MSAE can help you comply with the 990 regarding the process for determining compensation.

Your organization can answer ‘yes’ if the process for determining compensation of the CEO, executive director, treasurer and CFO listed in Section A includes all of the following elements:

• A review and approval by a governing body or compensation committee, provided that persons with a conflict of interest with respect to the compensation arrangement at issue were not involved.
• Use of data as to comparable compensation for similarly qualified persons in functionally comparable positions at similarly situated organizations.
• Contemporaneous documentation and recordkeeping with respect to the deliberations and decisions regarding the compensation arrangement.

In addition, the new form implies the need for policies it perceives as “good government,” despite there being no statutory or regulatory requirement for those policies.

The data for comparable compensation is being collected so that it will be current for 2010. The survey was emailed to all active members last week. If you need a copy, please contact Kelly Chase as the MSAE office. The data is being submitted directly to Management Resource Center, Inc. to assure confidentiality. All participating organizations will receive a copy of the results at the most affordable price of $100 and a personalized compensation analysis for the chief staff executive. MSAE also maintains the latest ASAE compensation survey in our library for loan.

Don’t delay. Have someone in the office complete the survey today! We hope to have all data submitted by October 30, 2009.