After almost a year of paperwork and back and forth with the IRS, Songwriters in Seattle has received official approval for recognition of tax exempt 501(c)(3) and public charity status beginning Feb. 23, 2011. While we have been working under the assumption that this would be achieved for tax years 2011 forward, we are happy to publicly announce that it is now officially and legally the case.

So, what does this mean? In simple terms, it means that any donations made to Songwriters in Seattle (including those made last year) are tax deductible. It means a lot more in reality, as it opens us up to many more avenues of funding, including corporate matches (and in some cases like Microsoft, matching of volunteer hours with dollars) and grants, both public and private. Also, the likelihood of corporate sponsorships and others jumping onboard to help us increases. These are areas we can now pursue that had been on the backburner. If you have knowledge or ideas for funding opportunities, please contact us at donations@songwritersinseattle.com and we will help set it up.

More funding means more opportunities for the musicians of our region to learn, grow, and enrich the culture of the Pacific Northwest. We are proud to serve our membership and the region in this endeavor and thank you for your support.

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SiS Administrator

Songwriters in Seattle is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization with over 4,000 members supporting the community of Pacific Northwest songwriters through events that foster creative development, collaboration, music education, and performance.