Nonprofit Blog

Atlanta is fortunate to have so many quality museums for residents and visitors to explore. While the High Museum of Art is perhaps the pinnacle of what most of us think of when we hear “museum”, you might be surprised at just how wide ranging the focus of Atlanta’s museums really is. To celebrate National Museums Advocacy Day (February 23) we have put together a quick (not all-inclusive) guide to some of Atlanta’s museums. 

High Museum of Art: The High not only contains works of art, it is one. Located on Peachtree Street at 16^th Street and designed by architects Richard Meieand Renzo Piano, this exquisitely modern structure is featured as much on photography sites about the High as is the actual art inside. The High’s website describes the museum this way, “With over 15,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High has an extensive anthology of 19^th and 20^th century American and decorative art, significant holdings of European paintings, a growing collection of African American art, and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography, folk art and African art. The High is also dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists.

Children’s Museum of Atlanta: The Children’s Museum (CMA) exists to “spark imagination and inspire discovery and learning for all children through the power of play.” Located downtown near Centennial Olympic Park, CMA can be a fun and imaginative stop for your children when visiting downtown Atlanta. With exhibits focusing on "robots, waffles and rockets" and a chance on Saturdays to "Eat a Georgia Rainbow," there is something for every visitor.

Millennium Gate Museum: Many people drive by the beautiful Millennium Gate in Atlantic Station without ever realizing it is a museum. Over the past few years, this hidden jewel has hosted notable exhibits including The Art of Diplomacy – Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting and Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870–1940. Through August 14, 2016, the museum features the Georgia Pioneer Gallery, focusing on General Oglethorpe’s creation of the Colony of Georgia. Included in this gallery are documents and historical artifacts from the Native Indian, Spanish, British Colonial and American Revolutionary periods.

The Breman Museum: Located in Midtown less than a mile from the Millennium Gate Museum, the Breman Museum is “dedicated to making the lessons of the Holocaust and the history of the Southern Jewish experience available to the general public.” The museum features a permanent exhibition, Absence of Humanity: The Holocaust Years. For children of any age, the Maurice Sendak exhibition of “Where the Wild Things Are” engages visitors with multi-media components including the famed “chicken soup” slide, a dress up area and activity stations where children can let out their inner Wild Things.

Atlanta Botanical Garden: The Garden, located next to Piedmont Park, exists to “develop and maintain plant collections for display, education, research, conservation and enjoyment.” This mission is fulfilled in 30 acres that include a one-of-a-kind a canopy walk through woodlands, indoor collections at the Fuqua Conservatory and Fuqua Orchid Center, and outdoor gardens featuring water plans, edibles, roses, a Japanese garden and much more. 

In 2008 at the height of the recession, the state of Georgia introduced production incentives to help Georgia compete in the film industry. With many businesses experiencing potentially catastrophic financial situations, some turned to the film and television production business to stay afloat. By 2013, the film and television industries in Georgia had generated more than $4 billion and had been the driving force behind the continued success and livelihood of many in Georgia. Since then, Georgia has made quite a name for itself in the industry: it is now the No. 3 state for filming and Atlanta is the No. 1 place to live and work as a filmmaker (moviemaker.com). 

In our previous article, Don’t Let Your Donors Give and Go, we discussed how certain social media platforms can help enhance your nonprofit’s brand awareness and perception. In part two, we are covering Instagram and LinkedIn and continuing our conversation on an effective content calendar.

We would like to remind our clients or raise your awareness on a new rule that went into effect January 1, 2016 for transactions within the State of Alabama.  Out-of-state businesses with “substantial economic presence” in Alabama must now collect and remit sales taxes, even if they do not have a physical presence (nexus) within the State of Alabama.

Many companies start out, and get pretty far down the road, using the “per diem” approach when reimbursing employees for lodging, meals and incidental expenses. Doing so involves the use of either IRS tables or a simplified high-low method to reimburse workers up to specified limits.

Over the past year, private equity activity has heated up in the restaurant industry. Historically, investors wanted to see proof of concept in multiple markets, minimum revenues, EBITDA, number of units and a good story before they were willing to invest in a restaurant. But as the sector continues to evolve, investors are increasingly setting aside some of their more stringent standards as they seek to take advantage of emerging opportunities. And private equity firms are not the only ones looking to enter the space. Venture capitalists, other restaurant groups and even non-restaurant companies, such as Ford, are looking to enter the game. What has led to this change of heart?

It’s a tragic tale that plays out in many businesses across the country. The owner of the company believes he’s finally ready to trigger his succession plan and retire. So he names his daughter as his successor, enjoys his retirement party and departs for his vacation home.

We recently asked two of our newer staff members who are full-time but started as interns at S&H a few questions about preparing for an internship and choosing their specialization. Kaitlin Becker interned with S&H for one year while Slayton Gilmore interned with us for four years. Read below to see what Kaitlin and Slayton have to say about their respective departments. 

Many can agree that 2015 was a year a growth in more than one way. The real estate market has regained its stamina, tax developments made history and the Supreme Court made a few big decisions. It is safe the say that 2015 is a year that will go down in history, tax stories included. That said, here are three of the most significant tax stories of 2015.

When we meet with students for on-campus recruiting, one of the main discussions between our campus recruiting teams and students is what goes on during busy season (Jan 1^st through April 15^th).