Special computation period for new organizations.    A newly created organization may need several years to establish its normal sources of support. Organizations generally are allowed a 5-year period to establish that they meet the section 509(a)(2) support test. This is called the advance ruling period. If an organization can reasonably be expected to meet the support test by the end of its advance ruling period, the IRS may issue it an advance ruling or determination letter. See Advance rulings for newly created organizations, later. This will permit the organization to be treated as a section 509(a)(2) organization for its advance ruling period.

An advance ruling or determination is not a ruling that the organization will meet the requirements of section 509(a)(2) during the advance ruling period. An organization that receives an advance ruling or determination letter must, at the expiration of the advance ruling period, establish that it satisfies the section 509(a)(2) support requirements for the years covered by the advance ruling, or the organization will be presumed to be a private foundation under section 508(b).

Unusual grants.    An unusual grant may be excluded from the support test computation if it:

1. Was attracted by the publicly supported nature of the organization,
2. Was unusual or unexpected in amount, and
3. Would, because of its size, adversely affect the status of the organization as normally meeting the one-third support test. (The organization must otherwise meet the test in that year without benefit of the grant or contribution.)

Characteristics of an unusual grant.   A grant or contribution will be considered an unusual grant if the above 3 factors apply and it has all of the following characteristics. If these factors and characteristics apply, then even without the benefit of an advance ruling, grantors or contributors have assurance that they will not be considered responsible for substantial and material changes in the organization's sources of support.

1. The grant or contribution is not made by a person (or related person) who created the organization or was a substantial contributor to the organization before the grant or contribution.
2. The grant or contribution is not made by a person (or related person) who is in a position of authority, such as a foundation manager, or who otherwise has the ability to exercise control over the organization. Similarly, the grant or contribution is not made by a person (or related person) who, because of the grant or contribution, obtains a position of authority or the ability to otherwise exercise control over the organization.
3. The grant or contribution is in the form of cash, readily marketable securities, or assets that directly further the organization's exempt purposes, such as a gift of a painting to a museum.
4. The donee organization has received either an advance or final ruling or determination letter classifying it as a publicly-supported organization and, except for an organization operating under an advance ruling or determination letter, the organization is actively engaged in a program of activities in furtherance of its exempt purpose.
5. No material restrictions or conditions have been imposed by the grantor or contributor upon the organization in connection with the grant or contribution.
6. If the grant or contribution is intended for operating expenses, rather than capital items, the terms and amount of the grant or contribution are expressly limited to one year's operating expenses.

Ruling request.   If there is any doubt that a grant or contribution may be excluded as an unusual grant, the grantee organization may request a ruling, submitting all of the necessary information for making a determination to its EO area manager. The IRS has the sole discretion of issuing a ruling, but if a favorable ruling is issued, it may be relied on by the grantor or contributor for purposes of a charitable contributions deduction and by the organization for purposes of the exclusion for unusual grants. The organization should follow the procedures set out in Revenue Procedure 2001-4 (or later update).

In addition to the characteristics listed above, the following factors may be considered by the IRS in determining if the grant or contribution is an unusual grant.

1. Whether the contribution was a bequest or a transfer while living. A bequest will ordinarily be given more favorable consideration than a transfer while living.
2. Whether, before the contribution, the organization carried on an actual program of public solicitation and exempt activities and was able to attract a significant amount of public support.
3. Whether the organization may reasonably be expected to attract a significant amount of public support after the contribution. Continued reliance on unusual grants to fund an organization's current operating expenses may be evidence that the organization cannot attract future support from the general public.
4. Whether the organization met the one-third support test in the past without the benefit of any exclusions of unusual grants.
5. Whether the organization has a representative governing body.

