Fidelia's Sisters: An online publication by, for, and about young clergy women, published by The Young Clergy Women Project.

Why is the Young Clergy Women Project working to become a non-profit (501c3) organization?

Tax exemption: Once we qualify as a public charity under Internal Revenue Code 501c3, our organization will be eligible for federal exemption from payment of corporate income tax.

Eligibility for public and private grants: We will be allowed to solicit donations from the public. Contributions made to the YCW Project will be counted as tax-deductible, once we have filed for 501c3 status. We will also be eligible to apply for foundation grants which restrict their applications to non-profit organizations. This will aid us in our long-term viability; we hope to expand our programming and our scholarship through grants and donations.

Formal structure: Incorporation puts the mission and structure of the non-profit above the personal interests of individuals associated with it.

How can you help the Young Clergy Women Project reach their goal of becoming a non-profit?

Creating a nonprofit organization takes time, effort, and money. Because a nonprofit organization is a legal entity under federal, state, and local laws, the use of an attorney is necessary to file the correct paperwork. We have an attorney who will do this work for our organization for no change. However, we will still have a number of costs, including the application for federal tax exemption, and our expenses will be around $500.

If you are interested in helping the Young Clergy Women Project in our quest to become a viable organization committed to the issues that face young women in ministry, you can mail a contribution to:

The Young Clergywomen Project
P.O. Box 131
Keedysville, MD 21756
please write “Susan Olson” in the memo line of the check

Remember, your donation will NOT be tax-deductible at this time. Our goal is to raise this money and begin the incorporation process before our grant from the Louisville Institute expires at the end of December 2008. If you have professional expenses from your congregation or place of employment, you might be able to make a case for using some of those monies to support this professional organization for young clergy women. If you would even consider skipping just one latte and muffin break some week and sending us five or ten dollars, you would be assisting us in promoting the spiritual, emotional and professional development of your fellow sisters in Christ.

We are very proud of this organization and feel we are helping to fill a much-needed hole in the lives of many young clergy women. Thank you for supporting the Young Clergy Women Project.