Eyeglasses for the Poor When

Eyeglasses for the Poor

When a nonprofit organization like Eyeglasses for the Poor (EP) is initially launched, simply because it presents a strong altruistic theme of helping others does not excuse it from embracing respected business practices. In fact too many nonprofits that register as public charities (501-C-3) so people can receive a tax deduction for making contributions do not also put in place accepted business practices to safeguard the organization from scandal or suspicion. In this nonprofit, a solid structure is needed to assure that all the donations are correctly accounted for and all disbursements are authorized and reported; all the volunteers need to know they have a responsibility and duty to fulfill the mission of the organization; and safeguards must be put in place to assure that the organization meets the requirements of a federally licensed public charity.

Eyeglasses for the Poor -- A Structure that Works

From the description in the assignment, this nonprofit is not yet fully ready to solidify the legal and fiduciary components of a federally licensed public charity. An important process that EP needs to set in motion is to select a board of directors (for oversight and leadership), but before a board can be selected, the organization should put out a call for participation to the community. Currently, this is a loosely knit group of people with a great idea, a passion for giving to the less fortunate, but idealism without structure is wasted energy in many cases. And before the call can go out to the community for participation, EP must "Determine your vision, mission or purpose, and organizational structure," according to the University of Maine GroupWorks Series (Killam, 2010).

The mission statement should directly point to why the organization exists in the first place -- in other words, what are the human and social needs that EP is addressing in its status as a nonprofit? Does EP have enough members to carry out the mission? Is Joy Becket to continue as the interim director? Who will take on the responsibilities as the secretary to keep important eyeglass inventory matters in legal compliance? Those issues need to be addressed, a mission statement must be finalized, and it would be a good idea for all to gather so the consultant can explain the fiduciary responsibilities and the social covenants that are vital.

Next, the board members. The organization would be wise to directly approach a business leader in the community, someone with a charitable reputation who has the time and inclination to participate. Also, a business owner in the eyeglasses field would be perfect for a second board member. Group members can also be considered. Once the new three-member board has its first meeting, the articles of incorporation and bylaws can be worked out. The articles of incorporation are not difficult (viewing other nonprofits' articles can lead the way to preparing EP's articles), and bylaws can be paraphrased from other nonprofits' bylaws, and edited to specifically address EP's mission statement.