A Wonderful Letter from the IRS

There’s a headline I never thought I’d write.

Yesterday we received notice from the US Internal Revenue Service that we’ve been approved as a 501(c)(3).  This confirms that all contributions made since our date of incorporation (March 23, 2010) are tax-deductible.  But just as importantly, it serves as a “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” for donors and partners that we’re a professional organization that operates within the guidelines set out by the IRS for charities concerning expense ratios, governance, and so forth.  All goodness.

Symbolically, we also love the fact that even the paper-obsessed IRS (no offense, but honestly: all correspondence had to be conducted by fax.  Fax?  What is this– 1982 all over again?) understands the value of digital books for all.  Books and paper aren’t going anywhere any time soon… but the digital publishing and reading offer amazing new possibilities to share information with every person in every corner of the planet.  We’re thrilled the IRS agrees.

For those interested, the application process took from Feb 18 to October 14th… start to finish in 240 days, not including some up-front prep work.  (Some people compare this to giving birth, and in terms of time, that’s not far off.  Way less fun, though, at least to start.)   Huge thanks to The Foundation Group ,who navigated the 501c3 labyrinth while avoiding the Minotaur, and particularly to Carolyn Nelson and the fantastic team at Brighton-Jones who handled all the real work with true grace and style.