Contents

• Overview
• Check Your Status with the IRS
• TechSoup resources available for your organization
• Alternative Options to TechSoup
• Why Does My Organization Have to Wait?
• My Organization is Now Recognized

Overview

Organization waiting for a 501(c)(3) determination or reinstatement from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), will not be eligible to receive offers from the TechSoup catalog or TechSoup Plus catalog.

Until the organization is recognized as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity it's TechSoup qualification status will remain pending.  

Any pending requests will remain open for approximately 90 days from when the organization checked out with the nonprofit offer.  There will be a pending authorization hold on your financial statement that will process or be canceled depending on if the request is fulfilled or expires.

Check Your Status with the IRS

To make sure that the IRS has everything it needs to recognize your organization as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity, call 877-829-5500. 

Our blog post U.S. Nonprofit Startup Resources also has useful information on the determination process.

TechSoup resources available for your organization

We have created resources that are available to everyone (no tax-exempt status required):

• Events & Webinars — Build the skills your organization needs to succeed. Events are designed specifically for staff at organizations like yours. Learn from experts that have deep experience in the sector and understand your unique needs.
• Courses — Our learning content is designed specifically for staff at organizations like yours. Learn from experts that have deep experience in the sector and understand your unique needs.
• Forums — Join our nonprofit community, where experts discuss a range of topics, or start your own.
• Articles and How-Tos — Browse our articles to help make better decisions about technology.
• Blog — Check out the latest news about nonprofits and technology.

Alternative Options to TechSoup

Your organization may be eligible for discounts through the following programs:

• Good360
• CCB Technology

Why Does My Organization Have to Wait?

As is true for cash donations, foundation grants, and other kinds of philanthropy, there are legal restrictions on the ways in which we process donations and discounts. Our goal is always to serve as many nonprofit and public benefit actors as possible. Part of achieving this goal means working with corporate donors to establish a reliable and transparent way of identifying who can receive product donations and meet the philanthropic goals of these donors. To date, this process has been possible by relying on IRS determinations for U.S. entities. The IRS expressly allows us to rely on such determination letters as a means of complying with our own 501(c)(3) status when transferring benefits to other organizations.

We know how frustrating and hard this can be for organizations, particularly those that are trying to set up operations quickly to respond to the needs of their communities. The good news is that the IRS already has a process in place to expedite your application, in the following situations: (1) if your organization has a pending grant awaiting the IRS' determination, where failure to secure the grant will have an adverse impact on the organization's ability to continue operating; (2) if your organization is providing disaster relief to victims of emergencies; or (3) if IRS errors have caused undue delays in issuing a determination letter.

In addition, for organizations that do not have more than $250,000 in assets, and that do not anticipate receiving more than $50,000 in gross revenue for each of their first three years in operation, the IRS offers the Streamlined Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) (known as the 1023-EZ). This is a shorter form, and the IRS guarantees faster determinations for users of this form.

Our ability to serve civil society in all of its forms, including newly established organizations or those operating under unique circumstances or entity types, continues to be an area of focus for us. We are actively piloting projects to reach new organization types. If you are interested in knowing more about these pilots, please inquire with our live chat support using the widget in the bottom right corner of any page at techsoup.org. 

My Organization is Now Recognized

Reply to the email TechSoup would have sent after your organization joined TechSoup or send your 501(c)(3) determination letter to qualifications@techsoup[.org].  

NOTE: qualifications@techsoup[.org] is for send qualification documents or asking for the qualification review to be restarted; it is not an alias for contacting TechSoup Customer Service.