The good news couldn’t have come at a better time with Rare Disease Awareness Day just around the corner. Since forming 2007, Ben’s Friends has built 35+ online support communities serving more than 35,000 members and their families. Our goal is to build a patient support community for every rare diseases out there.
How does the 501©(3) non-profit status affects you?
Organizations classified as 501©(3) non-profit by the IRS are exempt from federal taxes, possibly state corporate income taxes, and may also be exempt from state sales and property taxes. This is a huge boost as it will now be easier for us to approach willing donors and charitable organizations and optimize use of their contributions.
If you are a donor, your donations to Ben’s Friends are also tax deductible. This tax cut is retroactive even for donations made after July 2013, including contributions made through our most recent fundraiser on Indiegogo. We take this opportunity to thank you for helping us bridge the gap until the IRS approval arrived.
If you are a member of one of Ben’s Friends communities, this means access to more support organizations and better services. This is our way of saying thanks to you, our members and moderators, for sticking with us and for your constant support and devotion to our cause. We will continue protecting our members and looking out for their best interests.
All of the growth we achieved came via hard work, a limited budget and folks devoted to our cause and looking for lifelong support. We never relied on commercializing our operations, which is a testament to our founders’ vision from the onset. We will continue doing so especially now that we reached this status.
What can we all do to help further BensFriends.org’ cause?
- Help us reach out to foundations, grants and corporate donations.Simply send a message to any of our moderators and we will take it from there.
- Help build more communities and make existing ones stronger.Spread the word about our mission and be on constant lookout for rare disease patients looking for support. Participate, contribute and engage everyone in your community.
- Suggest additional services you find useful for everyone with your condition.
- Support our e-books campaign. Share the e-book with your doctors and care providers, your friends, relatives and everyone on your network. Encourage them to do the same.
- Make our presence standout. We can find more opportunities for partnerships by being visible, attending industry conferences and activities. You can suggest events you come across for us to join.
Again, we could have not done this without your participation. Thank you.