How are most teams structured for their non-profit eligibility? as an LLC Corp or Organization?
Team 237 out of Watertown, CT is structured as a 501© 3 status.
I’m not sure of the details of that EXACTLY myself, but if you need more info, PM me and I’ll get you in touch with our head advisor(s) to answer any questions.
I think most are 501© organizations but I dont know much about all of the legal aspects of it.
Edit: Elgin beat me to it.
A google search brings up this info.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]I am forming a multi-media production/publishing entity which focuses on educational, religious, & literary themes, as well as socio-political themes, which will be offered to religious & educational institutions, as well as the public at-large. In consideration of forming as either as an LLC or a 501©(3), 1)Can an LLC accept charitable contributions? 2)Can a 501©(3) also be a 527 corp?[/size]
You should not try to distinguish between a 501©(3) and a limited liability company (LLC). 501©(3) is a tax-exempt status for charities. LLC is a type of entity. Several types of entities, including corporations, trusts, and LLCs, can qualify for Section 501©(3) charitable status if they are organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes. An entity that is recognized as a charity under 501©(3), including an LLC, may accept and give deductibility to charitable contributions. An LLC that has a single charity as its sole member is a “disregarded entity” and does not need to obtain a separate recognition as a 501©(3), but the IRS has not ruled tht gifts to such an entity are deductible. (See Ready Reference Page: “LLCs Becoming Entity of Choice for Subsidiaries.”)
Section 527 is the section that exempts political organizations from income tax. A charity may not engage in political activity, and a 501©(3) may not also be a 527.
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I ouwld love to PM but I dont know how to do that—I am NEMO in the truest of terms! sorry! any 501©(3) will still need to be established in some form as either an Organization, Corp, or LLC… the 501©(3) is just the tax status – they each have varying degrees of liability and paperwork…
to send a Private Message, click on the username of the person you want to send it to, and you’ll get an option to send a PM.
We just set up a non-profit for robotics in the county, the corporation was set up with the State of Arizona, and the non-profit status (501c3) was conferred by the federal IRS. You might want to get the IRS form 1023 and instructions and spend a lot of time reading it and talking about it, it’s a great way to get to know others who will be in this ordeal with you 
Reading the IRS stuff, it looked to me like one would set up a private foundation, but we got Public Charity status because the IRS agent suggested that would be more appropriate.
We set up an Association, with a mission of supporting technical and science education and awareness, by supporting robotics teams and clubs. We are rather limited in what we do, which is to buy robot parts and give them to robotics clubs, pay for entry fees to competitions, and pay for travel and lodging for students at competitions.
The whole point is to get the non-profit status so that large corporations will be willing to contribute money, as they can write it off.
We are LLC Corp.
I’m going to send you a PM. Look in the upper right hand corner of the screen and you’ll see private messages, click on that. Then you enter the message box and click on your message.
(Not to worry, I even know how to post pictures now, woohoo!)
Jane
We are a nonprofit 501©(3) corporation. At the 2006 Robotics Conferences at Atlanta another team member and myself presented a session on how to get 501©(3) nonprofit status. You can get a copy at our website under the MOE Program/MOE University section at
http://www.fsrobotics.org/moe365//moeu.php
(scroll down to the presentation)
You first become some sort of nonprofit entity, such as a corporation, then you apply for the 501©(3) status from the IRS. We did this mainly because we are not associated with a school and having this status allows donors to more easily take a tax deduction. It wasn’t hard for us in Delaware but the corporation step is VERY dependent on your state. In the presentation I included links to various state websites, but as this was done in 2006 I can’t guarantee that they haven’t changed.