Who We Are
Epitome of Soul is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on equipping, empowering and encouraging leadership in high school students. Utilizing the arts as a means to develop and foster life-long skills, Epitome of Soul exposes urban community students to theater, creative writing, music and dance for example, as well as assistance to achieve academic excellence. To date, Epitome of Soul has had tremendous success and impacted the lives of many.
We encourage you to check out the website epitomeofsoul.org to view some of the programs and students in action. How You Help
As Epitome of Soul reaches its third year of operation, it is an exciting time to be a part of this growth and to help make an even greater impact on the community. With your help Epitome of Soul can achieve it’s Indiegogo fundraising goal, increasing awareness of its mission and raising funds to propel organizational growth.
Your contribution today will go toward one or more of Epitome of Soul’s three key programs: Educational Advocacy, Mentorship, and Scholarship. Each program is tailored to aid in the advancement of high school students in urban communities. Click here for further information on these programs.
The magnitude of our organizational goals extend far beyond this crowdfunding campaign. Your contribution in helping achieve this fundraising goal not only helps with this project, but helps to springboard Epitome of Soul forward into a greater capacity to fully execute its mission.
You can give at any level that you'd like. We have some pretty cool perks that would look great on you! Check them out on the right.
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Students participating in a creative process exercise at the 2015 Arts Symposium.
The Impact
Here’s how you can make an impact when you help us achieve our goal…
You can be confident in your contribution to Epitome of Soul. Based on the planning and professional experience of the Executive team and Board, and execution of previous programs, you can trust that your contribution will be used solely for the advancement of students through arts programming and cultural development activities. Below is a breakdown of how funds will be allocated:
$8,880 goes toward the Art Symposium series and master class which falls under the Educational Advocacy Program and entails a 3 workshops/ 1 master class series that will be held in the spring of 2016. Each class focuses on an individual arts discipline in the areas of music,theatre,writing and filmmaking, and will be instructed by an experienced industry professional.
$3,120 goes toward development of the Epitome of Soul Mentorship Program (ESMP). Contributions provide materials such as journals, books, materials needed for each art discipline and backpacks for the founding ESMP class. This will also cover a portion of the honorarium costs for industry workshop leaders.
- $3,000 awards 3 deserving high school seniors who have applied for the Keys of Success and Music is Life Scholarships to further their education at an accredited institution.
Epitome of Soul’s work is valuable to the community because of its commitment to developing more leaders in the arts and in society. US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said,“The arts can help students become tenacious, team-oriented problem solvers who are able to think creatively. These qualities can be especially important in improving learning among students from economically disadvantaged circumstances." It is imperative that students within these areas have access to arts programs, despite the budget cuts that have occurred in many of their school districts. The programming that is provided to high school students and the community is designed to achieve a primary initiative, which is to organize youth groups to undertake projects that benefit the community and encourage leadership, character, compassion and good citizenship.
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Here are a few highlights and accomplishments to which previous community contributions have played a part:
Execution of over 7 programs and workshops with international and local artists, with close to 200 students in attendance.
Award-winning non-profit having received the 2014 Mayor of Paterson’s Award for Civic Engagement and the Rotary Club’s 2014 Patersonians Making a Difference Beneficiary Award
Student testimonial: “They’re [Epitome of Soul] very encouraging, I want to be able to give back to my community and be like them when I grow up.”-Autumn
Beyond money- we need your help spreading the word
We understand that some people are unable to contribute, but there other ways you can help:
Share this campaign with at least 3 friends or family members and ask for their support.
Post this campaign to your social media pages with this copy: "Can you imagine a world without art? Help @epitomeofsoul_ keep the arts in our schools by contributing here! #ESArtsLeaders"
Use the Indiegogo share tools below!
Volunteer your time at an Epitome of Soul program or event by emailing your contact information to info@epitomeofsoul.org. Let us know how you’d like to help and we’ll get back to you soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you a non-profit? Can I write-off my contribution with my taxes? Yes, Epitome of Soul is a public 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under tax-id # 45-5496564. Contributions made to Epitome of Soul are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
How can I receive a tax-deductible receipt? When you contribute, Indiegogo's nonprofit payment processor First Giving, will send you an email confirming your contribution. For all contributions over $100, you will receive an official receipt for tax-reporting purposes by email after the campaign ends. .
Where can I learn more about what your supporters think about the organization? You can visit our Great Nonprofits page at http://greatnonprofits.org/org/epitome-of-soul-inc to view supporter reviews and feedback from previous programs and events.
Can I donate from outside the USA? Yes! You can access our website epitomeofsoul.org and Indiegogo campaign from anywhere online. Indiegogo only accepts international credit cards, not bank or debit cards-so the best way to donate internationally is with a credit card.
What payment methods do you accept? Indiegogo accepts all major credit cards.
If I have more questions, who do I ask? Send us an email at info@epitomeofsoul.org and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Students participating in a creative process exercise at the 2015 Arts Symposium.
