ECFA Sign Up Information

The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued two rulings with significant employment law implications for religious organizations. Join us on Thursday at 1 PM ET with Attorneys Stu Lark and Bill Wright as they discuss steps ministries can take to strengthen their legal rights.

Board experiences should leave all participants better than they were. Yet it's so easy to lose sight of this when we are engaged in meaningful work and get caught up in the structure, strategy, and service of our nonprofit. Click here to read the key to this big idea.

In what appears to be the first case directly addressing the issue, a U.S. District Court judge recently ruled that Title VII's exemption for religious employers does not bar a claim of employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Read more here.

Charitable giving in 2020, which was down in the first quarter of the year, rebounded significantly in the second quarter of 2020 with a five-year high in the number of donors and contributions. As a result, the first half of 2020 increased by 7% when compared against the first half of 2019. Click here to read more.

What giving patterns have we seen over the last 5 and 10 years? What are the giving patterns in 2020 and giving projections into 2021? ECFA''s Michael Martin and Warren Bird answer these questions and more in our latest webinar recording. Click here to watch for FREE.

This year has brought a lot of changes, including nonprofit fundraising events. The shift from galas to virtual fundraisers has required a lot of creativity. A recent report discusses the pros and cons of this change. Click here for a short summary on the findings.

ECFA''s Dan Busby joins Global Trust Partners for a special webinar on navigating our new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to view.

Creating and leveraging the right board composition is critical. What 3 questions should your board be asking to address composition issues. Read more here.

Not only was 2019 a strong year for philanthropy, but it was also one of the highest years ever for charitable giving. Amid strong economic conditions, Americans gave $450 billion to charity, according to findings in Giving USA 2020. Read more details here.

Over 4,600 participants watched last week''s special webinar. For practical insights and step-by-step explanations for how this latest guidance from the SBA impacts your organization click here.

God willing, the post-COVID-19 era might usher in an unprecedented response to the Gospel. Are your board, CEO, and senior team making plans-not for surviving, but thriving? Read more here.

The IRS provided limited additional guidance on President Trump''s executive order to defer the employee''s portion of Social Security taxes. Read Attorney Chip Watkins'' (Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, LLP) thorough analysis of this guidance here.

Join us on September 17th at 1 PM ET with ECFA''s own Jake Lapp and Michael Martin as they discuss an overview of current trends in ministry fundraising in response to COVID, key traps to avoid in communicating with donors, and practical tips for responsible stewardship. Register here.

The giving public often looks at overhead to inform them whether a ministry is worthy of their support. Unfortunately, overhead can be subjective and not a true indicator of how effective a ministry truly is. Read here what IS important for a giver to know about a ministry.

Today's ever-changing ministry environment calls for more than traditional budgeting approaches. Join us on August 27th at 1 PM ET with Rob Faulk, CPA and Partner with CapinCrouse, for a discussion on practical budgeting tips to help bring financial stability in a rapidly changing economy. Register here.

COVID19 has disrupted everything, including the normal rhythms of governance. Virtual meetings have now become the norm. However, there are several important considerations when preparing for a virtual meeting. Read more here.

Building and administrating budgets is a complex process. That's why this eBook aims to assist leaders in modern-day ministries to budget efficiently and effectively. Click here to download this recently revised eBook (FREE to members).

It's highly likely, during these COVID-19 days, that your ministry's mission and vision are being tested. Has the pandemic decimated that strategy? How would your board and CEO answer these 10 questions about vision?

Employers may pay a per diem amount to an employee on business-travel status instead of reimbursing actual substantiated expenses. The IRS has recently issued new simplified per diem rates for lodging, meals and incidentals for 2021. Read more here.

In June of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two rulings with significant employment law implications for churches and ministries. Join us on October 8th at 1 PM ET with Attorneys Stu Lark and Bill Wright as they discuss steps ministries can take to strengthen their legal rights. Register here.

Budgeting is much more than spreadsheets or software. This eBook offers 10 essentials aimed to assist leaders in modern-day ministries to budget efficiently and effectively. Download your copy today here (free for members)!

What does your 2021 giving plan look like? How does this plan need to change to accommodate the ever-changing church environment? Join MortarStone for this free webinar to learn 10 ways you can secure sustainable long-term giving.

Two important bills were introduced this week on Capitol Hill: the Protecting Nonprofits from Catastrophic Cash Flow Strain Act and the Universal Giving Pandemic Response Act. If passed, both would be beneficial for churches, nonprofits, and givers. Stay tuned for more updates.

ECFA recently released "Optimism Outweighs Uncertainty," a survey-based report on the financial impact of COVID-19 on churches and nonprofits which covers giving, PPP, staffing impact, and much more. Watch this video for a quick overview of the survey findings.