The Importance of By-Laws to Resolve Governance Battles

Non-profit organizations need to have a clear governance structure. One reason is that it is not uncommon for the members, officers and/or directors of non-profit organizations to engage in power struggles, particularly if the organization has grown from a small, cohesive group to a larger, loosely organized membership. In some cases, a single member or a small group of members who disagree with the organization’s current management or general objectives can create a significant rift in the organization by publicly denouncing the current administration (or worse, purporting to assert control over the organization). As in any organization, a certain amount of turnover and change can be very positive, but a power struggle may destroy the organization itself. In order to minimize governance battles, the organization’s governing documents need to be strong enough to prevent dissention amongst the members, officers or directors from crippling the organization’s stated purpose (and perhaps, its existence).

The best way to proactively eliminate the risk of organizational anarchy is for the organization to adopt clear, coherent and thorough by-laws. In our experience, many non-profit organizations fail to adopt by-laws with mechanisms designed to provide clear power demarcations and methods for resolution of control issues. In addition, many organizations are using outdated by-laws which were not written for the organization as it is currently structured and operated, or for the technological age, when e-mails and social media can improve communication but can also facilitate membership dissention on a very public platform.

At a minimum, the by-laws of every non-profit organization should clearly set out the following:

“Non-Profit” Does Not Equal “Tax-Exempt”: Applying for Federal Tax-Exempt Status

Many individuals who start a “non-profit” organization incorrectly assume that setting up a “non-profit” entity (i.e. a “non-stock corporation” in Virginia) will automatically make that entity exempt from federal, state and local taxes, and will permit donors to take a charitable deduction on their individual tax statements. A full discussion of tax law applicable to non-profit organization is beyond the scope of this article. However, we want to impart some general knowledge regarding how to set up a non-profit organization in Virginia and some general information regarding applying for tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.

In Virginia, a non-profit organization is usually a non-stock corporation, which is a form of entity that does not issue stock and is governed by the by-laws adopted by the members of the organization. There are many ways to organize the governance of the corporation, but generally, it is run by a board of directors that is elected by members of the organization. How a person becomes a member of the organization is determined in accordance with the rules set out in the by-laws. Of course, the members or the board of directors can elect a CEO or President to run the day to day operations of the organization.   
Becoming a non-profit entity under Virginia state law permits certain exemption from various state and local taxes, but does not automatically result in exemption from federal income tax. The first step to gaining federal tax-exempt status is to determine which type of tax-exempt organization the entity is. The most common categories of tax-exempt entities are: (1) Charitable and religious organizations; (2) Business leagues; (3) Labor organizations; (4) Social welfare organizations; and (5) Agricultural/horticultural organizations. The two most common types of tax-exempt organizations that Gross & Romanick helps to establish are charitable/religious organizations and business leagues.