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Re: The Purpose of a Private 501(c)3 (non-profit) Museum is Education, Period
Author: Dr Zarkoff
Date: 11-09-2011 - 19:54
>All but a very few private (as opposed to state or federal) railroad museums are 501(c)3 because of the strong tax incentives.
All the IRS is really concerned with is the non-profit part, and 501(c)3 applies to charitable, non-profit organization, not strictly educational ones.
> By accepting this non-profit status they agreed to be educational institutions.
Nope, just charitable ones and being not-for-profit greases the ways a little bit for obtaining the 501(c)3 status.
>Musuem leadership MUST adhere to established doctrine, follow it's self-created policies and STOP mixing Disneyland mentality with established preservation dogma.
While I agree with you on the Disneyland mentality, a certain amount of it is necessary to generate vititor interest if you need the farebox receipts to help make the mare go (and don't doctor up your artifacts to do so). Ultimately, what any particular museum decides to do in this regard is up to the members of that museum, not you and me.
All the IRS is really concerned with is the non-profit part, and 501(c)3 applies to charitable, non-profit organization, not strictly educational ones.
> By accepting this non-profit status they agreed to be educational institutions.
Nope, just charitable ones and being not-for-profit greases the ways a little bit for obtaining the 501(c)3 status.
>Musuem leadership MUST adhere to established doctrine, follow it's self-created policies and STOP mixing Disneyland mentality with established preservation dogma.
While I agree with you on the Disneyland mentality, a certain amount of it is necessary to generate vititor interest if you need the farebox receipts to help make the mare go (and don't doctor up your artifacts to do so). Ultimately, what any particular museum decides to do in this regard is up to the members of that museum, not you and me.
