[Board] Re: Nonprofit Status in the United States

[Tyler Mitchell]

Hi Brian, thanks for the note.  Your comments line up with where I'm at as well.  Having talked to several other FOSS orgs that are seeing similar problems re: the black hole.  I have approached the SFLC several times now but they have informed me that they are too busy to take on new cases.  As recently as last month, but will have to try again.  Not sure if they have a paid vs pro bono option.  

Thanks again,
Tyler

On 2011-08-03, at 12:45 PM, maplabs at light42.com wrote:

> 
> I had a phone meeting with a young attorney at the Software Freedom Law
> Center in New York yesterday, on an unlrelated matter. We referenced
> OSGeo and I casually mentioned the stall in the tax status application.
> Justin, the young attorney, was keen on that, and said that the SFLC
> had been an advocate for other .orgs, has spoken with examiners in
> Cleaveland Ohio in the past, but apparently the rumor is that "all
> cases go to Washington DC" now.. and, mysteriously, go into a black
> hole ?
> 
>   they have a ticket system at the SFLC, so even if you are the
> Executive Director of a super-important FOSS .org,
> you send an email to  help at softwarefreedom.org  to get things started
> 
>   hth
> 
> ==
> Brian Hamlin
> GeoCal
> OSGeo California Chapter
> 415-717-4462 cell
> 
>