[foundation-board] OSS and charity, 501c3

Thu Sep 22 14:32:55 UTC 2016

The folks at Yorba provided a thorough write up of their experience. 
Note that that is from 2014; I don't know if anything has changed.

https://blogs.gnome.org/jnelson/2014/06/30/the-new-501c3-and-the-future-of-free-software-in-the-united-states/

On 22/09/16 13:55, Helen Turvey (King) wrote:
> This is what I know:
>
>
> The IRS declines all applications for NPO status for orgs that 
> primarily produce FOSS, or appear to produce FOSS as their core 
> business.  Their reasoning is that they are building something of 
> commercial benefit for others and that has commercial value (never 
> mind that it is free and not possible to lock down), or that that org 
> does not derive direct commercial benefit - it is a blanket no.  This 
> make it very diff for them to raise money as it cancels out anyone 
> looking for a tax deduction, and those that will only fund 501c3's.
>
> See: 
> http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/05/us/politics/irs-scrutiny-went-beyond-the-political.html?_r=1
>
> and : 
> http://blog.cashmusic.org/post/54699615496/the-problem-with-the-irs-and-open-source-logic
>
> HT
>
> On 19 September 2016 at 17:01, Tim Hubbard <timjph at gmail.com 
> <mailto:timjph at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     I wrote to Jamie Love, Director of Knowledge Ecology International
>     in US about whether he’d heard anything about 501c3 applications
>     being queried over OSS connections.  Apparently he hasn’t.  He’s
>     talking about sending in a FOIA to the IRS.  Are there any more
>     precise information I could send to him about stories on the US
>     side of organisations that have had trouble?
>
>     Best wishes,
>
>     Tim
>
>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     Tim Hubbard
>     timjph at gmail.com <mailto:timjph at gmail.com> @timjph
>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
> -- 
> Helen Turvey (King)
>
> CEO
> Shuttleworth Foundation
>
> website: www.shuttleworthfoundation.org 
> <http://www.shuttleworthfoundation.org>
> twitter: @helenturvey
>
>
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