Iy is definately beneficial to become a 501c3 non-profit organization!
The donations are easier to get, plus the eligibility for grants and
listings on many sites, as well as the basic legitimacy it brings any
organization- espeically home based shelters.

It isn't hard at all! It can be done easily without an attorney- just
follow the guidelines, fill out the applications and voila! It may take
a while tho- ours took 13 months in the processing and we had to make
a few bylaws amenments, but all in all really not as bad as a lot of
people will have you believe.

Basics:
Your organization will have to have bylaws and officers- you can find
free sample bylaws all over the internet- short & simple is good! Be
sure to ahve a clause that states in the event of dissolution of the
group any funds and assets will be distributed to another 501c3
organization ( the irs is fussy about that one :)
 
The organization will have to become a registered non-profit
corporation in your state - since you are in Florida here is the link:
http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/businesses/nonprofit.html
It is usually thru your state dept of commerce or secretary of
state-and costs maybe 20-50$

Then you fill out the forms for the irs to apply for 501c3 tax exempt
charity status:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96590,00.html=FAQ
and: http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/index.html

You will need to get a Federal ID# - that is all in the faq- If you
can read & write you can do it :)

Take care & good luck!!
Beth
www.crittercamp.biz 

[Posted in FML 6237]