Tag Archives for Fractured Atlas

Today is the last day for 2009 to make a tax-deductible donation to Arthur Magazine

Arthur Magazine is dependent on advertising sales, merchandise sales and donations to fund its free, “homegrown counterculture” mission without compromising its independence.

In 2009, Arthur has been unable to publish a print edition due to the ongoing financial disaster, which has severely impacted advertising and merchandise sales. With our income thus depleted, we’ve moved our energy into online activity, which is less costly but alas, has (as yet) failed to pay for itself.

Although our online readership and advertising sales have climbed steadily over the last 10 months, we remain partly dependent on donations from our readers. The good news here is that because Arthur is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization, all contributions, of any amount, by individuals or organizations to Fractured Atlas in behalf of Arthur are tax-deductible.

If you have appreciated Arthur Magazine’s work in 2009, and want to see us continue on our mission into 2010, please consider making a donation. If you do it today, you will be able to claim it on your taxes in April.

Click here to go to the Arthur Magazine page on the Fractured Atlas website, where you can make an online donation:

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/donate/2024

Thank you,

The Arthur Magazine Gang

FISCAL SPONSORSHIP: Or, How to get money to do the work you need to do

From Fractured Atlas, the fiscal sponsor of Arthur Magazine:

We all know the arts need funding to survive. Fortunately there are philanthropic individuals, charitable foundations, and government institutions who recognize this need and provide support.

The Need
Most independent artists, however, including countless small or new arts companies, lack the all important 501(c)(3) tax status that makes those donations legal and desirable. That’s where fiscal sponsorship comes in.

In a Nutshell
Fiscal Sponsorship is a financial and legal system by which a legally recognized 501(c)(3) public charity (such as Fractured Atlas) provides limited financial and legal oversight for a project initiated independently by an artist. That “project” might be a one-time project or an independent artist or even an arts organization that does not have its own 501(c)(3) status. Once sponsored in this way, the project is eligible to solicit and receive grants and tax-deductible contributions that are normally available only to 501(c)(3) organizations.

The Catch
Anytime you’re dealing with the IRS (which regulates these issues), you can bet there are going to be some complicated legal issues involved. Many well-intentioned, legitimate organizations across the country provide fiscal sponsorship programs for artists. Very few of them are doing it legally, though, and most don’t even realize the danger in which they’re putting themselves and their sponsored projects. If the IRS ever decides to crack down, they could lose their 501(c)(3) status, and their sponsored projects could be forced to return any money raised under the arrangement.

The Solution
Fortunately, Fractured Atlas is here to help. Our fiscal sponsorship program is legal, efficient, and affordable. Our program is open and accessible to artists and arts organizations nationwide and in every discipline. We won’t judge your work’s artistic quality or merit; that’s for others to decide. Our job is to give you the tools you need to raise the money to make it happen.

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Trade Artwork for Health Care: Say What?

Anonymous, England, 1828.
Is it possible that artists and musicians will become the next big special interest group in American health care reform? Not by a long shot, but it’s nice to know that there are some benevolent organizations out there that a) actually give a damn about the astronomical number of uninsured artists in this country and b) can do something to take the edge off of rising medical costs. Artist Access, a New York health care initiative based out of the Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center in North Brooklyn, offers starving artists and undernourished arts support workers access to quality care on a sliding-fee scale, with doctor’s visits ranging from $15 to $60, and prescription medication, from $2 to $22.

But it gets even curious-er. For creatives who can’t even shell out a few dollars towards their next routine check-up, Artist’s Access allows participants to pay in kind, earning “40 credits worth of healthcare services” (according to the program’s brochure) for every hour of performance or artistic activity they contribute to the life of the hospital. That’s forty dollars towards medical care, and, if you add it all up, probably a lot more cost-effective than gigging in most New York bars. Or priceless, if you dig the community service element.

Call 877.244.5600 for more information.

To find out if similar opportunities exist in your area, check out Fractured Atlas, the people behind the nationwide Artists Affordable Healthcare initiative.