Charitable Organizations Directory

Progress Report: The S-F-F-S Principle

By Richard Mansfield

Our altruistic little notion actually functions effectively!

Greetings!

Our little NFP (S-F-F-S, a Grantmaking Organization) has now mailed off our 501c3 packet of application paperwork (a total of 2.7 lbs not even considering the 12 pages of the 1023 form itself).

Hand drafted POETRY in “legal jargon format”, remembered from my “good ol’ days”of H.S. Debate class… Many LESS ellipses and much more restraint of the BOLD and ITALIC toolbars (I have found a new and exciting application tho - “ADOBE ACROBAT 9.0 PRO” - with the “STAMP” toolage; Oh My! I wonder how I lived without it).

Upon a positive determination of our 501 status - we intend to solicit the aid of “TECH SOUP” in order to obtain a SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNT on this software, taking the price from $400.00 + to about $45.00 (Tech Soup helps NFP’s by partnering with MAJOR Soft and Hard ware suppliers; that folks like us with a very low ceiling for OVERHEAD can actually make significant headway).

Since our formal establishment in mid December of 2008, we have now raised enough money (by donations and in Quid Pro Quo exchange for our merchandise) to channel over $500.00 to 2 families matching our profile… The presently “Un-Adjudicated”, “Extended Family” type “Temporary Guardians” to children from Methamphetamine broken homes.

Maybe $500.00 doesn’t sound like much, but when you are a family that just stepped in to keep a kid IN THE FAMILY circle and OUT of CPS - often an unplanned for event - this DOES help with diapers, daycare, school lunches, etc - regardless how you slice it!

Those who have received the aid sure seemed happy.

Attempting to attract the “Representation” of a few “Public Personalities” who we believed might be willing to just wear a T-Shirt has thus far proved an extremely difficult task; although we have dispatched garments to Willie Nelson, Dee Snider (although I really screwed the pooch there - spelling his last name with a y), and a few of the folks involved with the production of the AMCTV’S HIT SERIES “Breaking Bad”…

Alas… MARKETING dollars lost all in the cost of “POSSIBILITY“! (See… I really don’t know much!)

I feel I’m doing GREAT to not be on every-one’s SPAM watch; YET.

We’ve located a FREE and PUBLIC, somewhat intensive - “IN DEPTH” database for cursory criminal history checks, not valid of course for an absolute determination - but exhaustive enough IOHO for “PRE - BOARDING” of potential applicants. (It would well appear that quite some time, energy, INTELLIGENCE,  and effort was placed into the logistics behind the application located at: CRIMINALSEARCHES.COM)

Having now secured the cooperation of two separate long Established Outreach Organizations to help us QUALIFY these applicant families, we are now certain that these funds will not become misappropriated or diverted to the original problem: “The USE, ABUSE, and subsequent ADDICTION to this HORRIBLY POTENT chemical, METHAMPHETAMINE”.

Particularly inspiring for us is that thus far our “Non Board Member”,  repeat donations have been from RECOVERING Meth’ Addicts themselves. Those that “GET THE IDEA” here seam to take no convincing at all; those who do not understand or appreciate the value - well, I doubt there’d be enough time in a week to get the point across.

We hope to report a hasty “affirmative determination” on our 501c3 application to provide an update on just how successful a LAYMAN can be when making such a move without the aid of Legal or Accounting Professional Council.

(Hopefully, the construction of that banana split was all a matter of: Line A matches line Q, all bases covered by way of detailed explanations, all of the figures matching up on a readable & intelligible Prospectus, PAYING the IRS their designated ?lbs of flesh, and then all topped off with the cherry of a STRONG and UNDERSTANDABLE:“MISSION STATEMENT”. T’was just that darn’d ol’ ”Article 7” that had me confused for the LONGEST time!)

At any rate - we have now provided “GRANTS” to 2 families; adding a commitment for an additional 2 months of support for family number 2 ($100.00 per month)!

What a wonderful feeling!

Next Stop?

To begin the production of the scripts into actual Video for the Anti Meth’ PSA’s.

BORED YET?

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Richard Mansfield, “gypsy”

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