The newly formed Greenbelt Makerspace Cooperative, Inc. is an official public charity, granted 501(c)3 status by the IRS retroactive to our date of incorporation on Dec 19, 2016. Our application was approved in just 7 days, a testimony to our four year history of operating under a non-profit private foundation, Greenstems Inc., and to our mission and vision statements:
The mission of the Greenbelt MakerSpace Cooperative is to provide safe and convenient facilities, equipped with tools and resources, where we offer education and training using the hands-on approach of the maker movement.
We challenge people of all ages to imagine, discover and explore new methods of learning science, technology, and art while developing new skills to design, engineer, and craft great work that contributes to the improved well-being of self, family, and community.
Our official public charity status is a very important factor in our financial future. While the previous organization had been able to accept donations, it was only with the aid of a third-party fiscal sponsor. This imposed additional costs and limitations. Many partners of non-profits, especially valuable sources of grants, resources, and sponsorship, strongly prefer and sometimes require the official stamp of approval from the IRS. We also failed to meet the burden of being “public” because the vast majority of the original startup costs were paid by the directors of the founding organization. Going forward, we carry the public charity burden to raise at least 10% of our operating revenue from public sources.
It may take a few days to show up in online databases of public charities; we need to file our 2016 tax return (for our 13 days of operations). For immediate confirmation, you can view our official exemption determination letter.
You may use one of the following to make a one-time donation using either PayPal or a credit card.
Please contact us online or in person if you would like to set up a monthly recurring donation, or to include the Cooperative in a will or living trust.
You may also stop by the MakerSpace (see directions) to make a donation in person, or mail a check to:
Greenbelt Makerspace Cooperative, Inc. 7 Greenway Pl Greenbelt, MD 20770
