A Leg-Up for 501c Startups™ (501cLegUp™) was at the time of its original launch, a new twist on 501c Startup-to-SmallBiz™ Program from Economic Empowerment Foundation for Exempt Startups & Small Businesses™ . Its based on the mentor/work-sharing efforts of the 501c Business Incubator Council, LLC™ Founder & Parent to EEF-501c™ and all the charities within the Collaborative.
Originally 501cLegUp™ was only for 501c charitable tech firms with small staffed operations of 1-5 people — 10 if temps or contingents is part of the team — operating off sparse revenue, hence the name, “a leg-up.” But exclusions being what they are, and the fact that we experience them as well, is our indicator other disciplines needed to be included. As such, as communications and other opportunities are identified, they will be included as well. Stay tuned for more.
A Leg-Up for 501c Startups™ now Awards Stipend for Special Projects to startup & young charities, some are tech-based others are strategically focused with an equal impact. Applicants to the Program can be just starting out, young in their operations, or an existing entity whose growth has become stuck due to COVID and/or the lingering effects of the 2018 Federal Shutdown — which to be truthful, began in early in 2017 or other political/legislative action preventing a barrier to their operations.
Applicants to the 501cLegUp™ Program must be prepared to complete an online application which places them into the 501cLegUp™ Pool to be matched with all types of Projects, beyond the Web/Tech space. On our follow-up Applicants should be prepared to complete the application and project component portion of the registration process with the appropriate documentation which provides the info needed to match with a Student Intern training categories our Academic Partner Institutions indicate will be available.
PROGRAM REGISTRATION
Our Application and Registration Processes are constructed with your needs in mind. As such they are detailed in the information required but very straightforward effort-wise.
To complete your Registration for LegUp, Applicants must agree to Mentor Interns from the Foundations various programs, Work One-on-One with the Organizational Point of Contact (POC) once that Connection has been made, and to Close out Our Vetting Process. Vetting is done to affirm qualification for the program and cross-alignment of your project needs with those participating in our Internships.
Registration requires following instruments:
- IF APPROVED, their IRS Letter of Determination confirming they are a legally recognized 501c,
- their IRS EIN Letter 147 showing the Tax ID Number under a 501c Classification along with the Legal Business Name & dba if applicable
- their home States Businesses Registration showing their business is a legally registered Non-Stock Non Profit Corporation, any Non-Home State Registrations; ALL must include the State Business Registration #s
- their CAGE Code & SAM EUI Registration numbers showing Federal Registration as Non-Stock Non Profit Corporation; required include Registrants in any Federal Grant, TA, Teaming Partner, CTA or other sub endeavor we manage, participate in or connect to
- IF APPLIED FOR BUT NOT YET APPROVED, then the Verification Notice sent by the IRS confirming it has received the Registrants F1023/24 Application for Tax Exempt Status,
- their IRS EIN Letter 147 showing the Tax ID Number under a 501c Classification along with the Legal Business Name & dba if applicable
- their non-home State Business License & Registration showing their [future tax exempt] business is a legally registered Non-Stock Non Profit Corporation to/with operations in locations beyond the home state of incorporation. (i.e. DE is home state of biz reg, but operations are in MD, PA, DC, NJ — Biz Registration info needed for all 5 jurisdictions)
If assistance is needed with your home state or the IRS in filing, obtaining copies, facilitating change of business name, locations, etc., Entity Formation Services at the 501c Business Incubator Council™ is available to help as this is one of the worlds we live in. Over the last 12-18 months, both State and Fed procedures and process turn-around timelines have been increasing with no public announcements to that effect.
And as you may have encountered, the IRS is still woefully behind . As of our April 29th inquiry, its response/out-the-door processing time for business and exempt entity name or other related changes has gone from 30-days to 60, done with no notice or its business customers.
Program Summary
A Leg-Up for 501c Startups™ is not an elimination competition for a grant. The 501cLegUp™ Program is a series of small web development, software product development, & technology engineering projects The Foundation will award to small, young & future exempt startups & charities to complete. The Program pays a nominal, Fixed Stipend directly to Participants to off set costs, and offers an array of perks and benefits.
