discuss: VolunteerMatch, getting a US EIN number, LDP money
Subject:
VolunteerMatch, getting a US EIN number, LDP money
From:
David Lawyer ####@####.####
Date:
14 Mar 2007 23:08:07 -0000
Message-Id: <20070314230811.GA5209@davespc>
VolunteerMatch is the major website for people to go to who want to
volunteer. A potential volunteer selects a category they would like
to volunteer for (say computers) and a location (say virtual) where
they would like to do their volunteer work. Since LDP is a "virtual
organization" someone who wants to volunteer to do volunteer work via
the Internet would select "virtual" as a location. VolunteerMatch is
mentioned in magazines for retired people etc.
One problem. I can't post any ads for "volunteers wanted" for LDP
since Volunteer match requires an EIN (Employee Identification Number)
issued by the US IRS (Internal Revenue Service) which LDP doesn't
have. Getting an EIN is free and LDP is eligible to get one as a
non-profit unincorporated organization (I phoned the IRS re this since
the application doesn't make it clear that we are eligible). More on
this later.
A major problem LDP has with volunteers is that they tend to be busy
people and while they may have time to volunteer for a while, many
don't have much time in the long run. So I think that we should try
to get volunteers who have lots of free time: People who are retired,
disabled, housewives (or househusbands), institutionalized (prisons,
mental hospitals), etc.
For example, someone with a background in computers (but not Linux)
retires and wants to volunteer. Using a volunteer search, he finds
LDP by searching for virtual volunteer opportunities with computers.
Having heard about Linux, but never having used it, he installs Linux
on his Windows PC, learns it and then is able to help out the LDP.
Since he's retired, he has lots of time to spend learning Linux and
helping LDP. He also uses Linux for other purposes and didn't learn
it just for the purpose of volunteering with LDP.
There are lots of other examples but the main point is that someone
who is searching for a volunteer opportunity should have sufficient
time for it and LDP has something to offer since by writing you can
help many other people and not just a single person. And one way to
try to find such people is via Volunteer Match: www.volunteermatch.org
For the EIN number, I could apply for it on the Internet and can leave
blank the name of our "principal officer" (per phone call to IRS).
But I would have to show a physical address for LDP for which I could
use my home address.
LDP could then open a savings/bank account with the EIN number. If we
have more than $5000/year gross income we are supposed to file yearly
tax forms with the IRS.* Except that if we both incorporate and get
an exemption as a non-profit educational organization (which costs
$700), then we wouldn't need to file yearly tax forms until our income
reaches $20,000/year. As an exempt corporation we wouldn't need to
pay income taxes no matter what out income. But I'm not proposing to
incorporate at the present time. So should I get us an EIN?
*If the income doesn't enter the US, then I would think that it
doesn't count towards the $5000.
Just having an EIN doesn't insure that LDP can open a savings/bank
account since it's up to the financial institution. For example, they
may require evidence that the person who opens the account is
authorized to do so. LDP could open a money-market account to get
interest on it's $9,000+ savings but that could be decided after first
getting an EIN number.
David Lawyer
