What is a 501(c)(3)?

Question

I need a grant for a non-profit no-kill shelter and i was at grants.gov and there was a thing saying something about 501(c)(3). Do I need to apply for it or something? please help me

Answer 1

You need to get 501C3 certification for your non profit to be eligible for grants http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/index.html . Most of the grant giving foundations (even from private companies like Microsoft) look for 501C3 certification.

Once you get that, you can start looking for grants. Your best bet is to seek for private grants or grants from private foundations.

The best resource for this is Foundation Center http://www.fdncenter.org . They have a very good database covering all organizations giving grants and you can find foundations that are interested in supporting your type of cause. However, it's a subscription based website ($19.95 per month I think is the cheapest subscription price). But it certainly is worth the fee. You can subscribe one month, and make sure you get all the info you need and then stop the subscription.

If you want to try federal sources, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants.

CFDA has several ways to search for grants. I suggest you search by beneficiary and select Private Non Profit Organization and you can find listings of grants available http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.BROWSE_BENEF_RPT.show

Answer 2

This is a charitable organization as classifed by the IRS. Every single donor or grantor will be asking you for your 501c3 number.

Go to www.irs.gov to get instructions on how to apply. Or call them.
Unfortunately, this is not something that happens quickly.

Good luck!

Answer 3

you need this big time if you want to operate a non profit agency...with out this you will not get a grant, donation etc....this is the state issued non profit certification that all churches and non profits need to operate their agency or organization.