IN THE NEWS

The National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service is being held in Kansas City June 6-8. Co-sponsored by the Corporation for National & Community Service and the Points of Light Foundation, the conference will have sessions covering all aspects of volunteer management. Quoting from their brochure (available at http://www.pointsoflight.org/pdfs/2004Conference_Brochure.pdf — the document is large, so be patient), “If you recruit, manage, or train volunteers; if you want to target volunteers where they are most needed; if you seek to learn and apply effective practices in a constantly changing field—you will benefit from this conference.”

In addition, the conference will feature a Faith-Based Initiatives Institute on June 6 (http://www.pointsoflight.org/pdfs/2004conference_faithbased.pdf). This event is not exclusive to Christian organizations, but it will provide stories and tips on ways in which differing groups can work together.

April 15 has come and gone, but now is the time to begin 2004 tax planning. Independent Sector has put together an excellent set of tax tips to help people understand deductions for giving to churches as 501(c)(3) organizations. Their Web site (http://www.independentsector.org/programs/gr/Tax_Time_Tips.html), and the IRS publications that can be accessed from there, will help you understand what fundraising activities have reporting requirements and which activities may allow your donors to claim a deduction.