Under the direction of co-founders Dr. Nicolas Chronos and Ralph Olson, Lake Country Medical Aid for Ukraine (LCMAU) has been spearheading local efforts to supply much-needed medical supplies to war-torn Ukraine.
The foundation recently hosted a fundraiser at Oconee Brewing Company in Greensboro, where it raised more than $30,000 through a live auction for the cause. Olson said the success of the fundraiser stemmed from LCMAU quickly receiving its 501c3 status, which means a nonprofit has been approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt, charitable organization.
“Receiving the pending status in less than two months provided a high level of confidence to our donors, some of whom were becoming sponsors and paying $5,000 to $10,000,” Olson said. “When I announced our pending status during my speech at the event, I was interrupted with applause.”
Crucial to Lake Country Medical Aid for Ukraine officially receiving the tax-exempt status just one month later was the work of Kimberly Liebowitz of Connect and Grow. Prior to finding Liebowitz, LCMAU had reached out to four separate law firms, but all said they had no one in-house with sufficient expertise.
The foundation then shifted its focus to seeking out certified public accountants.
“We contacted five firms. Some had experience, but even those were reluctant to take on the task due to the complexity of the 43-page IRS form, coupled with manpower shortages that were preventing them from starting the process for three to six months,” Olson said.
“At that point, we were becoming very discouraged.”
That’s when the foundation finally connected with Liebowitz, who successfully maneuvered three similar filings through the process over the prior two years.
Calling her “a godsend,” Olson said Liebowitz even worked after-hours and on weekends to help file as quickly as possible, focusing on creating a compelling narrative to describe LCMAU’s mission to IRS officials.
With Liebowitz driving the effort, Olson said LCMAU was able to complete the filing process in just two months and then gained full approval just 31 days later.
“We were surprised when Kimberly called on July 19 with the exciting news that our 501c3 was approved,” Olson said. “I firmly believe this fast approval was granted in large part to her expertise.”
Anyone interested in helping or donating to Lake Country Medical Aid for Ukraine is encouraged to visit online at www.lakecountryaid.org for more information.
- Contributed