Example 1.   In 1995, Y, an organization described in section 501(c)(3), was created by Marshall Pine, the holder of all the common stock in M corporation, Lisa, Marshall's wife, and Edward Forest, Marshall's business associate. Each of the three creators made small cash contributions to Y to enable it to begin operations. The purpose of Y was to sponsor and equip athletic teams composed of underprivileged children of the community. Between 1995 and 1998, Y was able to raise small amounts of contributions through fundraising drives and selling admission to some of the sponsored sporting events.

For its first year of operations, it was determined that Y was excluded from the definition of private foundation under the provisions of section 509(a)(2). Marshall made small contributions to Y from time to time. At all times, the operations of Y were carried out on a small scale, usually being restricted to the sponsorship of two to four baseball teams of underprivileged children.

In 1999, M recapitalized and created a first and second class of 6% nonvoting preferred stock, most of which was held by Marshall and Lisa. Marshall then contributed 49% of his common stock in M to Y. Marshall, Lisa, and Edward continued to be active participants in the affairs of Y from its creation through 1999. Marshall's contribution of M's common stock was 90% of Y's total support for 1999. Although Y could satisfy the one-third support test on the basis of the 4 tax years before 1999, a combination of the facts and circumstances preclude Marshall's contribution of M's common stock in 1999 from being excluded as an unusual grant. Marshall's contribution in 1999 was a substantial and material change in Y's sources of support and on the basis of the 5-year period (1995 to 1999), Y would not be considered as normally meeting the one-third support test for the tax years 1999 (the current tax year) and 2000 (the immediately following tax year).

Example 2.   M, an organization described in section 501(c)(3), was organized to promote the appreciation of ballet in a particular region of the United States. Its principal activities will consist of erecting a theater for the performance of ballet and the organization and operation of a ballet company. The governing body of M consists of nine prominent unrelated citizens living in the region who have either an expertise in ballet or a strong interest in encouraging appreciation of ballet. To provide sufficient capital for M to begin its activities, X, a private foundation, makes a grant of $500,000 in cash to M. Although Albert Cedar, the creator of X, is one of the nine members of M's governing body, was one of M's original founders, and continues to lend his prestige to M's activities and fundraising efforts, Albert does not, directly or indirectly, exercise any control over M. By the close of its first tax year, M also has received a significant amount of support from a number of smaller contributions and pledges from members of the general public. Upon the opening of its first season of ballet performances, M expects to charge admission to the general public. Under these circumstances, the grant by X to M may be excluded as an unusual grant.

Advance rulings for newly created organizations.    Newly created organizations generally are allowed an advance ruling period of 5 years.

An organization that is claiming on its Form 1023 (or other section 508(b) notice) to be described under section 509(a)(2) must have operated for at least 1 tax year consisting of at least 8 months before the IRS will make a final determination of its status. However, if an organization can show that it can reasonably be expected to qualify under section 509(a)(2), the IRS will issue an advance ruling or determination letter on the organization's private foundation status. Generally, an advance ruling or determination provides that an organization will be treated as an organization described in section 509(a)(2) for an advance ruling period of 5 years.

A newly created organization may request a ruling or determination that it will be treated as a section 509(a)(2) organization for its first 5 tax years. This request must be filed with a consent to extend the statute (Form 872-C) that in effect states the organization will be subject to private foundation taxes (under section 4940) if it fails to qualify as not a private foundation during the 5-year advance ruling period.

In determining whether an organization can meet the support tests, the basic consideration is whether its organizational structure, proposed programs or activities, and intended method of operation will attract the type of broadly based support from the general public, public charities, and governmental units that is necessary to meet the tests. The facts that are relevant to this determination and the weight accorded each fact may differ from case to case. A favorable determination will not be made when the facts indicate that an organization is likely to receive less than one-third of its support from permitted sources or to receive more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business taxable income.

