[GCARC] 501(c)(3) status for ham clubs

[DARRELL]

Hi Vinny and all,
I missed the details from when it was looked into 10yrs ago. 
However, i just went through the 501c3 app process with my church.
In our case, the IRS checked a box on the approval form that tax returns were not required. It cost about $800 for the IRS application once approved. 

My point being some things may have changed and been made easier from that time period.

Given the amount of club operating funds in the bank, i don't think a reasonable accountant would think them excessive. Even a non-profit is allowed to keep reserve funds for operations or future expansion. This site says 2years operating expenses is the national norm for reserves for a non-profit. https://www.nonprofitexpert.com/money-carry-over/ 

I'll be glad to help a committee with this if a majority wants to check into it. I think its something the club could benefit from, assuming no hidden problems.

73 to all,
Darrell AB2E 

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-----Original Message-----

From: yankees_1996 at hotmail.com
To: gcarc at mailman.qth.net
Sent: 2018-11-08 11:49:39 PM 
Subject: Re: [GCARC] 501(c)(3) status for ham clubs

I think they tried this a few times, last time was when I first joined the club about 10 years ago. IIRC, there were a couple hiccups.

One was that a charitable organization was supposed to be non-profit, and we had too much money or made too much profit. Another was the inordinate amount of financial paperwork involved that was required to be filed every year with the IRS, in order to maintain that charitable title.

Some of the veteran club members would likely remember better then I. Chuck Colabrese and Al Arrison were on that board back then, and they might know.

Vinnie N4NYY
________________________________
From: gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net <gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Jonathan Pearce <jon at pearcefamily.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 8, 2018 11:52 AM
To: gcarc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [GCARC] 501(c)(3) status for ham clubs

There was some discussion at last night’s meeting about converting the GCARC tax status from a 501(c)(4) social club to a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Googling “501c3 ham radio club” turned up this<https://near-fest.com/non-profits/> video of a ham attorney discussing this issue at the New England Amateur Radio Festival, which is quite helpful. Other links under that Google search weren’t particularly helpful, although it’s interesting to note that the Lehigh Valley ARC is apparently a 501(c)(3) organization so perhaps someone from that club might be able to give us some guidance as to the advisability of making that change.  The video from the NEARF site mentions this<https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4220.pdf> IRS document describing 501(c)(3) status and this<https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1023ez.pdf> simplified application for that status, which also may be helpful to review in advance of the proposed meeting with the attorney.

73 de Jon WB2MNF


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