IRS Releases Draft Instructions for 2008 Form 990, Seeks Public Comment

 The Internal Revenue Service is seeking public comments on the draft instructions to the 2008 Form 990, the annual return most tax-exempt organizations must use to report information about their operations. The instructions are for the redesigned Form 990 that organizations will file for their 2008 tax year (returns filed in 2009), which was released in final form in December 2007 (IRS news release IR-2007-204).

Posted by VACAP Archives at 2:05 PM - Categories: Member News

Governor Kaine Announces Federal Approval To Provide Personal Assistance Services To Workers With Disabilities

Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced that Virginia has received approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand services available to workers with disabilities who are enrolled in Virginia’s MEDICAID WORKS program.

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Posted by VACAP Archives at 2:03 PM - Categories: Press Releases

Housing Data - "Out of Reach Report"

The cost of rental housing continued to climb in 2007 and shows no sign of slowing in 2008, outpacing the earnings of those in the low and moderate wage workforce. What would a family in your community have to earn to be reasonably assured of quickly finding an affordable rental unit?

This and other questions are raised, and answered, in the National Low Income Housing Coalition's (NLIHC's) latest Out of Reach report, released yesterday. The report provides data for every state, metro area and county in the country, showing how much a household must earn to afford a modest rental home as well as local wage and income data.

Out of Reach is a resource for people who want to document the housing circumstances of low income people in their communities. Visitors to www.nlihc.org can view data for each state, county, and metropolitan area as well as for combined nonmetropolitan areas in each state. These data can also be downloaded in state-by-state reports in PDF and Excel for presentation and further analysis. The report's introduction and appendices explaining the findings and the data, along with the preface from Senator Dodd and a press kit, are also available at the website. Out of Reach 2007-2008: The Wait for a Home Grows Longer is available at http://nlihc.org/oor2008/.

Posted by VACAP Archives at 2:07 PM - Categories: Member News

Senators Webb And Warner Sign On CSBG Dear Colleague Letter

VACAP is pleased to report that Senator Webb joined Senator Warner in signing on the CSBG Dear Colleague Letter for increased funding for CSBG in Fiscal Year 2009. Please send your thanks to Senator Warner's office: Kristen_Fallon at warner.senate.gov . Please also thank Senator Webb at: Doug_Ierley at webb.senate.gov . It is a very good sign that both of our US Senators are strong supporters of CSBG. Thanking them for their support is one of the easier things the association can do to let them know how important their support is to community action.

Posted by VACAP Archives at 2:11 PM - Categories: Press Releases

New York Times: "The Last Wish of Martin Luther King"

By TAYLOR BRANCH - Dr. King challenged everyone to find a Lazarus somewhere. That quest in common becomes the spark of social movements, and is therefore the engine of hope.

FORTY years ago on March 31, at the National Cathedral, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered what would be his last Sunday sermon, on his way back to Memphis. That same night in 1968, President Johnson shocked the world by announcing that he would not seek re-election.

I was a senior in college. My mother was visiting four nights later when all conversation suddenly hushed in a busy restaurant. A waiter whispered that Dr. King had been shot.

Civil rights, Vietnam, Dr. King, Memphis — these are historic landmarks. Even so, this year is a watershed. Because Dr. King lived only 39 years, from now on, he will be gone longer than he lived among us. Two generations have come of age since Memphis.

Posted by VACAP Archives at 2:10 PM - Categories: Press Releases | Member News

Leadership Crisis in Nonprofit Sector? NOT!

Robert Thalhimer, Senior Vice President for Advancement at The Community Foundation in Richmond, shares his view on the "crisis" in non-profit leadership. Thalhimer concludes that "Preparing new leaders and new donors to replace those of the present generation is JOB ONE. It is the most critical aspect of a leader's work plan".

 From RichmondLeaders.Com by Robert Thalhimer

A generation of nonprofit executives will retire over the next decade (present company included). How will we ready our replacements? How will we compensate them, when industry pays its leaders so much more? The March 6th issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy bemoaned these questions, and the popular press has had a heyday beating this drum.

Let's get real. How in the world did the Baby Boomers manage to replace the nonprofit leaders of the Greatest Generation? Aren’t we currently underpaid as executives? Why aren’t our nonprofits currently in a leadership crisis...

Posted by VACAP Archives at 2:16 PM - Categories: Member News

Governor Kaine Announces Formation Of The Office Of Early Childhood Development

Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced the creation of the Office of Early Childhood Development, which will be headed by Kathy Glazer. She will report to the Department of Education and the Department of Social Services. "Kathy Glazer has done an exceptional job reaching out to the early childhood community statewide," Governor Kaine said. "They have great confidence in her and that gives me great confidence in her. I can’t think of a better person for this job."

Posted by VACAP Archives at 2:14 PM - Categories: Press Releases | Member News