Scammers abound on the internet, and we've all seen already that Steemit is not free from scam artists operating here.
I feel that - compared to probably all other social media sites - Steemit (and *Steemers*, specifically, working hard already) are going to have the best chance of keeping the platform free from as many scams as possible. We have bots and individuals looking for plagiarism just for instance, and the power to "downvote scammers into oblivion" is a powerful measure in itself, wisely built into Steemit from the beginning.
Right from my first post, I let it be known that that I had created a second profile for non-profit purposes, and even asked if such was "okay". I hope to be able to raise money for my non-profit activities here, but like many, I needed also to separate my personal profile (and interests) from the non-profit activities I engage in. Such is both ethical and wise.
I don't wish to game the system at all, and - while I succumbed to the temptation at first, yes - I finally had to discipline myself to not upvote my own articles back and forth. Bad form indeed!
I already know that others want to be on here for nonprofit purposes to some degree as well, but are unsure how. I hope that this post might help them and the entire Steemit community (ummmm, not to mention myself, duh), by perhaps setting something of a precedent here for how to go about LEGITIMATELY using a Steemit account's proceeds (upvotes, author rewards, etc) to raise money for a cause. At least for letting the community know that you are legitimate that is (how you use money raised is between you, your "higher authority" and - in many cases - the governmental powers-that-be, unfortunately).
But as far as letting the Steemit community know that I am legit... (and come on "UFOs and The Bible" conferences? Yup, I'll admit I'm stretching credibility as it is, so I might owe you MORE "proof of legitimacy" than the average non-profit cause does!) ... here ya go:
See more "zoomed in" close ups below.
While I did this for 11 years prior under the umbrella of a "real 501c3 church", I am now transitioning all of the paperwork to something new .. I.E., what the internet (not necessarily Steemit) knew as Roswell New Mexico's "Alien Resistance HQ" is now legally "Roswell Mission".
And, is a legitimate non-profit operating under the laws of the State of New Mexico.
I'll spare you the mission statement and all that for now.
The point is that "ARHQ" operated legally for years as a legitimate (okay, strange, but legitimate!) non-profit - organizing conferences with speakers, selling books and dvds from a storefront in Roswell. Now, below is my quite legal paperwork for the new work "Roswell Mission" which will pick up where that left off.
(Note : I, Guy Malone, moved away for a few years, and am simply re-building now. )
Here is my "new" IRS EIN paperwork as well : Please consider that it would probably be a Federal Crime for to me to post a false one.
(EIN # blacked out of course, but available upon request, by law, to any entities conducting business with Roswell Mission.)
Please note that Roswell Mission is NOT a full-fledged 501c3 (at least not yet). I am not here to solicit donations anyways, but yes, we do have financial supporters who either consider their (past and present) donations as true gifts, or actually know their paperwork well enough to write it off according to IRS guidelines. Consult your own accountant if that matters to you.
BUT it does mean that Roswell Mission does not "owe taxes" because it does not "produce income" under the standard legal definition; it also means that we do not have to charge sales tax.
Like I said, Roswell Mission does conduct non-profit sales of books, dvds, and is "gearing up now" for a 2017 "UFOs and The Bible" conference in Roswell NM, summer 2017 ... follow for full details.
But here's the bank / merchant account that will allow us to accept debit/credit cards...
...and probably Steem Dollars, Bitcoin, etc, once I get this page and a second CoinBase (or other) account, connected to this bank account.
So yeh, what my friends and I do at Roswell Mission may be a little strange, and hard to understand...
I get that, and don't mind the stigma.
Anymore that is.
It's just what I do, okay?
(Here's my book that started it all "Come Sail Away : UFO Phenomenon & The Bible"
- for which I DO receive some income, if you use this Amazon.com affiliate link btw. I wrote the original draft as a free webpage in 1997 - my response to a UFO cult suicide... Anyways, long story.)
Today, I do what I do largely to prevent another such tragic and maybe through my efforts - AVOIDABLE - suicide or rash action. My hope here is that in the "Censorship Free Zone" world of Steemit, even a weirdo like me can live peacefully with others - politely and respectfully disagreeing with some (where warranted, especially if you comment on my articles) AND enjoying fellowship with other like-minded individuals. And yes, there are many believe it or not!
All the while creating and posting interesting content as I go, and perhaps even reaping rewards along the way.
And perhaps others will follow the spirit of this article as well, perhaps not.
But if *I* am claiming...
to be here and running this account in part to raise money for a non-profit cause, it is quite reasonable that I take these steps to be deserving of your trust.
In short, if I am hoping for upvotes and revenue from authorship of pages containing articles and videos (that I DO own the copyright to, or have permission to share), YOU at least deserve PROOF that the money earned really does go to a non-profit account, and that I am accountable to others (including authorities) when it comes to what does or does not happen with that revenue.
Thanks for hanging with me this long.