And so,
STEP #1 – Filing with the State to be incorporated – has been
completed. We are in business! STEP #2
– Creating a Board of Directors – has also been completed. Our next BIG
step, STEP #3 is filing with
the IRS for tax exempt status. This requires a lot of confusing
paperwork (26 pages to be exact) and a ‘waiting period’ once they are
filed. I am working with our lawyer on this paperwork and hope to file
it in the next two weeks. Then, it could take anywhere from 2 months to
18 months to get back our approval from the IRS. Once that happens we
will be able to receipt the donations people give us as tax deductible
gifts!

In the meantime, we are
moving forward!

Last week we opened a bank account and
applied for a credit card, so we are able to take donations. We are
still working on getting a website, online store, and blog up. We are
also going to be making some large purchases in the coming months to
equip us to run this nonprofit and raise funds effectively. That’s a big reason why
we’re writing this blog; we need YOUR HELP to continue to move forward.

Media
is a huge part of fundraising in the non-profit world. We need a camera
equipped to shoot professional pictures and HD video to share stories
and pictures from overseas. (The cameras Rusty has been using this year
are not ours and cannot be taken overseas – one belongs to The World
Race and the other belongs to our church.)

We also need a new
Macbook Pro for me. My Macbook has been having some issues lately and
cannot function at the level needed to run a business. With Rusty and I
as the only employees right now, all the responsibilities fall on us
(fundraising, writing/PR, emails, website management, merchandise sales,
bookkeeping, etc) so I need a reliable computer.

Those are just
two of our biggest needs. We are looking at a total of $6,250 needed for
our start up costs. PLEASE PRAY about
giving towards these needs! Any amount will bless us! The full
breakdown is below:

  • $1550
    – Legal fees & Filing fees

  • $2000 – Camera

  • $1500 – Macbook pro
  • $200 – Quick
    books (software for our bookkeeping/accounting needs)
  • $1000 – Final Cut Pro (software for Rusty’s video editing)


Total – $6,250

If you have a
heart for orphans & vulnerable children, we would love to have you
partner with us in this non-profit! We know God has led us to this
point, but we cannot move forward alone. These things must be purchased
for us to continue this work. We are incurring some of this debt now,
with the rest to come in the next few months. We need
you to invest in this vision! We would also
appreciate it if you would share what we’re doing with anyone you know –
friends, family, business partners, etc – who might want to donate
towards this cause! We’d be glad to answer any questions you have about
our needs and our work.

To donate, make your checks out to
The Sound of Hope, and mail
them to:


The Sound of
Hope
3130 Range Road
Port Huron, MI
48060

*in the memo line, write “SOH – ADMIN” if you’d like the money to go towards our
start up needs listed above.


Thank you in
advance for helping us help these precious children!


————————————–

*Stay tuned for our next blog – we have more
BIG NEWS to share! There is a very specific reason we need to make
these purchases and be fully set up soon. To find out why, check back
tomorrow!