Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Save the Air in Nevada County?

Can someone clue me in, as to what's up with this organization?

Its home page has a "Donate" button & says "Please Help our Education and Research Efforts – Tax Deductible 501 (c)(3)"

So I went looking for its IRS Form 990s on Guidestar, but couldn't find the org. there; checked the IRS "search for charities", couldn't find it there; checked a listing of Nevada County nonprofits, couldn't find it there.

At the time of posting , phone calls to their "Media Relations" people had not yet been returned, and nor had the previous day's inquiry to a founder; but see comments for update.

I'm sure the answer is simple and aboveboard, but I'd like to know what it is.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Searching by the snail mail address gives this:

"Green Research / Save the Air in Nevada County
PO Box 441
Grass Valley, CA 95945"

You may have better luck searching for the name "Green Research" in the lists of 501c3's...

-- frank

Anna Haynes said...

Thank you Frank.

Yes, Green Research is listed as a 501c3; though it has no 990s on Guidestar.

I did get an email from an STAinNC founder? board member? both? (I don't see any organizational info on the website) saying:

"STA in NC has a fiscal agent. It was funded mostly from several small fundraisers in contributions of $25 to $50 and received a grant from the Air District 3 years ago."

A fiscal agent like the Tides Foundation, I guess; to avoid having to deal with organizational overhead, including IRS filings.

I've asked who.

Anna Haynes said...

(I emailed & left a phone msg; no response yet)

Anna Haynes said...

Update: Another STA in NC member tells me that STA in NC's fiscal agent is Green Research Inc (in category C11 - "single organization support"); as noted above, it has no filings on Guidestar.

So I guess we know about as much/little about STA in NC as we do about the (CABPRO-tied) Sierra Environmental Studies Foundation.

Anna Haynes said...

(actually less, since SESF's board members are disclosed)

Anna Haynes said...

minor correction, GRI's "deductibility code" (link) is 4 ("A private foundation, generally with a 30% deductibility limitation."), which I think makes it a 501(c)(4), not 501c3 as I'd said above.