Adam, thanks for the kind words!
I first circulated the business plan at TriNet Services, an Internet
professional services consulting firm, in the fall of 1997. We
originally examined the potential for pursuing the opportunity for
profit, but determined that other opportunities would provide a higher
rate of return. Numerous reviewers also commented that the project
goals were extremely philanthropic. Furthermore, we thought that for
tax reasons the project might attract a wider range of sponsors if
conducted under the auspices of a 501(c)(3) organization than a
for-profit enterprise. So, in the spring of 1998 I began contacting
existing 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations to try to find a suitable
partner. I soon found that the project scope was hard to convey
without a working prototype, so in the summer of 1998 several
colleagues and I formed a North Carolina nonprofit corporation to
build the prototype and to continue our fundraising and
partner-seeking efforts. EcoAccess has not yet filed for state or
federal tax-exempt status, although we plan to do so in the near
future.
At this point we are focusing on developing our prototype to
demonstrate to potential sponsors and partners. We plan to continue
to refine our business plan as we learn more about this market and
develop our technology.
This is a long answer to a short question, I know! Please spread the
word about us, and direct any comments about our business plan to me.
Thanks,
Fred Wilson Horch
Executive Director, EcoAccess
-- Fred Wilson Horch (fhorch@ecoaccess.org), September 25, 1998.