About ten months ago, I was approached by a gentleman whom I'll call "David." David sought help to incorporate a new nonprofit organization, and to obtain its 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. The Community Counsel Program (CCP) at Community Law was created to match nonprofit organizations in need of legal assistance, with pro bono attorneys willing to provide legal advice; I gathered the information about David's organization, in the hope of finding an attorney who could assist him.
Just a short time later, we found a great attorney for David from among our group of dedicated volunteers. This attorney not only helped David to incorporate his organization, but also to file the 1023 Application for Exemption under (501)(c)(3).
Fast-forward to last week, when David returned to our office, seeking additional assistance. In the intervening months since his referral to the attorney, David's organization has flourished. In addition to creating a faith-based "self-help" program designed to provide assistance to the homeless, David has been approved to participate in the Internal Revenue Service's program that allows local businesses to donate their tax liabilities to David's organization. David has already begun soliciting businesses with the goal of raising more than $3 million over the next two years, with which David is planning to purchase homes to use to house the homeless for a period of up to 12 months, while the person or family participates in the self-help program.
With David's drive and sense of purpose leading the way, David's organization stands to assist many members of our community in bettering their lives. Organizations like David's are important to our community, and are the kind of organization that can benefit from CCP.
If you are interested in volunteering your time to help a nonprofit organization with CCP, please contact our office at 582-7480.
Susan A. Calistri
Staff Attorney
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