This past week of snow was absolutely wonderful! I spent a lot of time outside playing in the snow with my dogs, trying to keep my chickens cozy, feeding the birds, making snow angels, and delivering “snow day” cupcakes to my neighbors. While it was stunningly beautiful, it’s sure is nice to see the sun shining and know that we are just one day closer to Spring.
I’m happy to report that the winter weather hasn’t slowed down progress on The Ledge. We’ve been hard at work the past few months putting some organization around how this venture will be owned and operated. After a lot of conversation with legal and financial advisors, we decided to form a nonprofit organization.
Why a nonprofit?
The answer to that question is simple. The vision of The Ledge is not to make anyone rich. We want The Ledge to be community-focused – operating solely for the benefit and betterment of the Spring Creek community. A nonprofit allows us to leverage community input on how to best serve Spring Creek through a variety of programs and events at The Ledge. In doing so, our board members, committees, volunteers, and donors will have a direct impact on the success of programs and financial endeavors.
We created Fly Away Home to serve as the operating entity for The Ledge. The Board of Directors was selected back in December and includes community members with various professional backgrounds and community ties. The 2021 Fly Away Home Board members are:
Donna Sudderth (President), Angel Williams (Secretary), Mary Bowen, Teresa Box, Mark Caldwell, Julie Gaugh, Angela Snider, Joseph Sudderth, Scott Woolfolk, and Tony White.
I’d like to personally thank the board members for being part of this mission. We’ve got a wonderful group of local business owners and professionals that bring a lot of great ideas and feedback to the board discussions. Their expertise and love of the Spring Creek community is certainly the foundation of success for Fly Away Home.
501(c) 3 Designation and The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis
We’ve submitted forms and documentation to the IRS and are currently waiting on approval of our 501(c)3 status. This designation will give community members a way to support the mission of The Ledge and Fly Away Home with tax-deductible donations. (UPDATE: Fly Away Home was approved as a 501(c)3 by the IRS on 6/29/2021)
We’ve also partnered with The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis (CFGM) to create a Fly Away Home Project Fund. This fund will give people the opportunity to get the full tax benefit of donations to Fly Away Home while we wait on the IRS. CFGM has a long history of working with nonprofits and philanthropic families to strengthen the community through philanthropy, and we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with them.
Want to get involved?
Of course you do! Whether you want to serve on a committee, volunteer at one of our upcoming events, or make a donation, we have plenty of ways for you to get involved. Contact Us for more information on how you can get involved with Fly Away Home and The Ledge.