I just want to add something else about the non profit. As I said, I work with these organizations for a living. All the money that has been donated so far will have to be disclosed on the application for exempt (non profit) status, as well as how it has been spent. That document will become public record that anyone can see once the non profit status has been received. Just because they don't have the status yet does not mean they do not have to be accountable for it, or that no one will ever know what was done before they got their status.
And while there have been and are some non profits that do wrong things, they are definitely the minority. Most work hard to not only carry out there mission, but to show accountability. Not just because they have to, but because they want to show their trustworthiness to the public they ask to support them.
Board members, by the way, have personal responsibility for what the organization does. To misuse those funds can cause them personal liability. The government takes that kind of thing very seriously, especially after some of the problems that existed in the past when the government didn't have all the rules and checks they have now.
It does take time to get that status, and the fact that they don't have it yet doesn't mean they aren't handling the money properly, or that no one will ever know what they have done from their inception until they receive their federal approval.
As always, JMO.
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