501cLegUp™ Project opportunities come directly from our various pools of Startup & Small Business Stakeholders such as Participants from other Foundation & Incubator Programs, Fiscal Sponsorship Awardees & subPrograms that support them, Members from our National Chamber, Founders Association, Impact Solutions Forum, the Listserv, online community & Mentors Council we’re creating to help support them and all of which are launching later this year. Since we are always a Guinea Pigs for the assistance efforts we create, 501cLegUp™ Projects also come directly from our own pipeline of internal projects including those of our 25+ sibling charitable entities. This is essential allowing us to control visibility,
501cLegUp™ is not a Grant Program, so there are no Grants or disbursements to be made. This means there is nothing to be paid to a Fiscal Sponsor. The Stipend is a fixed gratuity to help off-set an Awardees expenses. In addition to the Stipend, Program Awardees receive the following:
** branding/co-branding opportunities,
** complimentary 1-year-long memberships in the new Chamber & Founders Assn whose launch has also been COVID delayed but coming in 2024,
** Free Business Directory Listing for one year across CunNECT™, our Master Business Directory System that spans all web products within The Foundation Enterprise, and
** media & business market exposure
501cLegUp™ Awardees will also be welcomed to register as a Technology Vendor Partner which places them in 3PM™, The Foundations Procurement System which mirrors the Federal Government process and includes a dedicated Vendor Pool we use and make available to our Subscribers, Clients, Awardees and other Stakeholders. 501cLegUp™ Awardees will have their choice of one of the following added benefits:
** be featured on our weekly Spotlight Podcast
** to Host a Spotlight Podcast Episode, or
** receive complimentary Prime Placement at our Podcasting Business Center (PBC)™, a weekly 501cSmallBiz-to-SmallBiz MarketXchange we are also launching.
EEF-501c™ has been diligently building an Enterprise of unique programs, open-access to business assets that serve ALL 25+ types of IRS recognized 501c’s, not just 501c3’s. We are creating a peer-based 501cStartup-to-SmallBiz environment that is national in scope and self-empowering as a goal. This includes Affiliate discounts and more importantly, Reseller Partnerships with heavy hitters like Stripe, Adobe & Microsoft. Since technology purchases will always be a factor, we hope you’ll come thru use for insider discounts & Reseller Partner exclusives the LLC receives as an incubator its Foundation receives as an economic/small business development Public Charity.
We are equally relentless in our effort to assure all our resources, particularly the professional development training serves everyone. We have a particular eye toward the unemployed/under employed, Non-English speakers, adult with literacy challenges, (as a Marine Daughter & Army Mom of 4) military transitioning back to civilian life, facing wellness & housing challenges is always front/center in thought. These areas as well as reliable financial financing environment that support exempt business provides info & assets beyond our out-of-pocket effort is why we are also chartering our own National Federal Credit Union.
The Foundation has a number of workforce training programs to be launched or relaunched over the coming months into next year. Our Academic Partnership Initiative (API)™ is 501cLegUp‘s companion support program has also on hiatus thanks to the COVID Pandemic. As part of their participation 501cLegUp™ Awardees will be responsible for Mentoring API Student Interns. Please be advised we’ve established our own Domain Registration & Web Hosting operation so many of web products will move to interim locations as we get our new infrastructure setup. API has already been moved to its new subDomain home will be AcademicPartnership.501cEconomicEmpowermentFndn.org and as you read this you are already on 501cLegUp™ new subDomain home.
And remember, in fairness to all, “Previous Applicants” to the Leg-Up Program will be contacted first.
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PROGRAM HIATUS ENDING SOON!
We were overwhelmed by the response to the 501cLegUp™ Program, and inundated with applications for this new program when it first launched, the number of registrations exceeded both our Intern Capacity and Stipend Fund exponentially. Delays both unknown and due to events beyond our control included things like our former list processor being unaware its system accepted applications but issued no notifications, something which continued until recently when backups were discovered & recovered.
As Tech and Engineers its MORE THAN FAIR that we should be on the receiving end and need our own services. The result of that processor error meant moving that function in-house to our own form server sooner than originally planned.
Going forward, across our entire Collaborative including our Parent LLC, ALL materials, be it an Application, Brochure, Registration Form, Subscription Order Form, or Early/Pre-Registration will be deployed as a custom Fillable PDF Form with the appropriate contacts and hyperlinks embedded within, including links to other sites, instruments, documentation or a direct invoice link from our payment processor.
Other delays were triggered in by COVID and the contentions political environment which continues to have adverse impact on Partnership Alignments, resources, and other essentials. But that’s an opportunity for innovation and self-reliance which is how we have resources to share with you and why we keep it moving regardless.
We are a team of Volunteer Executives one full and others part time, and thank you for your patience. Please know we will be reaching out as quickly as is possible with next steps to the application and registration process. That will begin once we begin receiving acceptance registrations from those in our inaugural API Invitees who are able to accept and have made 1st round matchups based on your initial 501cLegUp™ Application.
Thank you in advance for your time and interest in this program. We look forward to meeting you and helping you to succeed.
Take Care.
Don’t forget to visit the Academic Partnership Initiative™ program site as well to familiarize yourself with its parameters.