[Community_garden] Non-profit status and Tax IDs

[Dorene Pasekoff]

Jana wrote:

<<Does anyone out there have experience with the non-profit process and can
you give advice on how difficult and expensive it is?  Or is there some
other way to go about receiving donations without needing a Tax ID#? >>
 

For the community garden, we use the church's non-profit status.  For the
dog park, I did the 501c3 paperwork myself.  If you do it yourself, buy this
book:

How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation
by Attorney Anthony Mancuso 
Order online www.nolo.com or call 1-800-728-3555
Pub. Date: Jun 2005
Edition: 7th
Pages: 432 pp
ISBN: 9781413303483     
Book w/CDROM 
Paperback book with Forms CD. 
List Price: $49.9 

There is a separate book for California.  If you follow the book and don't
try to re-invent the wheel, it is not that bad.  Even better, when "stuff"
comes up with your non-profit organization, you know most of the legal stuff
you really need to know -- so it is WELL worth the time and effort spent.

The Friends of Reservoir Dogs! Park got their preliminary 501c3 ruling in 6
weeks -- which means I must have done it right.  Buy the book -- it's a
tax-deductible expense once your non-profit is going and it is well worth
the time and effort.

Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth

A mission of 
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA  19460