Dear Allan and Listmembers, Due to a momentary misalignment of my brain cells with my eyeballs, I mistakenly typed in the numbers 401(c)(3) when I should have typed in the numbers "501(c)(3)". My apologies for the error and any confusion it may have caused.
And Jane Sherry, please read the email carefully. I said Demeter was incorporated in Massachusetts and resides in New York State. I checked with the office of the Secretary of State in both states and both told me that Demeter does not have non-profit tax exempt status. In order to clear up any confusion, an organization or a company cannot have one without the other. You cannot declare yourself "non-profit" WITHOUT securing "tax exempt" status. The IRS likes to know about these things because that means they owe back taxes and penalties. Demeter may be operating at a financial loss but that does not grant them the right to declare that they are "non-profit" without the approval of the state and federal governments. That is misleading and it is considered fraud. Hugh Lovel's organization, Union Agricultural Institute, was originally chartered in the State of Georgia as a non-profit but Hugh never, as far as I know, pursued that through the tax collectors at the state or federal level. Thus, UAI cannot claim tax exempt, non-profit status. They must pay taxes and nobody who gives money to UAI can legally deduct that donation from their income tax. If in fact, Demeter has secured this status, they should prove it to the public they purport to serve. I suggest that you email Demeter and ask for the proof. Or, call the Secretary of State in New York, where you reside also, and ask them what I asked them. Does Demeter Association, Inc. of Aurora, NY have non-profit, tax exempt status. That would clear things up, wouldn't it. Greg Willis Thank you for forwarding this, Allan.
