discuss: Thread: VolunteerMatch will not accept LDP (was Re: EIN)

> > Quoting David Lawyer ####@####.####
> > > So I'm concerned about getting an EIN for the purpose of using
> > > VolunteerMatch.  Suppose VolunteerMatch gets our EIN and then checks
> > > with the IRS for a 990 form filed by LDP and finds nothing.  Then they
> > > might think that we are not a non-profit and not accept our ads.

I phoned VolunteerMatch today and after phoning a few times and
getting answering machines, I finally talked to a real person who
could answer my questions.  Unfortunately, my concern above was real.
They use the EIN to check to see if you are actually a non-profit
under section 501c of the IRS code.  LDP isn't, so there is thus no
point in filling out the application on the Internet for
VolunteerMatch.  Thus there's no point at this time for getting an EIN
number (unless we want to open an investment account so as to get
interest on our $).  Perhaps we should get 501c status but the IRS
says that you have to be either a corporation, trust, etc. to do so.
Perhaps LDP should incorporate.

I also searched VolunteerMatch for Linux related (virtual: work via
Internet) volunteer openings.  There were only several of them.  None
looked very interesting.  For example, an animal rescue operation
apparently knows little about linux, but says they probably should be
converting to Linux.  The "Institute for End User Computing" says they
plan to "leapfrog Windows and Linux" but don't seem to have specific
plans.  They have a few different ads on VolunteerMatch for
volunteers, but who in Linux wants to leapfrog it.  And they don't
seem to make it clear if the new platform will be free.  It may well
be vaporware since they apparently haven't even started working on it
yet even though the organization has been around a few years.  The
conclusion is that an ad for LDP volunteers would likely attract more
people than the existing ads.  But we can't utilize it at this time.

			David Lawyer

Quoting David Lawyer ####@####.####

> Perhaps we should get 501c status but the IRS says that you have to be
> either a corporation, trust, etc. to do so.  Perhaps LDP should
> incorporate.

1.  Beware that the numerous 501(c) categories are _quite diverse_.  
The requirement for "corporation, trust, etc." sounds like 501(c)(3),
which is the category for tax-exempt charities.  It's the most
time-consuming and demanding category to get, and also the one with the
most severe restrictions on what the organisation may then do.

I've seen quite a number of computerist groups naively assume that they
should apply for tax-exempt charity status, without any idea what's
involved.  They tend to find out that they're mistaken -- sometimes, the
hard way.  This is one of the reasons I put the "Common Misconceptions
Debunked" list into the Linux User Group HOWTO.

2.  Incorporation is likewise covered in "Common Misconceptions
Debunked".

I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad idea to apply for either of those
things; I'm just cautioning that computer groups should beware of
entering into such projects without any clear idea of what they're
doing, how, and why.