The Mirror gains 501(c)(3) status, seeks volunteers

submitted by Anita Herman, Community Resource Center Board of Directors

In late spring of this year, Manchester’s hometown newspaper legally joined the ranks of non-profit organizations.

Since it began publishing online in 2013, the Manchester Mirror has served residents in the Village and its surrounding four townships by reporting on current issues, activities, and events in the Manchester community. It is the only newspaper to do so. This free publication added print editions in 2016.

To assure Manchester will continue to have a reliable and viable news source that focuses on the community, the co-owners and editors Sara and Fritz Swanson and Marsha Chartrand took the necessary and arduous steps to gain the 501(c)(3) designation.

With its new non-profit status, the Mirror will be able to attract and solicit funding from patrons who want their donations to be tax exempt. This status will also allow the paper to apply for grant monies geared to non-profit organizations. Some restrictions surrounding the types of public services in which it can be involved will also apply. For example, according to the guidelines, the Mirror may not participate in political or lobbying activities.

The next step for this weekly publication, in moving forward in the non-profit arena, is recruiting and selecting a Board of Directors. The Mirror is seeking volunteers who are enthusiastic about providing the local community with excellent and unbiased journalism, who have experience in guiding non-profit entities, who can lend their legal, marketing and/or financial expertise, and who will have the time and energy to do so.

Readers and patrons interested in sharing their skills, and willing to get involved in growing this newspaper, will want to stay tuned.

In the meantime, supporting the Manchester Mirror with a donation has become tax exempt! Find the Mirror’s Patreon page here if you’d like to sign up to make a monthly donation. Or, if you are interested in making a one-time donation, it can be mailed to PO Box 696, Manchester, MI 48158.

First stack of print Manchester Mirrors, delivered to locations around Manchester, March 30th, 2016.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.