[dms-discuss] Next meeting in the air rocket launcher project

[Nicholas Weigand]

I am not a lawyer, but my reading of the tax laws tends to indicate that
this is fine for us.  The main concern seems to be whether or not the thing
we are selling is "substantially related to the organization's exempt
purpose."  I don't have our IRS paperwork in front of us but here is an
extract from our bylaws:
"""

The specific purpose of the Corporation shall include without limitation:

   - Through talks, classes, workshops, collaborative projects, and other
   activities, to encourage research, knowledge exchange, learning, and
   mentoring in a safe, clean space.
   - Provide educational spaces for teaching practical skills and theory of
   technology, science, and art.
   - Provide work space, tools, and other resources for projects related to
   art, science, and technology for the betterment of society.
   - To create, learn, and teach, individually and as a group, inviting
   members of the community in the Davis area and the world.

""" (sorry folks without rich text!)

Imagine that we were simply charging an entrance fee to a workshop and not
providing any materials - we would be selling something substantially
related to our exempt purpose, that is, exchange of knowledge through
workshops.  There are subjective limits to this sort of behavior, but I
can't imagine it would be a problem for us in this instance.  Our main
concern should be with focusing on making the workshop educational, as well
as providing the space, tools, and research for this project (related to
science/technology, etc.).  Does anyone else have any thoughts?

I'm interested in coming to the meeting, but may not be able to make it on
Thursday.  I'll stop in if I can.


Nicholas

On Wed, Nov 19, 2014 at 11:19 AM, timf <timf at davismakerspace.org> wrote:

> November 19, 2014
>
> Hi rocketeers --
>
> Our prototype air rocket launcher passed its tests recently (yay!), so I
> created a spreadsheet of material costs for building that kind of launcher.
> With that spreadsheet we'll be able to decide whether to try to raise funds
> from launcher-building workshops. (Fund-raising was the original idea for
> this project.)
>
> The holidays are fast upon us, so I'd like to hold our next meeting right
> away. The agenda would be:
>
> 1. Study the spreadsheet results
>
> 2. Decide what we would charge workshop participants
>
> 3. Decide if the workshop would be worthwhile as a fund-raiser
>
> 4. Make sure it is OK for a non-profit group like us to charge money for a
> workshop, beyond the cost of the materials
>
> If we decided that the workshop would NOT be worth holding or that we
> could NOT charge for attendance, then we would:
>
> 5. Consider possible alternatives (for example, holding public events
> where the general public could see and use several launchers, could make
> and launch a simple paper rocket, and could donate money as they see fit...
> given the success of the recent Video Night ArtAbout, these public
> "Shoot-Offs" might be worthwhile)
>
> 6. Or maybe call it all a nice idea but not a practical fund-raising method
>
> So this email is a CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS. I propose that we hold the
> meeting on Thursday, November 20 at the Space at 7:30 p.m. unless anybody
> has a better alternative time and date.
>
> I'd also like to hear from the Board and the Treasurer regarding item 4
> above!
>
> Thanks, all!
>
> -- Tim F
>
>
>
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