This blog post is part of an occasional series focused on managing accounts at TechSoup.org. So far, we've discussed registration and qualification. Watch for more posts to come!

At the end of the registration process (outlined in the blog post TechSoup Account Management 101: Registration) you will be instructed to submit a Qualification Checklist and documentation to verify your organization's status with the IRS and the information that you registered with. The documents can be sent by mail, fax, or email. The following documentation must be sent in to complete the qualification process:

• The 501(c)(3) Tax Determination Letter supplied by the federal government
• Non-501(c)(3) public libraries do not need to send in documentation in order to be qualified as we are able to verify library information through the IMLS website.
• If the name or shipping address differs from the information provided on the 501(c)(3) determination letter, we will also need a clarification letter on your organization's letterhead which lists the TechSoup account information, the information on the determination letter, a brief explanation of why these are different, and a signature. Asking for this clarification letter may seem a bit unusual, but since we are helping to distribute donation programs and our partners need to be certain that the donated products are reaching the nonprofit that is registered, any time the information differs from what the IRS has on file we need to have something in writing that states what the differences are and why.

Documents can be faxed to (415) 633-9444, emailed to qualification<at>techsoup<dot>org or mailed to TechSoup Client Services at 435 Brannan Street, Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94107.To view our Qualification Checklist PDF which gives an overview of what documentation is needed as well as PDF examples, click here.

Checking Qualification Status

After you have submitted the required documents, you can check on your organization's qualification status through your TechSoup profile. Qualification generally takes 1-2 weeks.

   1. Log in.
   2. Click on the My Account link which will bring up the My Member Profile page
   3. This page displays information about organizations that you are affiliated with, either because you created them or because you were added as an authorized agent.
   4. The qualification status will be listed next to each organization's name.

Placing a Donation Request before being Qualified

Organizations can begin placing donation requests immediately after the organization registration is complete. Documents must be submitted and Qualification complete before requests can be fulfilled.

Look out for the next post in the TechSoup Account Management 101 series: Updating Your Account and Requalification. If you'd like to keep on top of more of TechSoup's happenings, sign up for one of our regular newsletters. Up Next: TechSoup Account Management 101: Updating Your Account.

Photo: Simon Kisner, CC license