Fund Reaches $1 Million in Donations
Newtown, CT, February 26, 2013 –The Newtown Memorial Fund, Inc., a sustainable fund to provide for the immediate and ongoing needs of those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, announced today that it has received official 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The organization is recognized as a nonprofit that is exempt from federal income tax and eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, retroactive to December 2012.
“The Newtown Memorial Fund is the first 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created in direct response to the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting,” said Newtown Memorial Fund, Inc. Founder Brian Mauriello. “Newtown has experienced kindness from around the globe over the past two months, but we founded the Newtown Memorial Fund to ensure that the town’s needs related to this tragedy are taken care of in perpetuity. We are committed to raising millions of dollars to help those affected by the horrible Sandy Hook Elementary School event as well as the community’s needs for future generations. We’re off to a strong start by reaching one million dollars in our first two months while we were getting our organization together and filing for official status. With this status granted, we can now make even more progress toward our fundraising goals.”
As a Newtown resident and a Newtown High School Class of 1992 graduate whose six-year-old son is enrolled in a Newtown public school, Mauriello decided to act immediately by forming the Newtown Memorial Fund, Inc. The organization will assess, with town input, the appropriate ways to meet the short- and long-term needs of those impacted by the tragedy, as well as create a lasting memorial and annual scholarships in the names of those who perished in the December 14th attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The steps taken by the Newtown Memorial Fund to date include:
- Establishing a board of directors, made up of current and former Newtown residents, law enforcement professionals, Newtown’s former Superintendent of Schools, a Newtown public school teacher, a town selectman, local business owners, a mental health professional, an accountant, an attorney, a non-profit administrator, and others
- Filing articles of incorporation and as a charity with the state of Connecticut
- Receiving a federal tax identification (EIN) number
- Receiving 501(c)(3) status from the IRS
- Opening a bank account to manage donations
- Establishing and maintaining a sophisticated website and social media content
- Establishing a Paypal account to receive secure donations
- Creating operating bylaws
- Establishing roles and functional responsibilities for each board member and establishing the scope of their respective sub-committees
- Establishing an agreed-upon and focused list of fundraising events
The Newtown Memorial Fund is committed to collaborating with and, if necessary, consolidating with other organizations and funds in town to facilitate the healing process and commemorate each life lost. To date, dozens of schools, churches, small businesses, corporations and individuals from around the world have made significant contributions to the Newtown Memorial Fund. Local business professionals have graciously volunteered their time, talent, and resources to assist with meeting each of the organization’s outlined goals as well as ensure its continued success.
For additional information about the organization or to make a secure donation via PayPal please visit www.newtownmemorialfund.org. Donations can also be made by mail at Newtown Memorial Fund, Inc., P.O. Box 596, Botsford, CT 06404. Follow Newtown Memorial Fund on Facebook and Twitter.
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About Newtown Memorial Fund, Inc.
The Newtown Memorial Fund’s mission is to create a sustainable fund to provide for the immediate and ongoing needs of those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, to construct a physical memorial honoring the lives lost on December 14, 2012, and to establish academic scholarships in the victims’ names for future generations of Newtown students. Follow Newtown Memorial Fund at www.newtownmemorialfund.org and on Facebook and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Jeff Belanger
Vice Chair, Newtown Memorial Fund, Inc.
media@newtownmemorialfund.org
