Helping Good Ideas Get Off the Ground
Most community projects start simple: you see something that needs fixing, someone who needs a hand, or an idea to bring folks together. But then you run into the boring stuff—paperwork, tax rules, bank accounts, and filing fees—and things stall out before they even get going.
Mystic Rhoads Productions has been through the wringer on this stuff for over twenty years. We’re not consultants; we’re just folks who’ve figured out how to navigate the red tape so good work can actually happen. If you’re trying to do something good and running into a wall, here’s how we can help:
What We Can Do
- Community Grants: If you’ve got a small project, a neighborhood need, or an event that just needs some quick seed money for supplies or gear, check out our micro-grant program. It’s a simple, no-nonsense application without the twenty-page corporate runaround.
- Fiscal Sponsorship: You don’t need to start a whole new corporation just to accept a few tax-deductible donations or apply for a local grant. By teaming up under MRP’s 501(c)(3) umbrella, you can use our tax status to raise money and run your project while we handle the boring accounting and receipts.
- Starting Your Own 501(c)(3): If your goal really is to become your own official standalone non-profit, we can walk you through the actual steps—writing bylaws, registering with the state, and filing the IRS Form 1023 paperwork without having to hire an expensive lawyer.
- Everyday Advice & Getting the Word Out: Setting up low-stress fundraisers, getting sponsors on board, selling t-shirts, rallying volunteers, or just figuring out how to run the day-to-day without losing your mind. We’re happy to share what worked for us and what definitely didn’t.
Projects We’ve Worked With
We like seeing good people succeed. A few efforts we’ve helped back over the years:
- Pat Clinch Peace Project: A local group putting together grassroots music and art gatherings to honor Pat Clinch, with every dollar raised going straight into neighborhood food pantries and community needs.
- We Can Do This: Started out under our wing with fiscal sponsorship to feed kids in need, and we worked with them until they officially filed their own paperwork and became an independent non-profit.
- Empress Jamaica: A grassroots village effort started by Peace Corps volunteers in rural Jamaica, using our non-profit setup to get community resources where they were needed most.
Experience
Over the years, our leadership has served on boards and steering committees across the community, including:
- Mystic Rhoads Productions (Co-founder & Director)
- Willard Community Center
- Roper Good Neighbor Fund
- Roper Elementary PTO
- Lincoln Earth Day
- Friends of Jamaica
Let’s Talk
If you’ve got an idea or an existing project and need a hand with the legal or money side, drop us a line.
Email info@mysticrhoads.org with a few sentences about what you’re trying to do, who it helps, and where you’re stuck, and we’ll see if we can help you figure it out.