Happy New Year from the Student Defense Initiative. We’re starting off the year with an update on our status as we work toward becoming a fully operational 501(c)(3) charity.

We held our second Board of Directors meeting on December 21. At that meeting, we adopted a Compensation Policy and a Conflict of Interest Policy, went over details of our application for 501(c)(3) status, and discussed our plans for the coming months.

On December 31, we mailed a completed Form 1023 to the IRS. This form, along with its many attachments, is our application for 501(c)(3) status. Once we have received a Letter of Determination from the IRS, we need to file a few forms with the California State government before we can start accepting donations. The time it takes for the IRS to process an application for tax-exempt status can vary. Optimistic estimates range from two to four months, but some sources claim the process can span as many as two years. As SDI does not qualify for expedited service, we have to wait in line with all other applicants. Regardless of the wait ahead of us, as soon as we hear back from the IRS, we will let you know.

While we wait for 501(c)(3) status, we intend to continue spreading the word about SDI and to continue raising funds. Be on the lookout for more activity on our website. We plan to have “I Believe in the Honor Code” t-shirts for sale by the end of January, and a redesign of the website -- complete with a new logo -- is expected by the end of February. As always, you can stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter and following our blog at studentdefenseinitiative.org/blog.

Thank you for your continued support. We also value your feedback. If you have comments, questions, or concerns, you can email Jason Cerundolo at jason@studentdefenseinitiative.org.

Sincerely,

Student Defense Initiative Board of Directors