We’re (Almost) A Charity!
August 31, 2022
Painting by Hannah Lake
We have been busy behind the scenes!
A recent milestone for our organization is submitting the 1023 application to the IRS for consideration as a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit organization. This means all donations can be tax deductible, but more importantly it gives us the credentials to apply for organizational grants and be listed as a nonprofit on major platforms: Amazon and Microsoft's give/match programs, Facebook's fundraising system, etc. Plus, many people want to see that an organization has the 501(c)3 status before donating their hard-earned money to see the programs grow. This submission also means we are closer to offering the grants we've been dreaming of since this nonprofit journey began.
Here’s more about each of our programs:
Grants. One-time financial awards given to qualifying low-income visual artists via application process. Our target per quarter is 9 recipients at either $300, $500, or $750 award amounts. Please donate! Help us make this happen!
Events. Shows, gatherings, and presentations open to the public that display art, educate the viewer on why artists are important, and sell that art to attendees. Check out our past events here.
Artist Community. Meet-ups, collaborations, themed challenges, opportunities, social gatherings, critiques, and more in service of connecting folks and delivering a sense of belonging. See our current members and learn about applying here.
Artist Education. Articles, guides, demonstrations, shared resources, workshops, peer examples, and more in service of furthering the artist’s technical skill and business knowledge.
Public Education. Stories and guides that showcase artists, art supporters, and those in creative industries. This is in service of creating a more artistically-aware culture that values local artists and their work.
And here’s a breakdown of how we've budgeted our programs. This pertains to both time and spending:
Our board members have been gathering donations to create the first round of artist grants. If you too want to keep low-income artists in our increasingly expensive Seattle area, then please donate through our new Donorbox system to be a part of funding these important grants. The call for artist applicants goes out soon; join our newsletter list to hear when. Recipients will be announced in November 2022.
Meet our board! These are the folks who meet once a month to make things happen behind the scenes.
While we love putting on events for the public (we have plans for at least 3 events coming up in the next 6 months - stay tuned for announcements!), by far our largest impact as a nonprofit organization will come from putting life-changing money directly into the hands of artists who can then spend more time creating. This has always been our goal, and we are ecstatic that we’re one step closer to realizing it.
We look forward to working alongside you to provide low-income artists with grants, create educational materials for artists and the public, and put on more events we can all enjoy.
We wish you all the best, and we thank you for your support.