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]