discuss: Advertisement banner on tldp.org?
Subject:
Re: [discuss] Advertisement banner on tldp.org?
From:
David Lawyer ####@####.####
Date:
7 Jan 2009 08:27:22 +0000
Message-Id: <20090107081748.GA2300@davespc>
On Mon, Jan 05, 2009 at 09:09:28PM -0800, Rick Moen wrote:
> Quoting Borden Rhodes ####@####.####
>
> > We just need a CPA or CA to join the LDP. Or I need to
> > get my act together and get a CA...
>
[snip]
> And, as someone who's been a tax practitioner (but I say again, as a
> necessary disclaimer, I have _not_ been one in recent decades), I can
> say that LDP is not a group I would have counselled to go 501(c)(3),
> which is what you discuss below.
>
> It's surprising how often this matter comes up on this mailing list.
> We've been through most of this before.
>
>
> > It'd be nice to get a charity status some day. That would give people
> > an incentive to give to us (and probably much higher returns than
> > banner ads).
It would also be nice to someday list ourselves on "volunteer match" to
recruit volunteers nationwide, which we could do if we incorporated.
But Rick Moen is right, that "someday" is not now. Even though it
would cost a few hundred dollars plus, and take a lot of time to
incorporate, I think it would be worthwhile if we had enough
volunteers, not only to do the incorporation but to revitalize the LDP
at the same time. Neglecting the day-to-day operation of the LDP to
incorporate would be a mistake. Before incorporation, we would need
volunteers to handle the recruiting and evaluation of new volunteers,
a clear plan of how to raise and spend money, etc. So I think that
the volunteer effort needs to be several times the current level
before going ahead with incorporation.
[snip]
> Having dealt with all that, LDP would be a tax-exempt charity in _one_
> country. Now, do a similar drill with every other country of interest.
> Have fun!
Well, being a charity in that one country would entitle us to list
with Volunteer Match. There's also the possibility of becoming a
branch of an umbrella organization similar to the way the Debian
distribution is a part of the umbrella corporation: "Software in the
Public Interest". But I don't think we are quite ready for that
either.
David Lawyer
