Need help incorporating new pro-gun advocacy group

[michaelbane]

Some THR members may be aware of the website I created in July of last year for the Armed Passengers Project, www.armedpassengers.org. It's gotten publicity and subscribers to the periodic email newsletter.

But in order to kick the whole cause into high gear, incorporation as a 501(c)(4) non-profit will, IMO, be necessary. Doing so will lend both a sense of permanency and legality to ask for donations to keep the advocacy efforts going.

If there are any THR members in the Philadelphia/SE Pennsylvania/S Jersey area that would be willing to donate their time, knowledge and resources to accomplish this task, please PM me or email me through the Armed Passengers Project website. Once enough interested people respond, we can meet in person. In the meantime, I'll be doing research on what it takes to incorporate and get all the licenses as a non-profit.

Thank you.

 

[Barbara]

I'd have to dig through and find out what we did, but state incorporation and securing non-profit IRS status are two different things..the attorney we used initially was not very knowledgable about doing this.

Good luck!!

 

[TallPine]

I did the 501(c)(3) for an organization once. I dunno how different the 4 is

Yes, you have to incorporate with the state first. If you "operate" in a state(s) other than the state of incorporation, you must register with that/those state(s) also. Usually having an office or facility constitutes "operating" in a state.

For the 501(c)(3) you have so many days after incorporation to file the application, for the (hopefully) granted exemption to be retro-active to your incorporation date.

And you need to check the tax return filing rules to see what records you have to keep from day one.

Good luck! I survived the process once but wouldn't want to do it again. The IRS claimed that we hadn't included all the necessary documents when in fact we (I) had. :banghead: I had to send them more copies of the same documents.

 

[michaelbane]

501(c)(3) vs. 501(c)(4)

I did the 501(c)(3) for an organization once. I dunno how different the 4 is

For (3) and (4) the organization that receives donations does not have to pay tax on them. With (3), donations to the organization are tax deductible on your return, but the organization you donate to is not allowed to do "significant" lobbying for legislation and can not do any activity to support a particular candidate for public office. With (4), donations are not deductible, but the organization can do as much political lobbying as it wishes. Since my group would be lobbying for changing laws and regulations, it would have to be (4).

 

[localFFL]

This is a good idea, no great idea, no perfect idea. That is the Ron Paul of ideas. You're correct, you're talking about something that SHOULD happen...


...but,

...it'll never ever happen.

That being said, starting the discussion and getting the CORRECT principle in people's heads will do a tremendous amount of good. Let's get your group as big as the NRA.

Your group is the GOA of the airline safety issue: it won't get it's ultimate goal, but it will keep everybody else honest by reminding them of the truth, and in the end, in a sense WILL achieve it's goal.