All pertinent facts and circumstances are taken into account in determining whether the organizational structure, programs or activities, and method of operation of an organization will enable it to meet the tests for its advance ruling period (discussed earlier). Some pertinent factors considered are:

1. Whether the organization has or will have a governing body that is composed of persons having special knowledge in the particular field in which the organization is operating or of community leaders, such as elected officials, members of the clergy, and educators, or, in the case of a membership organization, of individuals elected under the organization's governing instrument or bylaws by a broadly based membership,
2. Whether a substantial part of the organization's initial funding is to be provided by the general public, by public charities, or by government grants rather than by a limited number of grantors or contributors who are disqualified persons with respect to the organization,
3. Whether a substantial proportion of the organization's initial funds are placed, or will remain, in an endowment and whether the investment of those funds is unlikely to result in more than one-third of its total support being received from gross investment income and from unrelated business taxable income in excess of the tax imposed on that income,
4. Whether an organization that carries on fundraising activities has developed a concrete plan for solicitation of funds on a community or area-wide basis,
5. Whether an organization that carries on community service activities has a concrete program to carry out its work in the community,
6. Whether membership dues for individual (rather than institutional) members of an organization that carries on education or other exempt activities for or on behalf of members have been fixed at rates designed to make membership available to a broad cross section of the public rather than to restrict membership to a limited number of persons, and
7. Whether an organization that provides goods, services, or facilities is or will be required to make its services, facilities, performances, or products available (regardless of whether a fee is charged) to the general public, public charities, or governmental units rather than to a limited number of persons or organizations.

Reliance period.   The reliance period for a ruling or determination letter begins with the inception of the organization and ends 90 days after the advance ruling period. The reliance period will be extended until a final determination is made of the organization's status only if the organization submits, within the 90-day period, the necessary information to determine whether it meets the requirements for a section 509(a)(2) organization.

However, this reliance period does not apply to the section 4940 excise tax on net investment income. Therefore, if it is later determined that the organization was a private foundation from its inception, the tax on net investment income will be due without regard to the ruling or determination letter.

Grantors or contributors.   If a ruling or determination letter is terminated before the expiration of the reliance period, the status of a charitable contribution deduction of a grantor or contributor will not be affected until notice of change of status is made public (such as by publication in the Internal Revenue Bulletin).

However, this rule will not apply if the grantor or contributor is responsible for, or aware of, the act or failure to act that resulted in the organization's loss of section 509(a)(2) status, or if a grantor or contributor acquires knowledge that the IRS had given notice of the loss of status to the organization.

Failure to obtain advance ruling.   See the corresponding discussion under Failure to obtain advance ruling on page 32.

Gifts, contributions, and grants distinguished from gross receipts.    In determining whether an organization normally receives more than one-third of its support from permitted sources, include all gifts, contributions, and grants received from permitted sources in the numerator of the support fraction in each tax year. However, gross receipts from admissions, sales of merchandise, performance of services, or furnishing facilities, in an activity that is not an unrelated trade or business, are includible in the numerator of the support fraction in any tax year only to the extent that the amounts received from any person or from any bureau or similar agency of a governmental unit are not more than the greater of $5,000 or 1% of support.

Gifts and contributions.   Any payment of money or transfer of property without adequate consideration is considered a gift or contribution. When payment is made or property is transferred as consideration for admissions, sales of merchandise, performance of services, or furnishing facilities to the donor, the status of the payment or transfer under section 170(c) determines whether and to what extent the payment or transfer is a gift or contribution as distinguished from gross receipts from related activities.

The amount includible in computing support from gifts, grants, or contributions of property or use of property is the fair market or rental value of the property at the date of the gift or contribution.

Example.   P is a local agricultural club and is an organization described in section 501(c)(3). It makes awards at its annual fair for outstanding specimens of produce and livestock to encourage interest and proficiency by young people in farming and raising livestock. Most of these awards are cash or other property donated by local businessmen. When the awards are made, the donors are given recognition for their donations by being identified as the donor of the award. The recognition given to donors is merely incidental to the making of the award to worthy youngsters. For these reasons, the donations are contributions. The amount includible in computing support is equal to the cash contributed or the fair market value of other property on the dates contributed.

