There's four good reasons to incorporate, in my book. I would suspect most are aware of the first two, but fewer two of the second.
1) Limited liability -- the directors are not personally liable for any contracts that the organization enters into. If owned personally, all of the assets would be fair game.
2) Tax reasons. The 501(c)(3) organization seems to be fairly pervasive in the US, and rightfully so because it imposes no taxation on the organization's profits.
3) Continuity is easy to achieve, as you said. Transferring is as simple as electing new directors or officers (however the organization's bylaws provide for it) and filing a notice that the directors have changed.
4) It provides a "poison pill". I am not an expert on US tax/charity law (hey, I'm Canadian) but my understanding is that under 501(c)(3) legislation, any organization that is dissolving has to give its remaining assets to an organization with similar objectives. This pretty much FORCES you to consider "Hey, if we close down, I bet a whole bunch of other people are going to want to set up another con. Do we want to cooperate with that effort, or do we want to force them to fundraise from scratch?"
There's four good reasons to incorporate, in my book. I would suspect most are aware of the first two, but fewer two of the second.
1) Limited liability -- the directors are not personally liable for any contracts that the organization enters into. If owned personally, all of the assets would be fair game.
2) Tax reasons. The 501(c)(3) organization seems to be fairly pervasive in the US, and rightfully so because it imposes no taxation on the organization's profits.
3) Continuity is easy to achieve, as you said. Transferring is as simple as electing new directors or officers (however the organization's bylaws provide for it) and filing a notice that the directors have changed.
4) It provides a "poison pill". I am not an expert on US tax/charity law (hey, I'm Canadian) but my understanding is that under 501(c)(3) legislation, any organization that is dissolving has to give its remaining assets to an organization with similar objectives. This pretty much FORCES you to consider "Hey, if we close down, I bet a whole bunch of other people are going to want to set up another con. Do we want to cooperate with that effort, or do we want to force them to fundraise from scratch?"