Q: Are all .ORGs non-profit orgs?

Q: What is a 501 c) 3) organization?

Morocco: This means Federal government approval as an *educational "institution" & you can apply for a wider variety of grants (though, thanks to Jesse Helms & like hateful/ hating slimeballs, there's damned little left in that area! The NEA is practically totally defunct thanks to him getting his b**ls in an uproar over a couple of art exhibits: guess he never heard of "Freedom of Expression" ... wonder WHICH Constitution he swore to uphold, when he took office?!?!?)

It also means that people/ corporations can *legally* tax-deduct official contributions to your organization, but 501 c) 3) organizations are NOT eligible for .edu status: you must prove you pass State Regents' standards & are certified as an official, accredited school in order to get that as a website ender...

Q: Is it hard to become one?

Morocco: Yes, it can take *years*, you definitely need a lawyer & it can be expensive, BUT if there is a Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts organization in your city, *&* you can prove a *lengthy* track record & culture-significant role in the Arts community in your area to them, you might be able to get it done just for the filing fees alone (the lawyer part is free), which come to about $1000.

BTW: you also have to fully prove the *lengthy* & continuing track record & culture-significant role in the Arts community in your area to the Feds. It took us THREE YEARS.

Because it IS a long & complex process & simply being a "troupe" does NOT cut it with the gov't: moreso in recent years, with all the governmental rightists' dissing of the Arts in general & any sort of dance in particular ....

Q: Does it help to have some kind of cultural or ethnic specialty in order to get that status?

Morocco: Better have it & better be able to *prove* it with lots of acceptable documentation. It is much harder now than it was before, because too many scammers, way-out right & left-wing political interests & new religion founders abused the possibility in the late '70s & early '80s....

We got ours in 1978, through Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (which has also suffered tremendous cutbacks & might not exist in your city ....), but I already had an 18 year PROVABLE track record for myself & my dance company: museums, schools, Lincoln Center, Delacorte Dance Festival, Riverside Church Dance Festival, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, teaching courses in the State University of New York at Purchase, Creative Artists' Public Service Grant, many published articles in internationally accredited publications (& not just our ME dance-specific ones!!!), tons of reviews by accepted critics, etc.

Even with that sort of a track record, thanks to the MISnomer, it took us twice as long & I had to generate tons of paperwork to "justify" Raks Sharki & Raks Shaabiya as valid cultural forms ...

Q: Does it help if a person or troupe does research on one particular type of dance or ethnic group?

Morocco: YES!! But you'd better be able to prove it with already published work.

Q: How do I become a 501 c) 3)?

Morocco: It is achievable, & some states have different or lower standards than others, but you'd better start gathering that paperwork & get those ducks in a row.

Now, get out your phone book & look up: Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. I hope there's one near you.

Azuki: Over here in S Florida there is an art organization (which induviduals or non-profit organizations join) that has some lawyers/accountants doing pro bono services for non profit organizations, as part of the services and benefits for joining that organiztion. My group just formed a new corperationused their services, they provide me with a list of things to do etc.

Maybe you can check to see if such organizations (organizations for non-profit groups) exists. They can offer a lot of help. Or maybe your local govt, libraries, colleges offer some free seminars.

Khrystynne: On the IRS web page (I typed "IRS" into Yahoo), go to "Charitable Organizations". I've included in this post a bit of what is required to qualify for the tax exemption/501(c)(3) status. The site covers the entire process but as Aunt Rocky pointed out, a lawyer don't hurt. If there is a law school in your area, they might have programs for law students doing supervised work.

From the qualification section:

The exempt purposes set forth in § 501(c)(3) are charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition, and the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.

To be organized exclusively for a charitable purpose, the organization must be a corporation, community chest, fund, or foundation. A charitable trust is a fund or foundation and will qualify. However, an individual or a partnership will not qualify. The articles of organization must limit the organization's purposes to one or more of the exempt purposes...

[A]ssets of an organization must be permanently dedicated to an exempt purpose. This means that should an organization dissolve, its assets must be distributed for an exempt purpose described in this chapter, or to the federal government or to a state or local government for a public purpose. To establish that an organization's assets will be permanently dedicated to an exempt purpose, the articles of organization should contain a provision insuring their distribution for an exempt purpose in the event of dissolution.