The Internal Revenue Service has revoked the tax-exempt status of more than 100 Lawrence nonprofits who failed to file the proper paperwork for the past three years, according to recently released IRS documents.
But some of the Lawrence nonprofits on the list had valid reasons for not filing documents or had recently filed the correct forms.
For instance, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County popped up on the list, but Cathy Brashler, executive director, said that’s because the organization now files its documents through the state chapter.
The Oread Neighborhood Association, on the other hand, is still on the list, even though it recently corrected the issue by filing documents, said Robert Farha, association president.
And then there’s those local groups that appear to no longer exist. A Journal-World search of a sampling of the groups failed to find recent contact information for groups such as First Place Racing Ministries or the Kansas Ferret Association.
The national list has more than 300,000 groups, and shows nearly 4,000 in Kansas.
IRS spokesman Michael Devine, said the list was released after the agency sent more than a million letters to nonprofits warning about a pending revocation of tax-exempt status. A 2006 change in the tax law mandated that all nonprofits file some sort of documentation with the IRS, so some groups that had never been required to file are now obligated to do so. Organizations that failed to file for 2007, 2008 and 2009 ended up on the list, he said.
Nonprofits on the list can still function, but losing tax-exempt status means some would be required to now pay taxes, and donors might not be able to claim deductions for funds given to such agencies, Devine said.
Comments
labmonkey 2 years ago
Hmmm... and how many of these does your local United Way give money to?
kernal 2 years ago
lalbmonkey, I really doubt United Way gives money to non-existing non-profit organizations.
It would be interesting to know how many of those who had their status revoked are no longer in operation.
shaunepec 2 years ago
kernal, We made a brief attempt at trying to answer that question, but it was a nightmare trying to get confirmation that they no longer existed, though many of them seemed to be defunct.
Shaun Hittle Reporter LJW
jayhawk0407 2 years ago
Did anyone else notice Kansas State University on the list of the 4,000 revocations in KS?
Ron Holzwarth 2 years ago
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, Go KU!
shaunepec 2 years ago
jayhawk0407, I suspect that it doesn't mean anything. I'm betting there's some easy explanation on KSU and Haskell.
Shaun Hittle Reporter LJW
clovis_sangrail 2 years ago
I doubt that anyone really cares about the ferrets or the racing ministers, but KSU and Haskell being on the list should have merited at least a phone call.
shaunepec 2 years ago
The Haskell one is for Haskell Junior College. Name must've been on the organization list, even though that name is now defunct.
I'll look into KSU. I only looked at the one's with a Lawrence address.
Shaun Hittle Reporter LJW
jayhawk0407 2 years ago
While I'm sure you're correct, Shaun, it still gives me a little thrill of pleasure to see KU edging K-State, especially after this: “We’re going to keep it at 10 so the KU grads can count the number of schools in the conference.” —Kansas State president Kirk Schulz,. From the Wichita Eagle.
shaunepec 2 years ago
Nice. I had not seen that!
shaunepec 2 years ago
Nice. I had not seen that!
LogicMan 2 years ago
Haskell's on the list too!
Alceste 2 years ago
The fact that the Oread Neighborhood Association.....a recipient for years and years of City monies to handful of connected, money grubbing, selfish, specious, and unctuous people .....is on this list is not surprising.
Take a look at the girls' club that was running the ONA during this time frame and you will, over and over and over see the names of State Senator Marci Francisco; Candice Davis; and Carol Von Tersch. You will also see the names of Lawrence pediatrician Terrance Riordan and one Kyle Thompson. How was this organization able to skim money from the City when they were never doing what they were supposed to be doing? They most certainly were NOT taking care of business. Oh....let's not leave out the paid for co-ordinator during that time frame.....one Jodi Jones who was PAID....from CITY MONEY....to file the reports......
Hopefully, people will simply begin to understand that for years and years the Oread Neighborhood Association was a shell operation for a handful of wealthy people who had something to lose and everything to gain if development went down in the Oread.
Thank goodness the Oread Neighborhood Association is NOW representative of ALL interests in the Neighborhood; is working I would strongly suspect at fixing this important paper work malfeasance on the part of State Senator Francisco, Candice Davis, Carol Von Tersch, Kyle Thompson, Terrance Riordan, James Dunn and other past board members of the "old" ONA. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Alceste 2 years ago
Sexist. What makes you think "he" is NOT a "she". Duffus
Alceste 2 years ago
I'd like to also add, "not_holroyd" , that I am a card carrying member of the Tri-Lateral group and have recently paid my dues for "C Street" membership. The tentacles of "getting paid" go far......
Also, I'd love for you to, once and for all, list all the property holdings of Wilbur. You'll find that you're a lying good for nothing who knows not from where'eth he/she speaks/posts........
MyName 2 years ago
Yeah well you know what they say, good neighbors make good fences!
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 2 years ago
"Hopefully, people will simply begin to understand that for years and years the Oread Neighborhood Association was a shell operation for a handful of wealthy people who had something to lose and everything to gain if development went down in the Oread."
This sounds more like a prediction than a history lesson.
Alceste 2 years ago
It MAY "sound" like it....but it is the truth and fact based going back more than 20+ years.
It's hard, Boz, to "argue" with the facts.......
oneeye_wilbur 2 years ago
And will the IRS check with the current leadership of ONA to have a list of donors provided prior to the so called takeover, hijacking, etc and etc that is claimed by the busybodies who have nothing in life to do but whine about old houses and how they want to see prettty paint.
ONA like 4 other groups have been and read my words, "whored" by the City to get federal funds . The City Commisson has been remiss for over 30 years now to put the bulk of that money into the 5 neighborhoods that have been pimped.
As for the former officers of ONA they did nothing to improve the area defined in the boundaries. It is a wonder that anyone would invest in the area since the City Commission past, present and the ghost of Christmas past has neglected most everything that a city should be reponsible for providing.
This constant bickering about Oread is nothing but a play for land and one of first to grab money from the feds was none other than a local politician who should have had the good sense to bring the group's standing to good order both with the IRS and the Secretary of State.
And just who would that have been and who would have been along with the ride with that person?
It's a pity that the city commission allows this ongoing nonsense about how many bedrooms and how many cars can be parked, but one thing is does do SUCESSFULLY, is get the city off the hook for fixing the streets, rebuilding the sewer lines, trimming and removing trees and the list goes on.
A new group should be formed called BBoO and it can hang tight with C.Y.A.D.
Aint' it fun?
OonlyBonly 2 years ago
Where's the easy to use list of Lawrence Non-profits? I don't want to download the entire list of 4000 to search through......
OonlyBonly 2 years ago
Where's the easy to use list of Lawrence Non-profits? I don't want to download the entire list of 4000 to search through......
shaunepec 2 years ago
Sorry about that. Hadn't noticed it was missing. Just added.
Shaun Hittle Reporter LJW
Commenting has been disabled for this item.