Discuss mailing list

["Aaron J. Angel" <thatoneguy AT aaronjangel.us>]

On 12/04/2012 09:02 AM, nanashiRei wrote:
> - I hate advertising, i never did it for myself, but for OpenNIC it's
> going to be required. In a very short sentence: If we don't get around
> 1% of the web to at least know we exist, then we are worth less then Tor
> or your local tool store where you've never have seen another customer
> besides yourself. More activity equals user interest.

I, too, hate selling out.  There are perfectly good business models for
nonprofits that don't require advertising.  And, in particular,
advertising may not be such a worthwhile adventure.  In the US, at
least, it exposes even exempt organizations to taxes on unrelated
business income, except in certain circumstances (one of which,
substantially all volunteer labor, is easy to meet until you start
looking at hiring real staff.)

> Am 04.12.2012 13:07, schrieb Travis McCrea:
>> We are a registered US 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which means that
>> we could do fundraising and we wouldn't have to go through the $500+
>> process of getting OpenNIC itself registered as a 501(c)3.

I don't see this working since OpenNIC is not a registered
organization.  As such, OpenNIC cannot transact its own business in the
US.  That would leave the finances up to (a) another registered business
or (b) one or more individuals.  I would argue that either would give
the church too much say over what happens and that option (b) in
particular could expose the church to the unnecessary work (and
potential risk) by having to justify grants to individuals.  The
justification of would likely be guidelines that the rest of us may or
may not agree with in the first place.

If OpenNIC were to incorporate and register as a 501(c)(3), I'd have no
problem with this church, or anyone else, giving grants or donations to
OpenNIC's own general fund (or any other fund we establish).