Maine Motif Issue 2, Vol. II (Winter, 2018) | Page 9

MMEA is Officially a 501c3….what next? By Sue Barre, MMEA President As of November 14, 2017, the Maine Music Educators Association is officially a 501 c3 organization. This process took eight months of work with the IRS and our accountant. There were many hours invested in this process but the board did feel it was an important goal and we are excited that it has been attained. What are the advantages of MMEA being a 501c3? There are enhanced fundraising advantages, such as eligibility to receive tax-deductible "charitable contributions”; gifts of property; and eligibility to receive many grants. Over the last few years, organizations have offered to support our organization through printing programs or offering services but when they learned these donations could not be considered tax deductible the offers could not always be fulfilled. The 501c3 status also allows MMEA to apply for grants and our executive director is excited to look at the possible opportunities that are available. Adam Metzler, our webmaster, reports that we will now have access to a google suite of tools as a nonprofit. There are many opportunities to take advantage of in the months and years to come.   If you would like more information about MMEA’s 501c3 status, contact Sue Barre @ [email protected].