Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Messages - pgordemer
1
Off-topic / Re: Need help with my Interwebs connection
« on November 29th, 2012, 04:26 AM »
I see this with many home routers as the NAT table gets full. P2P many times on routers can fill the table with the number of open connections. Some routers are better than others at it.
2
Features / Re: Privacy options
« on December 5th, 2011, 07:58 PM »
I think option one is the easiest, as any other combos really can be handled in Personal Messages.
3
Other software / Re: No 501 status on SMF yet?
« on November 21st, 2011, 08:30 PM »
It only becomes public when it has been approved. Once an NPO has received a determination letter, one of its conditions will be that the original application and all attachments must be available for public viewing. They don't define what public viewing requires, but most just make it available on their websites.
4
Other software / Re: No 501 status on SMF yet?
« on November 21st, 2011, 04:59 PM »I don't, for example, understand why it has taken in excess of a year - without even getting to the submission stage. I realise the organisation is not the fastest on the planet but that still seems inordinately slow.
Posted: November 21st, 2011, 04:54 PM
One of the things that can make it so easy, but is overlooked is.... All NPO applications are public information and must be provided for public inspection. Many NPO put the approved application on their websites, so there are tons of real life examples you can glean information from (That's how I taught myself to do it).
5
Other software / Re: No 501 status on SMF yet?
« on November 21st, 2011, 04:45 PM »
Same answer about the acccountant - they don't know about the programs.
From the accounting side, there is no issue as far as an application. You have to submit either the last 3 years worth of tax returns (or as many as you have) or in the case of a new group a 2 year projection of your finances. Groups that have no paid staff have it easy, they can just put in zero's, having any paid staff, makes it a bit longer. They are not looking at the validity of the numbers, its more of a general feel for the size of the organization and its operating expenses.
The paperwork itself ISN'T difficult or tiime consuming, gatthering all the information (documentation) from the organization is the time issue. More importantly, the narraritive of the organization (of which all the officers must approve) is the one that drags on in my experience.
Timing of the filing of the application also helps. Its been my experience that applicatons filed in the June-September take 3-4 times long that applications filed in October-May. Speculation is all the people that looks at these are away on vacation as their is only 1 department location where they all go.
Note, my comments are not directed about the SMF situation (not defending or pomoting it), just throwing them out there as general information. The process itself is well documented, but not well understood. If anyone is going to attempt this in the future, the IRS actually produces an excellent website with all the information you need and some samples. Checkout "Lifecyle of a Charity"
http://www.irs.gov/charities/
http://www.stayexempt.irs.gov/
From the accounting side, there is no issue as far as an application. You have to submit either the last 3 years worth of tax returns (or as many as you have) or in the case of a new group a 2 year projection of your finances. Groups that have no paid staff have it easy, they can just put in zero's, having any paid staff, makes it a bit longer. They are not looking at the validity of the numbers, its more of a general feel for the size of the organization and its operating expenses.
The paperwork itself ISN'T difficult or tiime consuming, gatthering all the information (documentation) from the organization is the time issue. More importantly, the narraritive of the organization (of which all the officers must approve) is the one that drags on in my experience.
Timing of the filing of the application also helps. Its been my experience that applicatons filed in the June-September take 3-4 times long that applications filed in October-May. Speculation is all the people that looks at these are away on vacation as their is only 1 department location where they all go.
Note, my comments are not directed about the SMF situation (not defending or pomoting it), just throwing them out there as general information. The process itself is well documented, but not well understood. If anyone is going to attempt this in the future, the IRS actually produces an excellent website with all the information you need and some samples. Checkout "Lifecyle of a Charity"
http://www.irs.gov/charities/
http://www.stayexempt.irs.gov/
6
Other software / Re: No 501 status on SMF yet?
« on November 21st, 2011, 02:37 AM »OMG you understand!
The one thing I tell those doing this, is using a lawyer is usually a bad idea, since most lawyers have no idea about the group or the business and they tend to slant the answers to the application to general ones that past a test, but many times are totally unrelated to the actual programs of the organization. Most groups are told they have to use a lawyer, anyone can do it, they just have to be a member of the board or approved member. I used to write them, have them elect me to the board for 30 days to file the applicaiton, then kill of the position.
7
Other software / Re: No 501 status on SMF yet?
« on November 18th, 2011, 09:07 PM »
Please take this in the spririt it's intended - (note: I am not a laywer or accountant)...... but.... having written and obtained about 10 501C3 in Philadelphia area and Southern New Jersey for all volunteer organizations - the application process is far more than its paperwork. Its the concept of "goals of programs" and commiting it to paper. (as well as having all the governance stuff worked out - bylaws, articles of incorporation, etc)
The parts of the existing financial structure aside, one of THE most important parts of the application is called the Narrative. It is where you state your goals, dreams and more importantly the "programs" of the organization. Getting a total census of the wording of that Narrative between every member of a board can be tough.
