Thanks to our good friends at Thompson and Bogran, Yo Ghana! will be formally applying for 501(c)3 status in a few days. This status would allow donors to deduct their donations on their taxes, as would of course give us more legitimacy.
Most everyone who has gone through the process has told me not to try. The application is long and complicated, the application fee is high, and the wait period can be very long. I was very fortunate to have two experienced corporate attorneys guiding me at every step. Even so, it has been, as they say, "a hassle." And it may remain a hassle--for many months or even years to come.
In fact the entire process of bringing schools in Ghana and the Pacific Northwest together has been a hassle, a long series of e-mails unanswered, wire transfers that haven't gone through, partnerships that haven't panned out, hours of standing by a table trying to sell the program to teachers who are already too busy.
Of course there are also many success stories. But all of them have entailed difficulties and frustrations. In this respect running a little non-profit resembles being a parent, spouse, or friend--or writing a book, learning a new language, or mastering a new skill.
Like another Americans, I don't like hassles. I would like nothing but peak experiences: students excited about their cross-cultural friendships, projects buzzing along on schedule, letters flowing back and forth without a hitch, students from struggling families getting access to better educations. All of this happens. But only after a lot of hassles.
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