If any attorneys are experienced at non-profit organizations, please respond to me either by PM or to this post. I think many of you are aware of my time spent working with Something More Safaris and the efforts to raise funds for injured PH’s and Staffs. Recently, Paul Reed who posts here as well had joined me in that effort. Recently, due to various issues, we have found it necessary to create a new 501.c.3 non-profit organization with the objective of raising funds to help both PH’s and their staff who are injured in the line of work in the Safari industry. Another prominent AR member has offered us support on the accounting side but what we really need is an attorney to work with us on the establishment of the organization so that we can apply for and secure IRS approval. While we have some funds available, I prefer to solicit as much “free” support as possible so that the funds can go where they are intended and not used for administration expenses. So, if you are someone that can help please contact me. Also, if any on here wish to be part of the first board of directors, we will entertain your interests. Specifically, if anyone is from Nevada and would like to help us as we will need to run raffles, etc. it would be of great help.

Some key points of the new “Hunters Helping Others”
• Specifically, the new organization will have as its prime objective the intent to raise funds to help defer the impact of lost wages, medical expenses, rehabilitation, etc. for PH’s and their staff who are injured in their line of work.
• All requesting support will need to apply to the board of directors for basis of need. The board will then decide how to distribute funds as well as the amount of funds. This we feel is necessary to pass the requirements of a non-profit organization.
• We will strive to have a permanent fund established so that we are not caught on our back foot when we have a year such as 2012.
• Our goal is to have the new organization set up and approved in time for communication at the various safari conventions in 2013.
• We also intend to have as a working member of the board, one of the many PH’s who are active on the AR forums. Several have offered to be on the board.
• As soon as established we, will be able to distribute some funds to the recently injured parties. Sad, that we have to start anew which will take some time but be better in the long run.

Thanks for the opportunity to inform you all about this and while initially focused on Africa, in time we would hope to support the hunting professionals worldwide.

Larry

Why not make it more along the lines of insurance instead of charity?

I imagine many would be more willing to help if there was a sense those most at risk, namely PHs and their staff, had some skin in the game as well.

Good idea, PH or safari co could subscribe to this.

Forming an entity that can legally write such insurance in various countries would be a monumental undertaking requiring millions of dollars for initial capital. While it isn't a bad idea, it is practically not workable.

Larry,

Thanks for posting and raising awareness of our efforts. I have started to work on our charter and bylaws but professional advice and counsel would be much appreciated. As you state the purpose of the organization would be to raise tax deductible funds to support those injured in the hunting industry. We could also use some technical help in getting our Web site up and running so if any member would be willing to help us build a relatively simple (for now) Web site please PM me.

Duckear, As Larry Shores states the task to pursue an insurance based organization would be monumental and most importantly would not give us the opportunity to offer a tax deduction to contributors. While the tax deductibility is a secondary purpose, with the first to help those in need, we do believe it will aid in funding our efforts.

Thanks in advance for any support you can provide.

Paul

Sorry, but I cannot help on the legal/technical side. I do however wish you well with the efforts and can only offer my assistance as a "Local Contact" and Hunting Outfitter in South Africa. If you ever need someone on the ground to verify facts, see people or do whatever in this country, I'm willing to assist in whichever manner I can.

Best of luck with the idea!

you don't need your own 501(c)(3) status, you can operate under the umbrella of an extant 501(c)(3) organization.

Just an FYI.

have you lookied at something like Legal Zoom?

Thanks for thoughts but we are not trying to anything new here except set up an indpedentant 501.c.3 charity organizaton to provide aid to the professionals that become injured. We know how it is supposed to work but we want to get it all right so that it has a clear focus and objective. When and we hope quickly we get all rolled out we will be developing more fundraising ideas.

Thanks,

Larry

Admirable

First let me state that I don't know you personally so please don't take this as any kind of personal attack.

That said, not to be my usual wet blanket, but who is going to head this potential 501c and how much, if any, expenses are calculated as overhead, salaries (if any), etc. In short, if someone donated $100,000 to said 501c, how much will actually go to the end beneficiaries of the organization's goals?

I have pretty extensive experience with 501(c)3 organizations. I think that the charter and inital registration would be about $2,500 with and annual audit and filings(In PA) would be $2,500 or so. What the country of domicile would do is anyones guess but based on prior experience in three African countries I would guess they would ding you pretty bad. Also there is an element of risk for anyone being involved with any organization these days.

Wouldn't it just be easier for someone to help the injured pros set up a Paypal account or something to accept contributions? The deductions wouldn't be tax-deductible, but a lot more of them are likely to make it to the intended beneficiary.

Gatordo, no offense at your question and the answer to the first one is that Paul Reed and I are drafting the initial docs and the organization would be "headed up" by a board of which the two of us would be as well as some well known people on this forum. Also, a PH from Africa would be on the board. All individuals in need would need to present an application which would get approved by the board or not. Plans are for 100% of funds to go to needy recipients. Just to be pointed, when John Greeff was injured by a leopard, 100% of the funds went to John and his wife, nothing for administration.

Mikelravy, we are not new at this but find ourselves needing to establish a new org. There are ample opportunities on here for people to donate directly to injured PH's sponsored by their agents, etc. We are not trying to or going to duplicate that effort.

The point of this thread was to get some help from fell AR members that are attorneys, not an opinon fest on what we should do or not do. Sadly, this is too often the case on here.

To your post also, and I encourage anyone on here that knows me to opine, all 100% of what we raise will go to the intended. There are several on here such as Martin Peters, Buzz, Frik Muller that know this to be the case.

If some do not like the effort, then they do not need to choose to engage.

My apoligies for being blunt and not meaning to be rude but I just want to stay focused on getting this off the ground and not what we should or should do. There is a time for that.

I know for an absolute fact that Larry raised funds for at least one severely injured PH and also for an orphanage in Zim helping kids whose parents died of AIDS. 100% of the money raised went to them.

His goal here is to have donors come out of pocket (net) with a certain amount yet have more go to the injured party. It is simple math. A single dollar donated could cost as little as $.66 after the tax deduction but a dollar still does to the injured party.

My firm will do all of the IRS filing for the proposed organization for free including the application for exemption as well as the annual return (form 990). There will be zero cost for this.

That's great Larry I'll give a $100 when you get it going.

I think that this will become the "go to" organization of it's kind in the very near future. I have full confidence in Larry, and you will soon see some recognized names coming on board as this much needed bit of help comes on line. With the year we have had, never has there been more of a need for financial assistance for our friends in the hunting community. I have tried to find out, with zero success, what help other groups have been this summer in the form of financial support for our friends who have fallen or been injured, and so far sound bites is all I have come up with. Larry has seen the same and with this move is on the right track. Always a good idea to back people who put their personal finance on the line, rather than simply their name or the lending of moral support. That is the case with the guys setting this fund up. As I have seen with the Owain Lewis Fund ( I will be posting the financial details tomorrow on AR) the hunting and safari community is generous in the extreme to to our fallen members and their families, and in a dangerous business like Professional Hunting, the need for help is unfortunately never far away. I salute this effort and look forward to participating in it's growth. Hats off to Larry!