Having completed all the paperwork to get ourselves incorporated and licensed as a corporation by the city and state, in mid-September we were able to file our application with the Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Designation as a 501(c)(3) entity enables an organization to accept contributions which can be claimed as tax deductions for the donors.
We have since been notified that our application has been received and is in process. We hope to have news within the next few months of our status. In the meantime, we are proceeding with our fundraising efforts by accepting pledges for contributions to be made once our tax-exempt status is confirmed.