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To our Supporters and Donors, We're Back, Baby! We cannot thank you enough for all of your support these last few months. As of July 2022, our 501c3 status has been reinstated retroactively to the date it lapsed, which means your donations are, were, and forever will be tax-exempt (because, we promise we never want to go through the reinstatement process again!) Below are answers to our most commonly-asked questions. Why was your tax-exempt status revoked (in August 2021)? The IRS requires all 501c3 charities to file a Form 990 "Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax" every tax year. This is similar to your personal tax return that you file each year with the IRS. The Form 990 is a summary of an organization's income and expenses for the previous tax year. A tax-exempt status is "auto-revoked" when an organization fails to file the required forms for 3 years in a row. How did this happen? We (like many other small non-profit, tax-exempt organizations) fell behind on our administrative obligations. This is, unfortunately, an all-too-common occurrence for small to midsize non-profits who do not have "staff" and rely on generous, unpaid volunteers to carry out the duties of the organization. Our volunteers LOVE cats and pour their heart and soul into the rescue mission. We save hundreds of cats each year from injury, illness, death, and a hard life lived on the streets of Baltimore. But, we were remiss for a period of time in compiling and submitting the necessary paperwork to maintain our 501c3 tax-exempt status. How does this affect my donations made between 2021 and now? It doesn't! Our tax-exempt status was reinstated retroactively to the date it lapsed, which means any donations made since the revocation and any future donations are 501c3, tax-exempt eligible. Please consult a tax advisor for specific questions that pertain to your personal situation. How can I ensure that my donations are going to an approved tax-exempt non-profit? The process of reinstatement is not something we ever wish to repeat so FRA now has policies, procedures, and professional expertise in place to ensure this NEVER happens again. The IRS maintains a database of charitable organizations that is up-to-date and searchable. Both GuideStar and Charity Navigator use the IRS database of public charities to verify non-profit, tax-exempt status. https://www.irs.gov/charities-and-nonprofits
As always, our mission continues to be focusing on the welfare of cats in our communities, and that mission has never wavered. We encourage anyone with questions or concerns to reach out to us directly at baltimorecats@gmail.com. Thank you for your continued support.
We are always in need of:
We also have a Kitten specific wishlist for kitten season!
PHAWG Amazon Wishlist : Help feed the cats in our Park Heights colonies!
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