Grants.    Grants often contain certain terms and conditions imposed by the grantor. Because of the imposition of terms and conditions, the frequent similarity of public purposes of grantor and grantee, and the possibility of benefit to the grantor, amounts received as grants for carrying on exempt activities are sometimes difficult to distinguish from amounts received as gross receipts from carrying on exempt activities.

In distinguishing the term gross receipts from the term grants, the term gross receipts means amounts received from an activity that is not an unrelated trade or business, if a specific service, facility, or product is provided to serve the direct and immediate needs of the payor rather than primarily to confer a direct benefit on the general public. In general, payments made primarily to enable the payor to realize or receive some economic or physical benefit as a result of the service, facility, or product obtained will be treated as gross receipts by the payee.

For example, a profit-making organization, primarily for its own betterment, contracts with a nonprofit organization for a service from that organization. Any payments received by the nonprofit organization (whether from the profit-making organization or from another nonprofit) for similar services are primarily for the benefit of the payor and are therefore gross receipts, rather than grants.

Research leading to the development of tangible products for the use or benefit of a payor generally will be treated as a service provided to serve the direct and immediate needs of the payor, while basic research or studies carried on in the physical or social sciences generally will be treated as primarily to confer a direct benefit upon the general public.

Medicare and Medicaid payments are gross receipts from the exercise or performance of an exempt function. The individual patient, not a governmental unit, actually controls the ultimate recipient of these payments. Therefore, Medicare and Medicaid receipts for services provided each patient are included as gross receipts to the extent they are not more than the greater of $5,000 or 1% of the organization's total support for the tax year.

Membership fees distinguished from gross receipts.    The fact that a membership organization provides services, admissions, facilities, or merchandise to its members as part of its overall activities will not, in itself, result in the classification of fees received from members as gross receipts subject to the $5,000 or 1% limit rather than membership fees. However, if an organization uses membership fees as a means of selling admissions, merchandise, services, or the use of facilities to members of the general public who have no common goal or interest (other than the desire to buy the admissions, merchandise, services, or use of facilities), the fees are not membership fees but are gross receipts.

On the other hand, to the extent the basic purpose of the payment is to provide support for the organization rather than to buy admissions, merchandise, services, or the use of facilities, the payment is a membership fee.

Bureau defined.    The term any bureau or similar agency of a governmental unit for determining amounts subject to the $5,000 or 1% limit means a specialized operating unit of the executive, judicial, or legislative branch of government in which business is conducted under certain rules and regulations. Since the term bureau refers to a unit functioning at the operating, as distinct from the policy-making, level of government, it normally means a subdivision of a department of government. The term would not usually include those levels of government that are basically policy-making or administrative, such as the office of the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of a department, but would consist of the highest operational level under the policy-making or administrative levels.

Amounts received from a unit functioning at the policy-making or administrative level of government are treated as received from one bureau or similar agency of the unit. Units of a governmental agency above the operating level are combined and considered a separate bureau for this purpose. Thus, an organization that has gross receipts from both a policy-making or administrative unit and an operational unit of a department will be treated as having gross receipts from two bureaus. For this purpose, the Departments of Air Force, Army, and Navy are separate departments and each has its own policy-making, administrative, and operating units.

Example 1.   The Bureau for Africa and the Bureau for Latin America are considered separate bureaus. Each is an operating unit under the Administrator of the Agency for International Development, a policy-making official. If an organization had gross receipts from both of these bureaus, the amount of gross receipts from each would be subject to the greater of $5,000 or the 1% limit.

Example 2.   A bureau is an operating unit under the administrative office of the Executive Director. The subdivisions of the bureau are Geographic Areas and Project Development Staff. If an organization had gross receipts from these subdivisions, the total gross receipts from these subdivisions would be considered gross receipts from the same bureau and would be subject to the greater of $5,000 or the 1% limit.

