Quote:

I do agree with what "the chief" says that club is all about money, even though most are non-profits.



I've seen this sort of comment before (on a number of posts)and would like to point out that not all nonprofits are created equal. It takes about ten minutes and $25 to incorporate under State law as a nonprofit organization.

It takes a whole lot more resources ($), work and effort to file for tax exemption under 501c(3) if your organization wants to benefit from tax exemption under IRS to receive charitable donations and provide deductions to donors.

In addition public charities of this nature have to file annual application under South Carolina to register as a Public Charity and this status in my mind would better articulate a benevolent mission. All charitable organizations that solicit contributions or have contributions solicited on their behalf must register prior to any solicitation activity.

Public charities/tax exempt orgs have higher public accountability and transparency through forms, reports, and most importantly an annual 990 that lists director and top employee salaries. This is why we (and many others) choose this direction despite the additional overhead and cost. To publish and share financial details about a clubs operation to avoid suspicion and unfair assertions around motive.

In South Carolina, you can search for organizations under either of these categories on the Secretary of State's website (use either corporation or charity search tools)
http://www.scsos.com/Home