On 27 Sep 2014 at 8:32, George Tyler via EV wrote:

> Yes, so take it out of the realm of DIY by having a world wide not for
> profit company that does it, all you guys shareholders ..

Minor detail : at least in the US, a non-profit corporation can't have 
shareholders.  Well, in a few states it sort of can, but they aren't the 
same as regular shares of stock.  

Nonprofits CAN, however, accept donations, and offer contributors 
significant tax advantages.  Unfortunately many high dollar contributions 
come with strings attached, however.

I thought of something akin to this idea - a nonprofit EV manufacturing 
concern - back in the 1980s.  I figured that since it didn't have to turn a 
profit for stockholders, it could be a more public-minded, risk-taking 
operation.

Since then I've had a fair bit more experience with nonprofit organizations, 
and it's made me more cynical.  I've realized that many of them end up being 
at least as cautious and risk-averse as for-profit companies are.  Often 
they start out with ideals and guts and courage, but hunker down at the 
first sign of economic hardship.  They can easily become so focused on 
surviving as an organization that the original goal kind of recedes into the 
distance.  

Nonprofits do get some tax advantages, but otherwise, most of their expenses 
aren't much different from for-profits'.  

Look at what the big charities pay their executives, for example.  Again, 
they start off being idealists, but at some point they decide (correctly or 
not) that they can't attract savvy bosses unless they pay them like private 
business.  (Whether these executives, profit or non, are really worth the 
salaries they're paid will be left as an exercise for the reader.)

So, call me a cynic (you wouldn't be the first), but I'm skeptical that a 
nonprofit automaker or converter would be any more successful than the for-
profits that have failed at the business in the past.  Prove me wrong!

David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
EVDL Administrator

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