Public Policy & Administration 497C - ST- Creating a Nonprofit

Over the course of the semester students will create, fund, run, and dissolve an imaginary 501(c)(3) public charity. Sec. 501(c)(3) public charities include soup kitchens, museums, private schools, legal aid centers, private hospitals, environmental organizations, and countless other types of educational, religious, scientific, and charitable organizations. As we work with our nonprofits, we will discuss the reasons the nonprofit sector exists and why nonprofit organizations receive preferential tax treatment. We will also discuss steps needed to start a nonprofit, obtaining tax exempt status from the IRS, the charitable contribution deduction, the role of the board of directors, and fundraising rules and techniques. At the end of the semester, we will either dissolve the nonprofits, merge them with another organization, or turn them into for-profit entities.