Incorporation - Non-profit Status

[Guest guest]

This is Mark Blackburn from www.RawSacramento.net chiming in on this topic. We

researched it, and found that filing with the IRS & incorporating with the State

Secretary of State for non profit status would offer some benefits locally in

dealing with people.

 

HOWEVER, we also found it would engender substantial record-keeping and filing

efforts (quarterly) with the government.

 

Due to this we decided to forego the potential benefits of non-profit status.

 

-Mark Blackburn

www.markblackburn.org

 

 

 

 

----

Mark S. Blackburn, MBA

 

 

Telephone: 916-444-6500

PersonalWeb: http://www.markblackburn.org

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Regarding the issue of applying for the 501c3 status, While some

groups will retain a lawyer for the process, they are certainly not

necessary. They specialize in such legal documents, but the forms may

be followed by the lay person and have instructions to follow. The

lawyers offer the opportunity to make sure it is filled out properly;

that things are worded properly and all the i's are dotted and t's

are crossed, etc.

 

While I haven't done the actual paperwork that Mark mentions, I

suspect it is mainly income and expense reports. There may be

supplemental information needed regarding activities. As

revenue-producing activities are not likely to be that often for us

and our group is not that large, I suspect the record keeping and

forms would not be that difficult, just a hastle for us that dont't

like those things. Simple record keeping as we go, documenting income

and expenses would make it simple. I learned that when I took over

the head of non-profit in Hawaii and had to clean up two years of

books (or rather a box of papers and receipts and no papers filed!)

 

Anyway, it still comes down to what our desires are: How much we

would like to grow; How many people we would like to reach; How much

easier we would like people to be able to find us; how mush we are

willing to do, etc.

 

We can always continue what we are doing and even grow larger and do

more without being " official " , there are just some benefits we would

not have, as well as a few more legal " hoops " to jump through (BIG

hoops, low to the ground... easy for us to jump through!)

 

Jeff

 

 

>HOWEVER, we also found it would engender substantial record-keeping

>and filing efforts (quarterly) with the government.