Grants from public charities.    For purposes of the one-third support test, grants received from a section 509(a)(1) organization (public charity) are generally includible in full in computing the numerator of the support fraction for that tax year.

However, if the amount received is considered an indirect contribution from one of the public charity's donors, it will retain its character as a contribution from the donor, and if, for example, the donor is a substantial contributor to the ultimate recipient, the amount is excluded from the numerator of the support fraction. If a public charity makes both an indirect contribution from its donor and an additional grant to the ultimate recipient, the indirect contribution is treated as made first.

An indirect contribution is one that is expressly or impliedly earmarked by the donor as being for, or for the benefit of, a particular recipient rather than for a particular purpose.

Method of accounting.   An organization's support is determined solely on the cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting. For example, if a grantor makes a grant to an organization payable over a term of years, the grant will be includible in the support fraction of the grantee organization only when and to the extent amounts payable under the grant are received by the grantee.

Gross receipts from a related activity.   When the charitable purpose of an organization described in section 501(c)(3) is accomplished through furnishing facilities for a rental fee or loans to a particular class of persons, such as aged, sick, or needy persons, the support received from those persons will be considered gross receipts from a related exempt activity rather than gross investment income or unrelated business taxable income.

However, if the organization also furnishes facilities or loans to persons who are not members of a particular class and furnishing the facilities or funds does not contribute importantly to accomplishing the organization's exempt purposes, the support received from furnishing the facilities or funds will be considered rents or interest and will be treated as gross investment income or unrelated business taxable income.

Example.   X, an organization described in section 501(c)(3), is organized and operated to provide living facilities for needy widows of deceased servicemen. X charges the widows a small rental fee for the use of the facilities. Since X is accomplishing its exempt purpose through the rental of the facilities, the support received from the widows is considered gross receipts from a related exempt activity. However, if X rents part of its facilities to persons having no relationship to X's exempt purpose, the support received from these rentals will be considered gross investment income or unrelated business taxable income.

Section 509(a)(3) Organizations

Section 509(a)(3) excludes from the definition of private foundation those organizations that meet all of the three following requirements.

1. The organization must be organized and at all times thereafter operated exclusively for the benefit of, to perform the functions of, or to carry out the purposes of one or more specified organizations (which can be either domestic or foreign) as described in section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2). These section 509(a)(1) and 509(a)(2) organizations are commonly called publicly-supported organizations.
2. The organization must be operated, supervised, or controlled by or in connection with one or more of the organizations described in section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2).
3. The organization must not be controlled directly or indirectly by disqualified persons (defined later) other than foundation managers and other than one or more organizations described in section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2).

Section 509(a)(3) differs from the other provisions of section 509 that describe a publicly-supported organization. Instead of describing an organization that conducts a particular kind of activity or that receives financial support from the general public, section 509(a)(3) describes organizations that have established certain relationships in support of section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) organizations. Thus, an organization may qualify as other than a private foundation even though it may be funded by a single donor, family, or corporation. This kind of funding ordinarily would indicate private foundation status, but a section 509(a)(3) organization has limited purposes and activities and gives up a significant degree of independence.

The requirement in (2) above provides that a supporting (section 509(a)(3)) organization have one of three types of relationships with one or more publicly- supported (section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2)) organizations. It must be:

1. Operated, supervised, or controlled by a publicly-supported organization,
2. Supervised or controlled in connection with a publicly-supported organization, or
3. Operated in connection with one or more publicly-supported organizations.

More than one type of relationship may exist between a supporting organization and a publicly-supported organization. Any relationship, however, must insure that the supporting organization will be responsive to the needs or demands of, and will be an integral part of or maintain a significant involvement in, the operations of one or more publicly-supported organizations.

