Two weeks after it was first revealed North Carolina’s statewide Pride festival and parade was out-of-compliance with IRS non-profit regulations, the group’s director told qnotes the organization is continuing to work on getting its paperwork caught up.
First reported on May 6 at goqnotes-launch2.newspackstaging.com and then in the May 15 “InFocus: Community non-profits” print edition, NC Pride Fest and Parade (officially, the “Pride Committee of North Carolina”) had failed to return its 990 forms to the IRS for at least the past three years. The lapse puts NC Pride’s tax-exempt status in jeopardy as the deadline for filing passed on May 17.
Pride director John Short (pictured) told qnotes that his organization continues to work toward getting the paperwork caught up and has retained an accountant familiar with new IRS rules and regulations.
Thousands of organizations across the country are facing a similar circumstances.
Throughout the spring, qnotes initiated its first “Community Assessment Survey” of 22 non-profit organizations across the Carolinas and asked to see their most recent IRS filings. Short attributed the discovery of his organization’s oversights to qnotes’ inquiry.
Received too late for inclusion in the May 15 report, NC Pride’s survey showed the group with an expected operating budget/expenses of $65,000 for their current fiscal year ending June 30. NC Pride’s total revenue comes from the sale of advertising in their annual Pride Guide.
The survey, completed by spokesperson Keith Hayes, also contained the group’s self-reported strengths, weaknesses and needs. NC Pride identified their best strengths in fundraising, outreach, media communications/relations, internal technology and online outreach. The group said they were in most need of more community outreach and communication.
NC Pride said they were least strong in “issue-based advocacy/education.” qnotes defined the term as “any broad-ranging work for general community welfare, including HIV/AIDS education/prevention or other issue-based awareness and education campaigns.”
For a list of coverage from qnotes’ May 15 “InFocus: Community non-profits,” visit goqnotes-launch2.newspackstaging.com/6782/. : :
Very good and interesting information about NC Pride. Thank you.
I have a suggestion for when you are finished reporting on the issues with NC Pride:
Start a series about the Lesbian and Gay Community Center of Charlotte: their lack of tranparency; financial health; why nearly every event held there or scheduled/sponsored by them or for their benefit is either cancelled or so poorly attended it is embarassing; what have they done that has repelled/offended/ticked off/disgusted/discouraged the LGBT community they purport to serve; why it seems like a private club/clique for certain board members; etc, etc, etc.