Dear Editor,
Recent letters to the editor have inaccurately claimed that nonprofits are not private organizations. That is simply not true. Nonprofits are private organizations — including Community Corporation of Santa Monica. Churches are, too — including Culver-Palms United Methodist Church, which is currently involved in a private housing project.
For clarity, I refer readers directly to the Internal Revenue Service:
IRS Publication 1828 – Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations
“Churches and religious organizations, like many other charitable organizations, may qualify for exemption from federal income tax under IRC Section 501(c)(3). […] Although churches are nonprofit organizations, they are also private organizations.”
IRS Publication 557 – Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization
“A nonprofit organization is a private organization that is operated for exempt purposes and not for profit.”
These facts are easily verified on IRS.gov. It is troubling that this basic distinction is being misrepresented to promote a private development project. It’s also unfortunate that some are choosing to undermine grassroots voices with false and distracting claims — but that’s a topic for another day.
Sincerely,
Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin
