From my limited understanding of the 501(c)3 regulations, any organisation that is registered as such may well benefit for tax purposes, but such organisations do come under far more regulation from the US Govt and are far more restricted than an organisation that is not 501(c)3. I think it might be better for USMA to NOT be under 501(c)3 restrictions/regulations. Ideally USMA needs the backing of big business or a millionnaire/billionnaire backer -- anyone know Bill Gates' position on metric?
Your understanding of 501(c)3 organizations is the same as mine. However, your question presumes that the most valuable thing the USMA could do is lobby Congress. If you've read many of my posts you will know that I would argue with that.
While lobbying Congress could be beneficial (and I support letter writing to your congressional delegation), an organization like the USMA doesn't have a fraction of the resources of a single large company that wants to fight metric, and I think would be largely throwing money away in any direct lobbying effort.
I have some experience in this area: my company and a partner company hired a fairly well-connected lobbyist to pursue funding for a particular military contract. We paid this guy $30k just as a retainer for three months! I think we got a few hours of his attention for this, and a verbal plug in a few offices of influential people. That's it.
This points out the reason that large institutions (NEA, AARP, NRA, large businesses, etc.) spend MILLIONS of dollars lobbying -- that is the kind of money necessary to have any impact via such a method.
The value of the USMA, given that relatively few people are motivated enough by metrication to join, is in providing a forum for discussion, monitoring and reporting metrication progress at private, federal, and state levels, providing a range of educational materials, helping guide companies that are trying to metricate, participating in various governmental and private forums regarding metrication (e.g., FPLA meetings), providing a "focal point" for metric resources via the web page, and so forth.
What frustrates me with the USMA is the same thing that frustrates me with in my Libertarian activities: there are lots of people out there motivated enough to complain that things should change, but only a fraction of them are willing to put their own time and money on the line.
Jim
Jim Elwell, CAMS Electrical Engineer Industrial manufacturing manager Salt Lake City, Utah, USA www.qsicorp.com
