It does not require many words to speak the truth.” – Chief Joseph Spiritual Leader of Nez Perce nezperce.org

Your donation can help us make a difference in the lives of those in need.  Every little bit counts!  Your donation to Bear Root Resource Center  will be directed toward where it is needed the most, unless you specify  what program you would like us to apply it to.  We thank you in advance  for your generous support.

Thank you for your Donation to Fiscal Sponsorship Allies (EIN: 85-0839183) in support of BEAR ROOT RESOURCE CENTER, a fiscally sponsored organization of Fiscal Sponsorship Allies. Per our terms of use, Flourish Change, Inc. (dba Ribbon) does not hold or retain any portion   of your donation, but only acts as a payment processor for purposes of   remitting your donation. No goods or services were provided to you in   exchange for this donation. Your donation is tax-deductible to the   extent allowable by law.

We  are grateful for your donation and support of our Bear Root Resource Center organization.  We respect the privacy of its donors and are  committed to safeguarding your information. Our Donor Privacy Policy was  adopted to ensure that we honor your wishes.  If you agree and confirm  in writing that we can share your name to acknowledge and recognize your  Donation to say "Thank you," then we will do so, if you decline and  would like your identity to remain anonymous, then we will respect your  wishes.  The information you provide is only for the stated purpose for  which the  information was collected and we do not sell share or trade  our donors’ names or personal information to any 3rd party, nor send  mailings to our donors on behalf of other organizations. 

Click to for more about our Donor Privacy and Donation Terms & Conditions   

We are working with Visionality to help us with:

1. Business Consulting and Professional Services
2. Assess Organization Fundamentals, Systems & Processes
3. Foundational and Growth Support
4. Ongoing Fundraising Coaching & Partnership
5. Disaster & Community Planning
6. Additional Support That Is Determined Necessary

We plan to follow the Better Business Bureau recommended 65/35 plan:

1. We anticipate Spend 65% of our funding on our Programs.
2. We pay 3.39% to our Fiscal Sponsor + a recurring $75 monthly fee. 
3. We anticipate our Overhead & Operational Expenses will be 19%
4. We anticipate our Fundraising will account for 12%

We are working with Give Front Accounting to help us with:

1. Establishing and maintaining bookkeeping practices in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
2. Onboarding onto cloud-based accounting system and reviewing chart of accounts.
3. Administering monthly account reconciliations, revenue and expense data entry, and allocations.
4. Delivering monthly financial reports (Statement of Financial Position, Statement of Activities, Statement of Cash Flows.)
5. Preparing end-of-year accruals.
6. Preparing and filing state tax, 990, 1099 forms

We plan to hire Harbor Compliance to help us with our Tax Exemption processes and to be our Non-profit Compliance Advisor and help us with the following:  

Their tax-exempt package includes the following services: 

1.  Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation - They will complete our articles of incorporation on your behalf and include all 501(c)(3)  provisions to ensure acceptance by the IRS and the state filing fee for California. 

2. Nonprofit Bylaws - They will review and customize our bylaws to the state you’re filing in and your intended mission. 

4.  Federal EIN - We already have our own Federal EIN #. 

5.  Conflict of Interest Policy - They will create a conflict of  interest policy that applies to your board of directors. This policy is  required by the IRS when applying for 501(c)(3) status. 

6.  501(c) Exemption - They will complete our tax exemption  application on your behalf. We fill it out for you, and you submit it to  the IRS. 

7.  Registered Agent - All states require entities to appoint a registered  agent to act as a point of contact for the secretary of state and for  the service of process. Our nationwide network of agent offices allows  us to support you wherever you go. 

8.  Managed Annual Report Service - They will track and manage our Annual  corporate reports to the secretary of state so our organization remains in good standing. 

9.  BOI Reporting - While the CTA primarily targets for-profit businesses,  it’s estimated that 2.4 million nonprofits will be impacted by the new  legislation. The CTA aims to combat money laundering, terrorism  financing, and other illicit activities by mandating the disclosure of beneficial ownership information. Beneficial ownership refers to  individuals who ultimately own or control an entity. Under the CTA,  organizations must report certain information about their Beneficial Owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), ensuring transparency and accountability. 

That being said, they also offer a compliance package that includes all of the services listed above, plus several others to help keep you compliant. 

10.  Non-profit Compliance Adviser - They are available to help with any questions related to our  tax-exempt status, best practices for handling donations and their  receipts, and other questions commonly faced by new founders. 

11.  Initial Report - We will submit an Initial Statement of Information to be filed with the State of California within 90 days of our Incorporation. 

