BMS Building Corporation Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws: What is the BMS Building Corporation?

The BMS Building Corporation is a Minnesota nonprofit corporation that was chartered on October 1, 1999. The BMS Building Corporation was also designated as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization by the Internal Revenue Service on December 23, 1999. The Corporation was chartered as a support organization for Bluffview Montessori School, a Minnesota Charter School.

Bluffview, as a Minnesota charter school, cannot itself use public funding to build a schoolhouse. It can, however, use state Lease Aid to pay rent to a landlord for such a building. When Bluffview Montessori School decided it needed a building of its own, it became necessary to seek out a landlord who would promise to build and dedicate the services of a new school building solely to Bluffview. That assurance could only be provided by creating a “landlord” that Bluffview Montessori School controlled. That landlord is the BMS Building Corporation.

The BMS Building Corporation is owned by Bluffview Montessori School. Bluffview Montessori School is the sole member of the BMS Building Corporation.

The board of directors of the BMS Building Corporation consists of three members who are appointed by the Bluffview Montessori School Board of Directors. At least two of the directors must also be members of the Bluffview Montessori School Board. The third member has historically been the Director of Operations of the school, although this need not be the case.

The building corporation seeks financing, designs, and constructs schoolhouses for Bluffview Montessori School. It then leases these schoolhouses to the school for its legitimate educational use. The building corporation, as a landlord, also has certain responsibilities for maintaining the buildings at all times.

The corporation may engage in fundraising activities to support new construction, modification, expansion, and building maintenance and repair. As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, private donations to the BMS Building Corporation are subject to contribution deduction rules.

Yes. The corporation must restrict its activities to those that involve providing schoolhouse facilities to Bluffview Montessori School. It cannot provide other types of school support to Bluffview and it cannot provide schoolhouse facilities to any other private, public, or charter school.

Bluffview Montessori School – Occupied November 14, 2000

Name: BMS Building Corporation
Address: 1321 Gilmore Ave, Winona MN, 55987
Current board members: Henry Schantzen, Anna Aarre, Meghan Booth