There are still forms to fill out each year, non-taxes to non-declare, and so forth. Max would have to decide if he is an employee, etc. Lot of issues to work out, not hard ones but they do affect the details of record-keeping and there are penalties when you miss deadlines. Then there are the acknowledgments of donations to get out on a regular basis-- when they go over a certain amount, a specific acknowledgement must be sent (legally). There is also the sticky wicket of "value received" for the donations-- it could be reasonably argued that the service we receive is a value, separate from the educational activity it amounts to as a resource. Also Max would have to produce an annual report, and although these can be simple, it is one more thing to do on a list of someone who already has more than enough to do.

A lot of grants depend on pre-existing non-profit status, except fellowships, outright awards of recognition, etc. But then no one is breaking down my door with sources they have found for grants to non-profits lke Mudcat. *G*

In other words, this should be up to Max, completely. We can offer specific helps here, and I think that is a good thing, but let's not cast them in terms of "oughts." Because we don't know (and don't need to know) the details of what Max has in front of him at any given moment. For me, it's enough that Mudcat is HERE, and that when Max and/or Mudcat need help-- and we can-- we do.

~Susan