The first two relationships, operated, supervised, or controlled by and supervised or controlled in connection with, are based on an existence of majority control of the governing body of the supporting organization by the publicly-supported organization. They have the same rules for meeting the tests under requirement (1) and are discussed as Category one in the following discussion. The operated in connection with relationship requires that the supporting organization be responsive to and have operational relationships with publicly-supported organizations. This third relationship has different rules for meeting the requirement (1) tests and is discussed separately as Category two, later.

Category one.   This category includes organizations either operated, supervised, or controlled by or supervised or controlled in connection with organizations described in section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2).

These kinds of organizations have a governing body that either includes a majority of members elected or appointed by one or more publicly-supported organizations or that consists of the same persons that control or manage the publicly-supported organizations. If an organization is to qualify under this category, it also must meet an organizational test, an operational test, and not be controlled by disqualified persons. These requirements are covered later in this discussion.

Operated, supervised, or controlled by.   Each of these terms, as used for supporting organizations, presupposes a substantial degree of direction over the policies, programs, and activities of a supporting organization by one or more publicly-supported organizations. The relationship required under any one of these terms is comparable to that of a parent and subsidiary, in which the subsidiary is under the direction of and is accountable or responsible to the parent organization. This relationship is established when a majority of the officers, directors, or trustees of the supporting organization are appointed or elected by the governing body, members of the governing body, officers acting in their official capacity, or the membership of one or more publicly-supported organizations.

A supporting organization may be operated, supervised, or controlled by one or more publicly-supported organizations even though its governing body is not made up of representatives of the specified publicly-supported organizations for whose benefit it is operated. This occurs only if it can be demonstrated that the purposes of the publicly-supported organizations are carried out by benefiting the specified publicly-supported organizations (discussed, later, under Specified organizations).

Supervised or controlled in connection with.   The control or management of the supporting organization must be vested in the same persons that control or manage the publicly-supported organization. In order for an organization to be supervised or controlled in connection with a publicly-supported organization, common supervision or control by the persons supervising or controlling both organizations must exist to insure that the supporting organization will be responsive to the needs and requirements of the publicly-supported organization.

An organization will not be considered supervised or controlled in connection with one or more publicly-supported organizations if it merely makes payments (mandatory or discretionary) to the publicly-supported organizations. This is true even if the obligation to make payments is legally enforceable and the organization's governing instrument contains provisions requiring the distribution. These arrangements do not provide a sufficient connection between the payor organization and the needs and requirements of the publicly-supported organizations to constitute supervision or control in connection with the organizations.

Organizational and operational tests.   To qualify as a section 509(a)(3) organization (supporting organization), the organization must be both organized and operated exclusively for the purposes set out in requirement (1) at the beginning of this section. If an organization fails to meet either the organizational or the operational test, it cannot qualify as a supporting organization.

In the case of supporting organizations created before 1970, the organizational and operational tests apply as of January 1, 1970. Therefore, even though the original articles of organization did not limit its purposes to those in requirement (1), and even though it operated before 1970 for some purpose other than those in requirement (1), an organization will satisfy the organizational and operational tests if, on January 1, 1970, and at all times thereafter, it is so constituted as to comply with these tests.

Organizational test.   An organization is organized exclusively for one or more of the purposes specified in requirement (1) only if its articles of organization:

1. Limit the purposes of the organization to one or more of those purposes,
2. Do not expressly empower the organization to engage in activities that are not in furtherance of those purposes,
3. Specify (as explained, later, under Specified organizations) the publicly-supported organizations on whose behalf the organization is operated, and
4. Do not expressly empower the organization to operate to support or benefit any organization other than the ones specified in item (3).

In meeting the organizational test, the organization's purposes as stated in its articles may be as broad as, or more specific than, the purposes set forth in requirement (1) at the beginning of the discussion of Section 509(a)(3) Organizations. Therefore, an organization that by the terms of its articles is formed for the benefit of one or more specified publicly-supported organizations will, if it otherwise meets the other requirements, be considered to have met the organizational test.