Our 1st Annual Report will be due in 2025

We anticipate our 1st 990 Taxes will be filed in 2025

We plan to follow the Better Business Bureau recommendations to follow

the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and BBB fundraising standards of practice:

Standards 1 - 5 

The governing board has the ultimate oversight authority for any charitable organization. This section of the standard seeks to ensure that the volunteer board is active, independent and free of self-dealing. To meet these standards, the organization shall have: 

1. Board Oversight - A Board of Directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the Executive Director's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as Board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances. 
2. Board Size - A Board of Directors with a minimum of 3 voting members to meet incorporation requirements, and ideally 5 voting members. 
3. Board Meetings - A minimum of three evenly spaced meetings per year of the full governing  body with a majority in attendance, with face-to-face participation. A conference call of the full board can substitute for one of the three meetings of the governing body.   For all meetings, alternative modes of participation are acceptable for those with physical disabilities.      
4. Board Compensation - Not more than one or 10% (whichever is greater) directly or indirectly compensated person(s) serving as voting member(s) of the Board. Compensated members shall not serve as the Board's Chair or Treasurer. 
5. Conflict of Interest - No transaction(s) in which any Board or staff members have material conflicting interests with the charity resulting from any relationship or business affiliation. Factors that will be considered when concluding whether or not a related party transaction constitutes a conflict of interest and if such a conflict is material, include, but are not limited to: any arm's length procedures established by the charity;  the size of the transaction relative to like expenses of the charity; whether the interested     party participated in the Board vote on the transaction; if competitive bids were sought and whether the transaction is one-time, recurring or ongoing.

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS 

Standards 1-2

The effectiveness of a charity in achieving its mission is  of the utmost importance. It’s key that potential donors know that when  they give to a charity, their money is going to have an impact. This is  why a section of our standards require that charities set defined, measurable goals and  objectives, put a process in place to evaluate the success and impact of  its programming, and report on the organization’s progress. 

1. Effectiveness Policy - Have a Board policy of assessing, no less than every two years,     the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission. 
2. Effectiveness Report - Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval,     a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness  assessment and recommendations for future actions      

FINANCES 

Standards 1 - 7

While we believe that a charity’s finances only tell part  of the story of how they are performing, they can identify organizations  that may be demonstrating poor financial management and/or questionable  accounting practices. We have several standards in place that establish minimum financial thresholds we feel are necessary for any charitable organization.  Through these standards, we seek to ensure that the charity is  financially transparent and spends its funds in accordance with its mission and donor expectations.  There are cases where an organization that does not meet Standards 8, 9  and/or 10 may provide evidence to demonstrate that its use of funds is  reasonable and complies with the standards we have established – and we consider  them accordingly. 

1. Program Expenses - Spend at least 65% of its total expenses on program activities. 
2. Fund  Raising Expenses - Spend no more than 35% of related contributions on  fund raising. Related contributions include donations, legacies, and  other gifts received as a result of fund raising efforts.  
3. Accumulating Funds - Avoid accumulating funds that could be used for current program activities. To meet this standard, the charity's unrestricted net assets available for use should not be more than three times the size of the past year's expenses or three times the size of the current year's budget, whichever is higher.      
4. Audit Report - Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When total annual     gross income exceeds $1 million, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $1 million, a review by a certified public accountant is sufficient to meet this standard.  For charities whose annual gross income is less than $250,000, an internally produced,  complete financial statement is sufficient to meet this standard. 
5. 1Detailed Expense Breakdown - Include in the financial statements a breakdown of expenses  (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each     category.      
6. Accurate Expense Reporting - Accurately report the charity's expenses, including any joint cost allocations, in its financial statements. For example, audited or unaudited statements which inaccurately claim zero fund raising expenses or otherwise understate the amount a charity spends on fund raising, and/or overstate the amount it spends on programs will not meet this standard. 
7. Budget Plan - Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration. 

SOLICITATIONS AND INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS 

Standards 1-2

1. A fundraising appeal is often the only contact a donor has  with a charity and may be the sole impetus for giving. This section of the standards seeks to ensure that a charity’s representations to the  public are accurate, complete and respectful. 
2. Accurate Materials - Have solicitations and informational materials, distributed by     any means, that are accurate, truthful and not misleading, both in whole and in part.  Appeals that omit a clear description of program(s) for which contributions are sought will not meet this standard. A charity should also be able to substantiate that the timing and nature of its expenditures are in accordance with what is stated, expressed, or implied in the charity's solicitations. 

Annual Report - 

• Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes:    

1. The organization's mission statement, 
2. A summary of the past year's program service accomplishments,
3. A roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, and     
4. Financial information that includes:

              (i) total income in the past fiscal year, 

              (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative     categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets. 

Website Disclosures - 

• Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990. 

Donor Privacy - 

• Address privacy concerns of donors by: a) providing in written appeals,     at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, and b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected     about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information. 

Cause Marketing Disclosures - 

• Clearly disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services (i.e., cause-related marketing) that state or imply that a charity     will benefit from a consumer sale or transaction. 
• Such promotions should disclose, at the point of solicitation: a) the actual or anticipated portion of the purchase price that will benefit the charity (e.g., 5 cents will be contributed to abc charity for every XYZ company product sold), b) the duration of the campaign (e.g., the month of October), and c) any maximum or guaranteed minimum contribution amount (e.g., up to a maximum of  $200,000).      

Valuing Our Community Trust - 

• We appreciate all feedback and value every community member!
• We strive to respond promptly to any questions you may have.
• We will take action to promptly resolve on complaints that may be brought to our attention.