I am thrilled to share that our nonprofit application has been submitted and is pending! We did not question, for a second, whether we would run as a nonprofit or a for profit - it was always going to be a nonprofit.
Here is why this is important:
TRANSPARENCY. I, Amy, have worked in nonprofits for 15 years. We have strict reporting requirements, and are required by law to steward our funds with a singular goal of supporting our mission. We have bylaws which we must operate by, conflict of interest policies, and more. Also, while we would never do this as the humans we are, nonprofits legally cannot discriminate.
MISSION-BASED. We are committed to our mission of fostering new and emerging writers, and specifically in sharing their perspective on the human experience. While this may often look like direct outreach to new writers, it may also take the form of writing retreats for under-represented populations, workshops for at-risk youth, and partnering with other nonprofits to empower their constituents to express themselves through writing.
DONATIONS. Your gifts (although not reading fees) are tax deductible to the extent permissible by law. What does this mean? If you are someone who generously want to give Cleaning up Glitter a cash donation to support our operations, you will receive a nifty letter that you can show your accountant and receive tax breaks for.
FINANCIAL AID. Eventually, when we are financially stable (said every literary magazine ever) we will be able to offer financial aid to new and emerging writers. This might be in the form of waiving a submission fee. It may be in the form of discounted fees to attend a writing workshop. The more support we receive (see donations section above) the more we can support the broader creative community.
We hope to hear about our status in the next 4-6 weeks, but know that it can take a while. In the meantime, all MOAs will be between Amy DBA Cleaning up Glitter.
Thanks for believing in what we are trying to accomplish here. You are a beautiful human.
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amy