Setting up a Non-Profit Organization

We’re moving the Dayton .NET Developers Group to non-profit status to make it a bit more attractive for other organizations, individuals, and companies to donate goods or services to us.  (Most straight cash support can be written off a business’s marketing effort expenses.)  Bob Sledge, our group’s new Treasurer, has been finding lots of great reference links.

Here, in no particular order, are some great helpful links:

• http://www.lawyeratlarge.com/Common/Previews/NonPro.html  — Looks to be an online copy of a book that wasn’t ever published.  Long, extensive details on Non-Profit status.
• http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/business-structures/non-profit.html — Lots of summary information, a FAQ, and other resources.
• http://www.hurwitassociates.com/l_start_forming.html — Generic overview on starting a non-profit. 
• http://www.hurwitassociates.com/l_s_initial_oh.html — Steps on filing in Ohio. A great basic overview of the steps involved.
• http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf — The IRS pub covering tax-exempt status.
• http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4220.pdf — More details on applying for tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization.
  http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4221.pdf — Compliance guidelines for keeping your tax-exempt status and avoiding IRS goons showing up at your doorstep.
• http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/businessservices/nonProf.aspx?Section=111 — Ohio’s Secretary of State’s office website: creating an Ohio Non-profit.
• http://serform2.sos.state.oh.us/servlet/page?_pageid=56,62&_dad=porthope&_schema=PORTHOPE — Search page for Ohio corps where you can find examples of other NP organizations’ Articles of Incorporation.

I’ll post up other bits and pieces as we continue down this road.

Now Playing: Beck — Odelay.  I saw these guys on Letterman the other night and thought they were pretty cool.  I also nabbed “Black Tambourine” which they played on Letterman.  Pretty funny to have found these folks on that show — I never, and I mean never watch Letterman since I’m either at my computer working or heading for much needed sleep.  Dunno if I’ll like this music in a month or so, but it’s different and cool right now.