For Your Nonprofit

Tons of Free Books
Need to raise a little cash? Hold a book sale. Thousands of surplus books from the Copyright Division and private gifts in a variety of subject areas are available to non-profit organizations from the Library of Congress. All you need is a letter from your non-profit which includes the name of the person coming to select books and the name of the organization, but you must pay for shipping and handling. Or you can bring a letter from your Congressman's office. Their office will have the option of paying for the shipping with franks (postage for which their office will pay). Contact: Exchange and Gift Division, Library of Congress, Madison Bldg., 101 Independence Ave., SE, Room B03, Washington, DC 20540; 202-707-5243.

Learn the Ropes
Don't let the IRS rain on your parade. Get all your ducks in a row before there are any unpleasant surprises. Contact the Internal Revenue Service for a guidebook Tax-Exempt Status For Your Organization (Publication 557) on tax-exempt nonprofits. It explains the procedures you must follow to obtain an appropriate ruling or a determination letter recognizing such exemption, as well as certain other information that applies generally to all exempt organizations. Contact: The Internal Revenue Service Forms Line; 800-829-3676.

Giveaway Wish List
Need some desks, chairs, even hospital beds for your nonprofit? Nonprofits, which include medical institutions, clinics, schools, museums, libraries and more, can receive free furniture, clothing, and equipment from Uncle Sam through their State surplus property agency which receives items for distribution from the Federal Government. To find out about the office near you, request the brochure Federal Surplus Personal Property Donation Programs from Property Management, Federal Supply Service, General Services Administration, Washington, DC 20406; 703-305-7240.

Step Inside the Loop
So who's getting all that money Congress spends each year in grants? Find out in a free Congressional Research Service report Grants And Foundation Support (IP50G), which helps the grantseeker find sources of funding, both government and private, and grant proposal development. Request the publication through Your Congressmen's Office, U.S. Congress, Washington, DC 20515; 202-224-3121.

Strike Up the Band
Your parade can get a little noisier and more colorful with a band and color guard supplied by some local Defense Department installations. Most installations have community relations officers who handle requests from nonprofit organizations for these services and more, so contact them for information on availability and restrictions. If you would like an aerial flyover from the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds, or a parachute show from the Golden Knights (there are some costs involved), you must put your request in writing to: OASD (PA) DCR, The Pentagon, Room 1E776, Washington, DC 20301-1400.

A Home for the Holidays
If you are part of a non-profit organization ministering to the homeless, the government is taking applications for eligible groups to receive excess or unused federal buildings or land for homeless people. The program is administered by a combination of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which screens applications, the General Services Administration (GSA), which makes the properties available, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which reviews applications. In accordance with Title V of the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, HUD publishes a list of properties available in the Federal Register. Additional information regarding the properties, as well as the Title V process can be obtained by calling 800-927-7588, a toll-free number established by HUD. After a property is published, homeless providers must submit expressions of interest by providing a written notice to the Division of Health Facilities Planning at HHS within 60 days of publication. You will then receive an application packet containing complete instructions on how to apply for the property. You can also request the following publications: How To Acquire Federal Surplus Real Property for Public Health Purposes, Obtaining Federal Property for the Homeless, Questions and Answers About Federal Property Programs, and HHS/HUD/GSA joint regulation covering specific information on Title V process. Contact: Division of Health Facilities Planning, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Room 17A-10, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857; 301-443-2265.

Soup's On
Does your nonprofit offer meals or food to those in need? Through the Food Distribution Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) distributes foods to State agencies for use by eligible local agencies. USDA purchases foods from U.S. markets under surplus removal and price support programs. The foods go to schools and institutions participating in the child nutrition programs, to nutrition programs for the elderly, to needy families on Indian reservations, and to food banks, soup kitchens, hospitals, and prisons. The foods are also used to help victims of natural disasters and situations of distress. For a free copy of Food Distribution - State Distributing Agencies Directory, contact the address listed below. Contact: Food Distribution Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Ctr. Dr., Room 502, Alexandria, VA 22302.