<p>D came home * today* from almost three weeks in Ghana, pledging to return in the fall.
She is interested in starting a photography program to go along with the computer program she and her classmates have been supporting
I think it is a great idea-, she isn’t a professional photographer, but she has experience teaching kids and has been working in photography for several years.
It also gives her something to pin her next trip around- jsut going there to hang out for three months doesn’t go over as well as teaching . ;)</p>
<p>But so I was thinking- if there was a charity, then those who wanted to donate digital cameras could get a tax deduction.</p>
<p>There is also lots of information on the net.
Except.
The first sentence I ran into trouble
</p>
<p>They don’t seem to understand- I have use a mac because I don’t read directions. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>It sounds doable- if a lot of work- although I don’t know if it is something they need to do right off the bat</p>
<p>Any other experiences to share?
Especially international?</p>
<p>And definitely review the IRS guidelines for starting a 501(c)(3) organization so that all your federal ducks are in order too. If you do not form the organization properly, dotting all your i’s and crossing your t’s, your contributors will not be able to take their deductions. Also be sure to review the rules for acknowledging contributions, again so your donors can deduct their contributions (or the value of them). Unfortunately there is a lot of “rule following” involved in setting up a charity. Having done this I can tell you there is quite a bit of record keeping involved.
But it sounds like an admirable project and your D sounds like quite a girl.</p>
<p>There are LOTS of charity organizations already existing in that area. Is there any way she could get one of those to let her fall under their umbrella?<br>
Just mentioning it because I know what the paperwork can be like. Most charitable organizations I deal with have a CPA or lawyer who volunteers to do all the paperwork.</p>
<p>I have looked into starting a nonprofit, and it typically takes a year of dedication to get the paperwork through. Among other things, one has to set up a board.</p>
<p>I don’t see any reason to do this unless one really plans to address an issue that no one else is doing or is interested in doing.</p>
<p>It’s typically best to connect your program with an already existing organization. That also makes longevity easier.</p>
<p>It typically takes a few months to get a program attached to an existing organization, but that’s much easier than starting a nonprofit. I’ve done this several times.</p>
<p>If she’s in college, she could connect the program with some already existing service project at the college. People could get tax deductions for their donations by donating through the college’s foundation.</p>
<p>She isn’t in college- yet - this was just me thinking off the top of my head. However- it does sound a lot more feasible to just attach to something already there- especially with all the advisory board stuff.
A high school counselor who just returned with them, does have a non profit organization so people can donate to his village ( that I forgot about when I was doing my taxes oh well), and I bet he will be a big help.</p>
<p>I’m obviously going to have to find out more about this stuff, so that I feel ok about her going back there to work, separate from her high school organization. ( And to field questions from my mother who was freaking out at her going there in the first place)
It’s not that I don’t think it is safe- it is just soo far</p>
<p>EK: A friend’s son did a photography program for innercity kids while he was on break. The cameras were donated and the printing for exhibition was paid for through donations. He got alot of attention from other programs who wanted to sponsor further work. Possibly your DD could get attention from a non-for-profit willing to sponsor her.</p>
. A good place to start would be here: