The state Attorney General’s office is proposing a twentyfold increase in penalties against nonprofits that do not comply with filing regulations as part of proposed legislation designed to overhaul the state’s charities laws.

The legislation also would make it easier for nonprofits to dissolve, addressing the issue of nonprofit organizations that are registered with the AG’s office but are not operating. In addition, the legislation increases filing fees for the state’s largest nonprofits and removes the 25 percent limit on the amount of money professional fundraisers can earn from contributions they raise.

Sponsored by Rep. Martha Walz, D-Cambridge, the legislation represents the first major change to the state’s charities laws in 30 years. The legislation reflects an ongoing effort by Attorney General Martha Coakley to put teeth into all of the laws governing the issues under her jurisdiction, said Jill Butterworth, a Coakley spokeswoman.

For Immediate Release
MNN Receives Grant in the Hope of Improving Nonprofit Health Insurance Coverage
Boston, MA – The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network has been awarded a grant by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts to examine the state of health insurance coverage among nonprofit employees.
Amid the current financial crisis and the ongoing struggle to provide [...]

For Immediate Release
Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) members from all across the state will meet at the State House on April 6th from 9:30am to 1:00pm. The day will include: training in how to work with your legislator, a briefing on what nonprofits can and can not do, and a briefing on the issues facing [...]

For immediate release
NEW BEDFORD – With budgets being cut and needs increasing, nonprofits more than ever are looking to increase efficiency and work together. MNN is giving nonprofits in the Southeastern Massachusetts area a chance to do just that.
With funding for nonprofits growing scarcer and donations drying up, some funders and experts are predicting Darwinian [...]