Susitna Community Council achieves non-profit status

The Susitna Community Council is now registered with the state of Alaska as a non-profit corporation, reported council president Robert Coleman.In order for the council to become a non-profit organization, the bylaws committee had to make some changes to council bylaws to bring them into compliance with state requirements for charitable organizations.

For a number of years, past and present council members have been working on making the council a tax-exempt organization. The state’s revenue sharing program triggered the council to pursue the non-profit status in earnest. Over the past two fiscal years, the state has allocated roughly $20,000 per year to community councils to finance local projects.

The status as a non-profit now allows the council to accept such grants from the state, federal agencies or the borough without having to pay taxes.

In order to get the state revenue funds, which are administered by the Mat-Su Borough, the council also needs to supply a list of projects that the funds would be used for.

The Susitna Community Council has created a grant expenditure committee to come up with such a list. Council president Robert Coleman said that council area residents are welcome to make suggestions what projects should go on the list.

The next step for the council is to gain full non-profit status with the federal government under Internal Revenue Service rules. Coleman said he hopes that the council finalizes filing paperwork with the IRS by the end of 2010.