Yes! Please email Michele Champion, Chapter Relations Manager, at mchampion@camft.org to let her know so that we can update the Chapter Leadership listserv and our website/records.

CAMFT’s bylaws state that a chapter’s board may be comprised of no more than 35% pre-licensed or associate members. Such members cannot serve as President of the chapter. If you would like to request a variance for one of these rules, please contact Michele Champion, Chapter Relations Manager, at mchampion@camft.org.

If the event is related to the board member’s chapter duties, yes! The board member can be reimbursed for their expenses to attend such an event.

Yes! Board meetings can take place over the phone or videoconference, in addition to in-person meetings. Board meetings cannot take place over email, but email can be used for unanimous written consent for decisions.

If your chapter bylaws specify when elections are held, you would need to amend the bylaws to change the election date.

• Step 1: In order to ensure any proposed bylaw amendments do not conflict with CAMFT bylaws, the proposed bylaw amendments need to be reviewed by: (a) CAMFT or (b)independent legal counsel. If reviewed by CAMFT, please send to mchampion@camft.org. Although the review may be done sooner, please plan for between 30 and 45 days.
• 2: The Chapter Board votes on proposed bylaw amendments
• 3: The Chapter Members vote on proposed bylaw amendments
• 4: If approved by the Chapter Membership, submit revised bylaws to CAMFT at mchampion@camft.org

Your chapter bylaws should specify how voting must be done (mail or electronic). Please e-mail Michele Champion, Chapter Relations Manager, mchampion@camft.org the proposed amendments before they are voted on so that we can ensure compliance with CAMFT bylaws, or have them reviewed by an independent attorney.

Please look at your chapter’s bylaws to make sure this practice is not prohibited and contact the Chapter Relations Manager, at mchampion@camft.org for more information. While California Corporations Code does not prohibit this practice, it is not necessarily a best practice.

NO - The IRS has ruled that nonprofit organizations (including 501c6 and 501c3) organizations cannot charge some members no dues (or minimal dues) compared to other members of the organization. Case study: That is why CAMFT cannot legally allow Emeritus members to have the same rights as Clinical members and free membership. This information was provided to members in the November/December 2019 issue of The Therapist (look on page 30, Bylaw Amendment 2 section).

After the Bylaws vote, CAMFT had to determine a fair market value for Emeritus membership, as required by the tax code. This dues price could not be a token amount (e.g. $5) because the IRS would also consider that a violation of the law. CAMFT agreed on a $40 price for Emeritus as this is the market price of a subscription to The Therapist ($36) and $4 for the ballot to vote in CAMFT elections/bylaws votes. Emeritus membership benefits would not include legal consultation. If an Emeritus member needed a consultation, then they would need to upgrade to a Clinical membership to obtain that consultation. As Emeritus members are retired, they would not miss this benefit because they are not working anymore.

If any board member receives an out-of-the-ordinary request for money by email, please call the “sender” of the email to verify. Scammers often pose as chapter presidents and email the treasurer to request money be wired or sent via check. They often use a generic email address, one similar to the actual email address, or even mask their email to make it appear that it came from the president’s email address. Please do not hesitate to confirm with another method of communication if the request for payment is not expected or the language seems “off.” It is a best practice to establish approval and authorization procedures for writing checks.

CAMFT has a newly revised Reserve policy which may be useful to review. If your chapter is holding reserves in an investment account, you should also have an investment policy .

Yes! If you would like an example of the disclaimer that CAMFT uses regarding sponsors, please email Michele Champion, Outreach Coordinator at mchampion@camft.org for more details.

If you qualify to submit the e-Postcard/990N (annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less), it is due the 15th day of the 5th month after your tax year ends. If your tax year ends on December 31, the e-Postcard is due May 15 of the next year. If you do not file this for three years in a row, you will lose your tax-exempt status!

You can search the California Secretary of State’s website for your chapter name to see your status. Be sure to search using both the acronym CAMFT and “California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists” written out.

Once you expect to pay more than $500 for services.

Please email Mary Beth Muro at mmuro@camft.org.

In April 2018, the California Supreme Court adopted the so-called ABC test for state wage-order claims in Dynamex Operations West v. Superior Court. Under the new analysis, all three of the following factors MUST BE MET for a worker to be properly classified as an independent contractor:

1. The worker is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact.
2. The worker performs tasks that are outside of the usual course of the hiring entity's business.
3. The worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals withdrew its recent decision on the matter and asked the California Supreme Court to weigh in. Miss classification claims are a frequent source of litigation because employees are entitled to a minimum wage, overtime pay and other benefits that independent contractors don't get. The California Supreme Court adopted a strict employee-friendly independent contractor standard in 2018, and earlier this year, the 9th Circuit held that the test applies retroactively.

Many business groups were unhappy with the decision. Making the test retroactive may subject employers to liability for miss classifying workers as independent contractors even before the test was made law. In a July 22 order, however, the appeals court granted the employer's petition for a rehearing and said it would send the question about retro-activity to the state high court to decide.

Yes. Different tests may apply under other state laws.