[Lswtalk] Sidenote: Issues found while working on bylaws

[Jessica Hutchings]

Hey everyone, 

Thank you for all of your nice comments! We'll get this all straightened out...onward and upward. : )

Erin, I did not have to provide any documentation of our 501c3 status. I provided our tax ID number and some basic information about our organization and its accounting practices. And I believe that Linda, Howard, Mary Francis, and I all had background checks. I was surprised Howard's came back clean. 

I have no evidence in my drawer that we ever filed for or held the status. We've held our corporation status with the state faithfully for many years, but I just don't see anything else.

Hope you're all having a nice day!

Jessica




----- Original Message -----
From: "Erin Chesnutt" <echesnut at beau.org>
To: lswtalk at beau.org
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2014 11:50:06 AM
Subject: [Lswtalk] Sidenote:  Issues found while working on bylaws

I spent a few hours this morning going through the many files hanging 
around here with any kind of LSW designation.  So far, I have found no 
mention of when we did file for 501(c)(3) status, only that we had the 
intention of doing so.  Our Articles of Incorporation make mention 
several times of the organization acting in accordance to laws 
pertaining to 501(c)(3)s, but never states that we held that status, 
ourselves.

Having said that, I'm positive that there are still files around here 
that I've missed and I'll keep looking as I am able. In the meantime, 
aAre we certain that we ever actually filed and became exempt in the 
first place?   Jessica, did you have to show some sort of proof of that 
status in the process of becoming bonded, by chance?

On a positive note, when I get the time (nice and non-committal, 
right?), I've got lots of documents to scan and upload to the server 
space we've cleared for LSW document digital archiving!

Erin


All,
I got in touch with Rob who, among other things, told me that 501c(3)
organizations are required to file an annual information return. Failure
to do so for 3 consecutive years results in immediate revocation of
501(c)(3) status.

I did a little digging based on this and found that our organization would
be required to annually file Form 990-N which is an e-postcard, according
to the IRS's description. More info on that here :
http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Annual-Electronic-Filing-Requirement-for-Small-Exempt-Organizations-Form-990-N-%28e-Postcard%29

I used the Exempt Organization Select Check tool from IRS to see if we are
still listed as a tax-exempt organization; I don't see our name on their
list.  I also don't see our name on the revoked list, but I think that
database only covers the past x years.

Has someone been filing this and I'm just looking in the wrong places?

If our status has, indeed, been revoked, then we seem to be looking at
filing another form and paying a user fee to get reinstated. I believe our
annual gross receipts from the past 4 years falls under $10,000. If so,
the user fee would be $400. If not, it looks like it would be $850.  More
on that here:
http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Reinstatement-of-Tax-Exempt-Status-after-Automatic-Revocation.

It seems to me that if we want to move forward with granting a
scholarship, we need to get this in order sooner rather than later. It
feels hinky (nice word, yes?) to me, otherwise.



Thank you,

Erin N Chesnutt, MLIS
Director
Beauregard Parish Library

337-463-6217
echesnut at beau.org

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-- 
Jessica Hutchings 
Assistant Professor/Head of Reference 
Frazar Memorial Library 
McNeese State University