But couldn't they do the exact same things as they'll do now, only with the tax breaks of a non profit? If they're soliciting funding from the community in the same way, what difference does it make? A large contributor or customer could try to exert control either way, couldn't they?
I think there are two separate but tangled questions here: becoming a non-profit (as traditionally understood) and using a 501c3 as a legal entity (to keep doing exactly what they're doing). I was mainly talking about the former; it sounds like you're asking about the latter.
As far as I know, the only 501c3 tax break is to donors. So the question is whether that will get them sufficiently more money to make it worth the significant downsides, restrictions, and increases in administrative hassle. I expect for small donors, it doesn't make much difference. And regardless, I'd be willing to trust that they know what they're doing in this regard.
