Hello,
This is the first message we've sent to the general CASH Music mailing list, and we have no intentions of starting a flood of email in the future. But we have news that's important to us and hopefully of interest to some of you as well.
CASH Music is now officially a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Our goal has always been to help artists and to assist in building a music industry culture that can support them. We decided that the best way to do this is to decouple our business model from that of the artists for whom we advocate. We have a firm mission to create open-source software tools for artists; and to provide guidance, assistance, and education in music industry best practices for the digital age. We believe that this mix can foster both creativity and new revenue models in music.
Becoming a true non-profit means we can be open and publicly accountable in all our efforts. It also means that we need to call on you for help.
So I'm writing to ask for that help. Yes, ultimately we need tax-deductible donations, but raising awareness is just as important. If you want to support CASH financially then donations can be made on our website, but it also helps tremendously for you to spread the word about what we're trying to do. If you blog, please add a link to http://cashmusic.org; if you use Twitter or Identi.ca, please point your followers to @cashmusic; and if you're on Facebook please search for CASH Music and count yourselves amongst our 'fans.'
David Narcizo of Lakuna Design (http://lakunadesign.com) has reworked the look of the CASH website, and we've added more information to reflect our now official non-profit status. We'll be adding more before long, featuring new designs by other graphic artists we admire. Their interpretations will add depth beyond any copy we can write.
Lastly, I need to acknowledge the hard work of the people who have helped get us here. This means Billy O'Connell, Kristin Hersh, Bob Fagan, and Donita Sparks whose early conversations got everything started. This also means John Studer, Jack McKenna, Justin Miranda, and Michelle Steigerwalt who have given more time to this project than I could ask for, and continue to amaze me with their dedication and efforts. But more than anyone I must thank the artists and the listeners who have thus far participated in CASH. It's in that relationship that the future lies.
Thank you for your energy, and thank you for any help you can give. All of my contact information is listed below...please reach out with any questions or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Jesse von Doom