answer:There are actually quite a few hoops to jump through to become a nonprofit, and it can take quite some time to get approval. What you are describing does not sound like a nonprofit, it sounds like an alternative business model. If he says he is a nonprofit, he should be able to provide you with a 501(c )3 number – that’s how you would claim your donation for tax purposes. At least in theory, nonprofits are not created to make money for the creator. As far as I know, the only way to get income is to create a position for yourself within the nonprofit and pay yourself a salary.