Association eNews: Aug. 2, 2012

In this week's eNews

Form 990
Updating items in WinLABs
Webinars
New USBC board members
WinLABs margins
USBC Platinum Visa

Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service
Tax-exempt organizations are required to file some form of 990 with the IRS annually. As of August 1, the form now is available for local and state associations to file. The form must be filed by the 15th day of the fifth month after the close of the organization’s tax year. For USBC associations, the form must be completed by Dec. 15.

In the past, organizations whose gross receipts are normally $25,000 or less were able to file the form 990-N (e-postcard). New for this year, the threshold has been raised to allow all organizations whose gross receipts are less than $50,000 the opportunity to file the e-postcard. Please note that USBC local associations fall into the category of “agents” as defined by the IRS and any dues money collected on behalf of the national and state organizations should not be included in the association’s gross receipts.

Any organization that doesn’t file a form 990 and loses its tax exemption will be required to pay fines to the IRS as well as fill out a 24-page document to regain its exemption. Failure to complete this paperwork could lead to the association’s charter being revoked.

The e-postcard can be found on IRS.gov or by clicking here. Associations will need eight items of basic information about the organization:

Employer identification number (EIN), also known as a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
Tax year
Legal name and mailing address
Any other names the organization uses
Name and address of a principal officer
Website address if the organization has one
Confirmation the organization’s annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less
If applicable, a statement that the organization has terminated or is terminating (going out of business)

If any association needs its Employer Identification Number, please send an email to mike.donahue@bowl.com requesting this information.

Updating officers and directors terms, and bowlers’ averages in WinLABs
With the 2012-13 season upon us, it is important for all associations to update their Board of Directors information in WinLABs and transmit it to USBC headquarters. Many terms expired at the end of the 2011-12 season, so they need to be updated as soon as possible. Please also remember that association managers do not have a term, so the term limits in WinLABs should be a date far enough in the future so the term won't expire.

Youth committee members for merged associations will need to use the form here to send in their information, while state associations should use the form located here.

USBC uses this information to communicate with association officials, and without the current data being provided to us we cannot contact the proper individuals.

In addition to updating the officers and directors, associations also need to be sure to enter their bowlers' averages at the completion of their leagues. One of the greatest benefits of being a USBC member is the possession of a certified average. This information must be entered by the association in order for it to show up on BOWL.com, so please enter these averages at the completion of each league.

More Webinars on the way
Welcome2Bowling

Hosted by USBC Regional Manager David Prange, the Association Development team will conduct a group of webinars to explain the Welcome 2 Bowling program as well as the upcoming Welcome 2 Bowling Coaching Clinics. Welcome 2 Bowling is a program designed by USBC to help retain first-year bowlers. The webinar schedule (all times Eastern):

Thursday, Aug. 16 at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 3 p.m.

To register, please send an email with your name, association name, email address, and the webinar in which you would like to participate to david.prange@bowl.com. Classes are limited to 25 participants, so please register early. Registration ends 48 hours before the webinar is conducted. After registering, we will send you sign-on instructions.

Customer Service
Is your association in the business of customer service? While it can be tough to realize, we are all in that business. What exactly is customer service? Join Mike Larsen in a webinar as he provides an insight into customer service and how it can positively impact your associations. The upcoming webinar is on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. EST.

To register, please send an email with your name, association name, email address, and the webinar in which you would like to participate to mike.larsen@bowl.com. Classes are limited to 25 participants, so please register early. Registration ends 48 hours before the webinar is conducted. After registering, we will send you sign-on instructions.

New members begin terms on USBC Board
The start of the 2012-13 season also marks the start of new terms for the USBC Board of Directors.

New to the board this season are Steve O’Brien of Mount Pleasant, S.C.; Karen Jost of Alexandria, Va.; Dan Patterson of Phoenix; and Brenda Green of Clarksville, Tenn.

O’Brien and Jost were elected by delegates at the 2012 USBC Convention. Patterson was elected by Athletes Advisory Council and Green is the USBC Youth Committee’s selection to the board.

Click here to learn more about the USBC Board of Directors.

Margins in WinLABs for pre-printing membership applications
In last week’s eNews, it was explained that associations could change their margins in WinLABs to get the membership cards to print correctly. In addition to the solution published last week, associations can also change their “Stock” to “USBC Merged/BA” to fix the margins. This option is available to all associations and does not affect the merger status of any association.

USBC Platinum Visa membership processing for 2012-2013
With the 2012-2013 bowling season underway, it is important that we remind everyone about USBC members who are also cardholders of the USBC Platinum Visa Credit Card. As part of the terms and conditions of the card, USBC will receive $10 national dues for those members as part of the auto-renewal benefit of the credit card program. USBC will send reminder emails for members to print off as their receipt of payment of their $10 national dues. These members will still be responsible for payment of their local and state dues.