles human services nonprofits and comp... (2/7/12) Jean Ross is leaving after 17 years as executive director of the California Budget Project (CBP) to work for the Ford Foundation in New York City. Through its research, educational activities, and technical assistance, the CBP has become an important resource on fiscal issues for advocates, community leaders, policymakers, and members of the media. In her new position as Ford's US Program Officer for Transparent, Effective, and Acc... (2/1/12) While California's 60-year-old redevelopment program is ending to help balance the state budget, $1.36 billion of its revenues may continue to fund affordable housing development in cities and counties under provisions of SB 654,
introduced by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D–Sacramento). The bill has passed the State Senate and now moves the State Assembly for further action. The California League of Cities has s... (1/31/12) The Small Employer Health Credit helps nonprofits reduce the cost of employee health insurance. Because of its complexity and low payout rates, the National Council of Nonprofits
and the Government Accountability Office (GAO)want to know how this new program actually works and how it can be improved. To find out how you can help, click here.
(1/30/12) The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) has released a report indicating that in 2010 the federal charitable deduction accounted for over $36 billion to more than 33 million individuals. The average value to taxpayers claiming the deduction was $1,078. For more information, click here. (1/27/12) Two California nonprofits have joined forces to promote state government reforms. The Think Long Committee of California and the California Forward Action Fund have reached a formal agreement to campaign for the "Government Performance and
Accountability Act (GPAA)," a ballot measure expected to qualify for the November 2012 ballot. According to the two organizations, the "Act would make popular, common-sense improvements to ... (1/25/12) President Obama has released an eight-page “Blueprint for an America Built to Last" as a follow-up to his State of the Union Address last night. The proposal touches on a variety of issues of interest to nonprofits,
including "Values: Ensure Every American Plays By The Same Set Of Rules And Pays Their Fair Share." Among other things, the President is asking Congress to: (1/24/12) The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) established the Sabbatical Program Award in 2003 to keep burnout, stress and fatigue from undermining the effectiveness
of the leaders of nonprofit organizations. Based on the model established by the Durfee Foundation in Los Angeles, the statewide TCWF Sabbatical Program Award provides grants that enable executive directors to spend up to six months away from the workplace, relaxing and... (1/23/12) In the days since Gov. Jerry Brown released his proposed 2012-13 state budget, leading budget analysts have put out reports highlighting key details and implications for health and human services, education, the environment and other issues of concern to nonprofits. To find out more from a variety of perspectives, go to: Office of the Legislative Analyst http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/PubDetails.aspx?id=2552 ; California Budget Project htt... (1/20/12) According to a new national survey, three-in-ten Americans (30%) say there are "very strong conflicts" between poor people and rich people. That is double the proportion that offered a similar view in July 2009and the largest share expressing this opinion since the question was first asked by the Pew Research Center in 1987. As a result, in the public’s evaluations of divisions within American society, conflicts betwe... (1/20/12) Federal judge Claudia Wilken yesterday blocked the state from reducing in-home care to low-income disabled and elderly residents. The reduction would have slashed one-fifth of service hours for In-Home Supportive Services recipients to save the state $100 million over the next six months. The judge's ruling means that 370,000 people, mostly seniors, will continue to receive IHSS care, while the state appeals the decision. For more informat... (1/17/12) "Nonprofits Talking Taxes" is an fast-paced, interactive workshop offered at NO COST to nonprofits and faith groups seeking ways to talk about the state and local budget crisis and key income solutions. This month, there are two FREE, 1. "Nonprofits Talking Taxes The Webinar" Friday, January 20, 12 - 1pm. Click here to register! 2. "Nonprofits Talking Taxes in Silicon Valley" Thursday, January 26, 12 - 2pm, Sili... (1/13/12) Beginning yesterday, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) - a Los Angeles area 501©3 nonprofit - is scheduled to launch a new program that will expand the list of permitted top-level domain designations
(words that appear to the right of the “dot” in an Internet address). Applicants will be allowed to claim virtually any word, generic or branded, as an internet top-level domain (TLD). This potentially includes: .charity, .donate, ... (1/12/12) In what the New York Times describes as perhaps "its most significant religious liberty decision in two decades, the Supreme Court on Wednesday for the first time recognized a 'ministerial exception' to employment discrimination laws, saying that churches and other religious groups must be free to choose and dismiss their leaders without government interference. The decision gave only limited guidance about how courts should decide who counts as a minister, sayin... (1/10/12) Three California members of Congress have announced their plans not to run for re-election this fall. Two – Wally Herger (R-Yuba City) and Elton Gallegy (R-Simi Valley) - have decades of seniority, which gives them extra influence in the Congress. The other is Dennis Cardoza (D-Atwater), who has served for a shorter time than the others but exerted impact as co-chair of the Moderate Democrat Caucus, otherwise known as the "Blue Dog Coal... (1/6/12) After a copy of his proposal somehow was uploaded to a state website five days in advance of its scheduled release, Governor Jerry Brown quickly summoned reporters and offered up the entire 2012-13 blueprint -- one that pegs the deficit at $9.2 billion and includes some major changes and cuts to health and human services and other programs that will put significant pressure on nonprofits to compensate for the lack of state support. The governor's proposal an... (1/5/12) According a report on the blog of Good Magazine, "a band of smiling millionaires "stood in line at a state office in Sacramento on Tuesday to become the first legal Benefit Corporations in California. Under a new law taking effect this year, for-profit corporations are eligible to include nonprofit-like "benefits" as an explicit part of their official purposes. Opposition came from CAN, California Church Impact, and the Nonprofit and Unincorporated Org... (12/28/11) The payroll tax cut extension approved by Congress last week also preserves a tax break for older Americans on charity distributions from their Individual Retirement Accounts. Like the payroll tax cut, the provision allowing people age 70 1/2 and older to donate up to $100,000 a year tax-free from their IRA¹s‹which was set to expire Jan. was extended for two months. Many nonprofit advocates have been lobbying to make the rule, enacted in 20... (12/27/11) The IRS Modernized e-file system for tax-exempt organizations will not be available from Jan. 1, through Feb. 29 for electronic filing of Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF and 1120-POL information returns. To minimize the impact, the IRS is granting an extension of time to file to March 30 to organizations whose due date or first extended due date is Jan. 17 or Feb. 15. The 990-N e-postcard filing system will not be affected. The suspension is intended to give IRS...
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