For example, articles stating that an organization is formed to perform the publishing functions of a specified university are enough to comply with the organizational test. An organization operated, supervised, or controlled by, or supervised or controlled in connection with, one or more publicly-supported organizations to carry out the purposes of those organizations, will be considered to have met these requirements if the purposes set forth in its articles are similar to but no broader than the purposes set forth in the articles of its controlling organizations. If, however, the organization by which it is operated, supervised, or controlled is a publicly-supported section 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) organization, the supporting organization will be considered to have met these requirements if its articles require it to carry on charitable, etc., activities within the meaning of section 170(c)(2).

Limits.   An organization is not organized exclusively for the purposes specified in requirement (1) if its articles expressly permit it to operate, to support, or to benefit any organization other than the specified publicly-supported organizations. It will not meet the organizational test even though the actual operations of the organization have been exclusively for the benefit of the specified publicly-supported organizations.

Specified organizations.    In order to meet requirement (1), an organization must be organized and operated exclusively to support or benefit one or more specified publicly-supported organizations. The manner in which the publicly-supported organizations must be specified in the articles will depend on whether the supporting organization is operated, supervised, or controlled by or supervised or controlled in connection with the organizations or whether it is operated in connection with the organizations.

Generally, the articles of the supporting organization must designate each of the specified organizations by name, unless:

1. The supporting organization is operated, supervised, or controlled by or supervised or controlled in connection with one or more publicly-supported organizations and the articles of organization of the supporting organization require that it be operated to support or benefit one or more beneficiary organizations that are designated by class or purpose and include:
   1. The publicly-supported organizations referred to above (without designating the organizations by name), or
   2. Publicly-supported organizations that are closely related in purpose or function to those publicly-supported organizations, or
2. A historic and continuing relationship exists between the supporting organization and the publicly-supported organizations, and because of this relationship, a substantial identity of interests has developed between the organizations.

If a supporting organization is operated, supervised, or controlled by, or is supervised or controlled in connection with, one or more publicly-supported organizations, it will not fail the test of being organized for the benefit of specified organizations solely because its articles:

1. Permit the substitution of one publicly-supported organization within a designated class for another publicly-supported organization either in the same or a different class designated in the articles,
2. Permit the supporting organization to operate for the benefit of new or additional publicly-supported organizations of the same or a different class designated in the articles, or
3. Permit the supporting organization to vary the amount of its support among different publicly-supported organizations within the class or classes of organizations designated by the articles.

See also the rules considered under the Organizational test, in the later discussion for organizations in Category two.

Operational test - permissible beneficiaries.   A supporting organization will be regarded as operated exclusively to support one or more specified publicly-supported organizations only if it engages solely in activities that support or benefit the specified organizations. These activities may include making payments to or for the use of, or providing services or facilities for, individual members of the charitable class benefited by the specified publicly-supported organization.

For example, a supporting organization may make a payment indirectly through another unrelated organization to a member of a charitable class benefited by a specified publicly-supported organization, but only if the payment is a grant to an individual rather than a grant to an organization. Similarly, an organization will be regarded as operated exclusively to support or benefit one or more specified publicly-supported organizations if it supports or benefits a section 501(c)(3) organization, other than a private foundation, that is operated, supervised, or controlled directly by or in connection with a publicly-supported organization, or an organization that is a publicly-owned college or university. However, an organization will not be regarded as one that is operated exclusively to support or benefit a publicly-supported organization if any part of its activities is in furtherance of a purpose other than supporting or benefiting one or more specified publicly-supported organizations.

Operational test - permissible activities.   A supporting organization does not have to pay its income to the publicly-supported organizations to meet the operational test. It may satisfy the test by using its income to carry on an independent activity or program that supports or benefits the specified publicly-supported organizations. All such support, however, must be limited to permissible beneficiaries described earlier. The supporting organization also may engage in fundraising activities, such as solicitations, fundraising dinners, and unrelated trade or business, to raise funds for the publicly-supported organizations or for the permissible beneficiaries.

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