The Journey Continues

So, Hope Rise is exactly one month old today. It was August 21st, I walked into the Secretary of State's office to be officially incorporated in Tennessee. Getting through security for the building was probably the most difficult part. After taking a scan of my face and my driver's license, I went up the elevator to a room filled with cubicles. A lady at the desk took my charter and a $100 check. They went back to a secret room and after about 10 minutes, I received a letter congratulating me on Hope Rise International status of incorporation with an official seal from the Secretary of State. Even though it didn't seem to be that great of a thing, to me it was surreal! It made Hope Rise official to me.

The next Monday, I got online and filled out a form for the Tax ID number with the federal government. As soon as I filled out the online form and submitted it, I received an official tax ID number. It was becoming all so real. Here I was this 27 year old, and I was the official president and founder for an organization.

Now, the real paperwork has begun. I'm working now on filling out the 1023. This is about at 15 page application for the 501(c)3 status, this is the status you must have with the government to be a non-profit entity. It is truly a daunting task. It asks for a full budget, a historical outline of the organization's start and a lot of other questions about the reason for this organization to be formed. I'll let you know how the status continues. Tomorrow I'm going to post the new logo for the Hope Rise.

Thanks!