One other part that any people get confused with and that is a Non-Profit doesn't mean you can't make a profit (you have to stay in business), it means the "profits" of the corporation can't be used to benefit it Owners/Directors/Members (with or without stock).
The final part that gets the accounting part hung up is there is a time limit. Its 27 months after incorpoation. Up to that point if the application is approved (and it usually takes 120 days once its received), you can be considered Nonprofit back to the incorporation date. Many groups haven't paid any taxes on the previous years and until those are then filed and paid, the application is denied.
The parts of the existing financial structure aside, one of THE most important parts of the application is called the Narrative. It is where you state your goals, dreams and more importantly the "programs" of the organization. Getting a total census of the wording of that Narrative between every member of a board can be tough.
One other part that any people get confused with and that is a Non-Profit doesn't mean you can't make a profit (you have to stay in business), it means the "profits" of the corporation can't be used to benefit it Owners/Directors/Members (with or without stock).
The final part that gets the accounting part hung up is there is a time limit. Its 27 months after incorpoation. Up to that point if the application is approved (and it usually takes 120 days once its received), you can be considered Nonprofit back to the incorporation date. Many groups haven't paid any taxes on the previous years and until those are then filed and paid, the application is denied.
8
Other software / Re: So, SMF has declared the cold war...
« on November 3rd, 2011, 07:33 PM »
Nao, are you also planning on porting the changes to the 2.10 version for the ones that paid for it? I have a bunch of customers that fall into that category.
9
Plugins / Re: Converting WedgeDesk
« on September 8th, 2011, 08:42 PM »
mmmm... makes me rethink when my maintenance for IssueTrak comes up for renewal if WedgeDesk might be just the ticket.
10
Features / Re: Calendar dates
« on August 6th, 2011, 10:30 PM »15 mins from Brighton and a similar distance from London (IIRC) definitely puts you in the UK ;)
11
Off-topic / Re: Dial Up BBS
« on August 3rd, 2011, 03:38 AM »
54 here and damn proud of it. Scuba Instructor, Flight Instructor, Head computer geek, its all good.
Let just say there is a bit of "code" in PCBoard, RBBS and Wildcat that has my name in it. (I wrote a common class routine that does the low level open of a serial port direct to hardware that most of the BBS software used to get modem status).
Let just say there is a bit of "code" in PCBoard, RBBS and Wildcat that has my name in it. (I wrote a common class routine that does the low level open of a serial port direct to hardware that most of the BBS software used to get modem status).
12
Off-topic / Re: Dial Up BBS
« on July 29th, 2011, 06:07 PM »
I remember them well - I should, I ran one of the largest on the East Coast of the United States - COMPU-DATA.
I was one of the first 10 in the country to get a US Robotics 9600 Baud modem after flying down to Atlanta to pick it up. I ran 48 Nodes of PCBoard using Alloy Slave Cards and a Lantastic Network. Later it became 8 port serial controllers on AT computers running Double-DOS and Novell Network.
Fido-Net, Echo Mail, Doors, Tradewars, etc...
I was one of the first 10 in the country to get a US Robotics 9600 Baud modem after flying down to Atlanta to pick it up. I ran 48 Nodes of PCBoard using Alloy Slave Cards and a Lantastic Network. Later it became 8 port serial controllers on AT computers running Double-DOS and Novell Network.
Fido-Net, Echo Mail, Doors, Tradewars, etc...
13
Off-topic / Re: PC hotline
« on June 12th, 2011, 05:30 AM »
Download Hiren Boot CD:
http://www.hirensbootcd.org/files/Hirens.BootCD.14.0.zip
Boot it, select Run Mini-XP, there are bunch of very good recovery tools available that can scan the drive in R/O mode and get individual files (Recuva, etc)
http://www.hirensbootcd.org/fil
Boot it, select Run Mini-XP, there are bunch of very good recovery tools available that can scan the drive in R/O mode and get individual files (Recuva, etc)
14
Features: Forward thinking / Re: Removing deprecated code
« on June 12th, 2011, 05:25 AM »Or you can just compile, which is quite easy.
In either case I was making a generic statement about many hosts out there using Centos and premade packages as part of CPanel, HCMS, Virtualmin, etc....
15
Features: Forward thinking / Re: Removing deprecated code
« on June 11th, 2011, 09:02 PM »
Many personal VPS and hosts use Centos 5.x which uses the PHP 5.2.17. One of the big holdups to php 5.3 has been there isn't a pear package that runs with 5.3, so a lot of programs that need it like APC cache, etc don't work without doing custom compiles. Many hosts also provide mail interfaces (squirel mail, roundcode, etc) which all fail with 5.3
Once Centos 6 makes the air, then php 5.3 will have good support.
Once Centos 6 makes the air, then php 5.3 will have good support.