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Dear HCB,
During the 2022 season, work was being done to establish the HCB as a 501c3 Non-profit organization. I am happy to report that it is now a reality! First, the band owes a debt of gratitude to Lou Fiore, who donated his professional time to set up the band with an employee identification number and establish the HCB as a NY not for profit corporation. Lou also donated the funds to cover the filing fees to incorporate! We have also established our very first Board of Directors. In addition to Shane and myself our Board includes Bill Baldwin, Neil Brogan, Bea Clemons, Lee Dash and Justine Samuelson. In the coming days I will be publishing our bylaws here on the band's webpage. I completed the IRS 501c3 application in early August and received notification on Sept. 13, 2022 that we were granted non profit status. It is my hope that this will open up more funding opportunities. For as long as I can remember, this band has been funded by a small number of its members, in addition to earnings from performing in the HAC Summer Arts Festival. I can tell you first hand, that those donations and earning have not seen any significant increases in quite some time. We have had to remain very frugal to keep the group afloat. While we can pay our bills season to season, there is no money to invest in things that would propel us forward artistically and allow us to grow and have outreach in our community. It is my hope that having tax deductible donations might encourage more to donate therefore taking the burden off those few members who continue to donate year after year. During the offseason I am attending grant workshops and it is my hope to file for grants and take advantage of monies available to non profit performance groups. If anyone has experience in this, I would welcome the advice! In regards to our 501c3 status, our next step will be to find an Accountant that can assist in budget preparation and IRS compliance. If anyone happens to know of an Accountant that has worked with non profit groups please reach out to me! These are exciting times and I hope that these changes will help the HCB maintain financial security and allow us the opportunity to grow artistically in our community. As always, if you have any questions, concerns or ideas, do not hesitate to reach out to me. Sincerely, Vickie Henson |
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