How is Cindy Sheehans GSFP a 501(C)(3) organization?

Gold Star Families for Peace ^ | 8/12/2005 | me

[tbeatty]

Go to their donations page and you will see that it claims 501(c)(3) status. This is reserved for charitable organizations, not political organizations. This should be a PAC or a 501(c)(4) at the very least. Is anyone investigating this? They should not be tax deductible.

[WHBates]

BTW, until lawyers and accountants are held responsible for the paperwork they submit, things will never change. Currently they have a neat officially approved phrase(s) included in there paper work, which the client signs, that shifts the blame and make the entire auditing process worthless. JMHO

[agooga]

Isn't it a common practice for small groups to "piggyback" on the 501c3 status of another, bigger, established group?

[Lobbyist]

They could have just registered their not-for-profit in their state. What state is this woman from? Or, her handlers?

[DJ MacWoW]

One of the articles I read on FR yesterday said she was using her sons insurance money to fund her protest.

[tumblindice]

Was the NAACP ever audited, do you know? Now there's a group of unapologetic Bush-haters.

[upchuck]

I was unaware you could file for nonprofit for just your state. I was under the impression (and I've set up 2 501(c)(3) organizations) that you filed with the IRS and, if approved, you are automatically approved for your state. Although you probably have to register with the state also. Usually through the Secretary of State.

I think sweet Cindy is from Kali.

[goodnesswins]

I thought she was from California....

[billnaz]

She shouldn't need any money, since George Soros is bankrolling her.

[Lobbyist]

You can file with state and the IRS. Non-profits file with our state and with the Feds. The state - as I understand it - cannot issue an organization a non-profit status. However, in my state you still have to file because you are doing business in the state. Maybe it's voluntary. Where are the lawyers when you need them?

[gondramB]

The NACP's tax exempt status was investigated but I dont know the outcome.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6365439/

WASHINGTON - About 60 charities, churches and other tax-exempt groups are being investigated for potentially breaking federal rules that bar them from participating in political activity, the Internal Revenue Service said Friday.

The disclosure from the IRS came a day after Julian Bond, the chairman of the NAACP, said the IRS was investigating his group after he criticized President Bush.

[caisson71]

I hope the IRS is on this.......sure.

[Lobbyist]

Bingo!!!!!!! Here is the link to the California Secretary of State's office information on the Sheenan group.

http://kepler.ss.ca.gov/corpdata/ShowAllList?QueryCorpNumber=C0308859

[Lobbyist]

Oops! I don't think its the same one. I was so excited I didn't read the info correctly. Will try again.

[elbucko]

75% of 501(c)(3) organizations need to be abolished. They're either partisan, or make work charities whose sole purpose is to provide employment for their founders and little else.

MOF, think I'll start a 501(c)(3) to promote the banning of 501(3)(c)'s. I'll need a salary, as executive director, of at least $125K, just to start.

[gondramB]

>>I was unaware you could file for nonprofit for just your state. I was under the impression (and I've set up 2 501(c)(3) organizations) that you filed with the IRS and, if approved, you are automatically approved for your state. Although you probably have to register with the state also. Usually through the Secretary of State.


I'm pretty sure you are right and also that she could not have just filed and gotten approval in a few weeks.

http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/

[tumblindice]

There does seem to be a real double-standard here. The American Spectator really got reamed after the Arkansas highway patrolmen story, and that's just one fer instance.

[Hardastarboard]

Used to be that any organization that files a 990 has to provide a copy to anyone who asks. So, all someone from here has to do is verify that, then demand it from the organization. If they fail to provide it, contact the IRS. They'll make sure the organization complies.

I always wanted to get 100,000 NRA members to do that to the Brady Center, except it would be too obvious, and they could do it back.

[gondramB]

>>There does seem to be a real double-standard here. The American Spectator really got reamed after the Arkansas highway patrolmen story, and that's just one fer instance.

I think there is a double standard - the problem isn't that The American Spectator got in trouble for political advocacy (since they are owned by the American Spectator Educational Foundation which is a 501 (c)(3) they shouldn't do political advocacy.)

In principle the Spectator is just as entitled as anybody else to run two separate organizations and keep the advocacy separate andthat is what they should have done.

But in practice, it has long been accepted for groups like the NAACP to get away with mixing charity and politics while conservative groups get much more scrutiny. The claim against the Spectator was that they were effectively doing "opposition research." Well what the heck was Dan Rather doing and why wasn't he subjected to the same federal scrutiny?

[rdcorso]

Don't you people understand that Cindy Sheehan is above reproach.Her grown up son died fighting a war he signed up for and that gives his mommy the right to do and say whatever she wants.The president should just let her run the entire country because she deserves it.Didn't her son sacrifice his life so his mother could use it for her own personal gain?

[tbeatty]

Ping. See anything here?