Organization & Governance

Information about BASIC as a legal organization: how it is registered, its governing documents, its board, and the policies its board has adopted.

Organization at a Glance

Item	Value
Legal name	Basic Assistance to Students in the Community
Employer Identification Number (EIN)	33-0631683
Fiscal year	May 1 – April 30. FY2025 means May 1, 2024 – April 30, 2025.
California corporation number	1843734
Form of organization	Nonprofit corporation, incorporated in California in 1999
Federal tax-exempt status	501(c)(3) public charity
Mailing address	PO Box 1914, Borrego Springs, CA 92004-1914

IRS Tax-Exempt Determination

BASIC is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity, and by the State of California as exempt under Revenue & Taxation Code section 23701d. A copy of the original IRS determination letter is not currently posted here; BASIC will supply one on request. In the meantime, BASIC’s exempt status can be confirmed independently through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search using EIN 33-0631683, and its California standing through the Franchise Tax Board letter below.

IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search  ·  California FTB Entity Status Letter (October 24, 2024)

Articles of Incorporation

BASIC’s articles of incorporation are not currently posted here. They are on file with the California Secretary of State and can be ordered from that office, and BASIC will provide a copy on request.

California Secretary of State — Business Search

Bylaws

At BASIC, the bylaws are more than formalities — they are the guiding framework for transparency, accountability and principled action. They set out how BASIC makes decisions, structures its leadership, and upholds its commitment to public trust.

BASIC Bylaws — adopted April 25, 2023 (PDF)

Board & Leadership

BASIC is governed by a volunteer board of directors, supported by a managing director and by standing committees. The current directors are listed on a separate page. See the Board of Directors.

Governance Structure

The following provisions are taken from BASIC’s bylaws, linked above.

• Size of the board — at least 5 and no more than 19 directors. The authorized number is set at the annual meeting (Section 5.2).
• Terms — directors are elected by majority vote at each annual meeting to three-year terms, and may serve consecutive terms (Section 5.3).
• Officers — a president, a vice president, a secretary and a chief financial officer. One person may hold more than one office, except that neither the secretary nor the CFO may also serve as president (Section 7.1).
• Committees — the board may create committees of one or more directors, plus other members. Appointments are by majority vote of the directors in office, and minutes of each committee meeting go to the board secretary (Section 6.2).

BASIC’s standing committees are:

• Scholarship Selection Committee
• Finance Committee
• Nominations and Onboarding Committee
• Learning Academy Committee
• Latino Family Literacy Committee
• FAFSA Committee
• Mentorship Committee
• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library coordination
• Golf Tournament Committee and Dinner Gala Committee (fundraising events)

Committee membership changes from year to year and is not listed here; contact BASIC for the current roster.

Governance Policies

Larger nonprofits are commonly expected to adopt three written governance policies: a conflict-of-interest policy, a document retention and destruction policy, and a whistleblower policy. BASIC’s most recent Form 990 — Part VI, lines 12a, 13 and 14 — reports that the organization does not yet have written versions of these three policies. Rather than leave that unexplained, it is stated here plainly. BASIC’s board is aware of the gap; the conflict-of-interest provisions BASIC does operate under are set out in its fiscal policies and procedures, which the board reviews.

Policy	Status per Form 990 (FY2025)
Conflict-of-interest policy	No written policy reported (Part VI, line 12a)
Whistleblower policy	No written policy reported (Part VI, line 13)
Document retention and destruction policy	No written policy reported (Part VI, line 14)

The filing these answers come from is posted in full: IRS Form 990 and CA Form 199, FY2025.