On Sat, Oct 5, 2013 at 11:05 PM, GtwoG PublicOhOne <g2g-public01@att.net> wrote:

Then when you make the filing with IRS, IRS will typically assign someone to work with you on it, to help get it approved. This can still take well over a year to become finalized. But during that time, you can still solicit donations and suchlike, provided that you inform donors that their donations may not be tax-deductible, and that an IRS decision on tax-exempt status is still pending.

Alternatively, you can get fiscal sponsorship for 501(c)3 status through an organization such as School Factory. That way you can start acting as a full 501(c)3 from the start, and they'll help you out with all the paperwork, assume some financial liability, provide nonprofit advice, etc. In exchange, they keep 10% of any donations (*not* including membership fees, since those are not tax deductable).

Patrik