Dubois summer concerts to benefit Chance Phelps Foundation and Needs of Dubois

Suzy Bogguss (shown in photo) and Western Underground will perform in concert in the Dubois Town Park on Friday and Saturday, August 19 & 20. The concerts will benefit two local charities: Chance Phelps Foundation (CPF) and Needs of Dubois (NOD) 

Grant-writing workshop May 23-24 in Cheyenne

The Cheyenne Police Department and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grants workshop in Cheyenne, May 23-24, 2011. This training is applicable to grant seekers across all disciplines. Attend this class and you'll learn how to find grants and write winning grant proposals.

Click here for full event details: http://grantwritingusa.com

Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county and state agencies as well as nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend.

Multi-enrollment discounts and discounts for Grant Writing USA returning alumni are available. Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment.

Tuition is $425 and includes all materials: workbook and accompanying 420MB resource CD that's packed full of tools and more than 200 sample grant proposals. 

FMI: 800.814.8191 or cs@grantwritingusa.com

UW Community Development team offers board governance training April 28 in Cody

This comes from Cole Ehmke at the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service.

For everyone who works with boards, UW's Community Development team is bringing in a speaker for a training on board governance. The training is in Cody at the Cody Hotel on April 28. Cost is $150 (lunch included).

Our team is increasingly working with and developing materials for boards around the state, so we're looking forward to the training. Also, Cody is a great place to visit. Come a day early and go to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center museums. 

FMI: Cole Ehmke, Extension Specialist, UW Cooperative Extension Service, (307) 766-3782 or Kimberly Chapman, Uinta County Cooperative Extension Service, 307-783-0570, kchapma3@uwyo.edu

Activist and author Greg Mortenson to speak in Cheyenne March 29

From a post on Facebook:

Two-time Nobel Prize nominee Greg Mortenson will share insightful commentary and stunning photography to educate and promote awareness of the importance of primary education, literacy and cross-cultural understanding about the remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He will speak at the Taco John’s Events Center in Cheyenne on Tuesday, March 29, 7-10 p.m. Limited amount of tickets go on sale on Friday, Jan. 7. Tickets: $5 Students (K-College)/$15 General Public. Contact the Taco Johns Events Center at (307) 433-0025 or on-line at www.cheyennecity.org

Greg Mortenson promotes peace through education. He is the co-founder of nonprofit Central Asia Institute www.ikat.org, founder of Pennies For Peace www.penniesforpeace.org, and co-author of New York Times bestseller ‘Three Cups of Tea’ www.threecupsoftea.com which has sold over 4 million copies, been published in 47 countries, and a New York Times bestseller since its 2007 release, and Time Magazine Asia Book of The Year.Mortenson’s new book, Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books Not Bombs, In Afghanistan and Pakistan, was released by Viking on December 1st, 2009.

As of 2010, Mortenson has established over 145 schools in rural and often volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide education to over 64,000 children, including 52,000 girls, where few education opportunities existed before.

Laramie County Partners are bringing Greg Mortenson to Cheyenne for a series of activities, including talking to school children and a public event in the evening on March 29, 2011. The partners include: Laramie County Community College Foundation, Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne Rotary, Laramie County Library, Laramie County Library Foundation and Laramie County School District No. 1.

http://www.facebook.com/LaramieCountyPartnersPresentGregMortenson

Non-Profit IRS filing notice

MOST TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER THAN CHURCHES, MUST FILE WITH THE IRS OR RISK LOSING THEIR TAX EXEMPT STATUS!

In the Fall, 2009 issue of WAC Artscapes, Grant Manager Karen Merklin provided information advising small non profits with an annual gross of less than $25,000, that they would have to start filing a 990 Form with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

This link was provided at that time to enable nonprofits to obtain additional information: http://www.webcpa.com/news/IRS-Publishes-Final-e-Postcard-Regulations-51129-1.html?zkPrintable=true

We have recently become aware of additional information regarding this new requirement, and wanted to pass it along to our Wyoming nonprofits.

IRS Instructions for Form 990 state that the law now requires most tax-exempt organizations, other than churches, to file an annual Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-PF with the IRS, or to submit a Form 990-N e-Postcard to the IRS. If an organization fails to file an annual return or notice as required for 3 consecutive years, it will automatically lose its tax-exempt status. Beginning in 2010, automatic revocations will start for organizations not filing for the 3rd consecutive year. Orgs that lose their exemption must file income tax returns and pay income taxes.

The New York Times says in a 4/22/10 article entitled "One-Fourth of Nonprofits Are to Lose Tax Breaks" by Stephanie Strom, that as many as 400,000 nonprofit organizations will lose their tax exemption at midnight on 5/15/10, if they have not filed the proper tax forms the following year.

The Wyoming Arts Council does not offer tax advice. However, we do want to help get the word out about this important IRS requirement. Instructions for Form 990 do not specifically list the 5/15/10 due date that the New York Times stated in their article, but it does say this will happen in 2010. We suggest that all nonprofit organizations contact their accountant immediately to ensure the proper forms have been filed with the IRS.