Hello, Go community. TLDR: please consider donating to help us stay open and maintain our non-profit status, and/or please consider buying an annual membership or lifetime membership. We have not raised fees in 14 years, and we need to do so now. We do not police our doorway or hassle folks about proving membership or paying fees, but we do need this income to survive. We are also raffling off a true kaya, old, floor goban to help raise money.
We have not done any fundraising for a year. We skipped the spring fundraising, waiting to break ground and move to a temporary space, but as you know, plans suddenly changed. The 2022 fund raising was VERY successful, raising about $11,000. We combined that with a voting membership drive, a great way to give to Seattle Go Center (and never bother with entrance fees).
We need to raise 1/3 of our operating costs from member support (memberships, admission fees, retail, and donations) to preserve our public charity status. We also need to stretch the Iwamoto Go Outreach Foundation funds for decades to come so that they can support SGC. We no longer have a downstairs to rent.
PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING OR PURCHASING A VOTING MEMBERSHIP.
We are starting a new policy as an experiment. If you purchase 12 annual memberships within 14 years, you can convert your membership to lifetime. I will note that if you work for a company that matches donations, and you buy a lifetime membership at one time, your company can match $2750 of the price as an additional donation.
FEES. Last year we said that we were going to raise prices after 13 years, but now we really need to make adjustments. The new rates start 03 OCT. The annual voting membership price is not changing, nor are any student prices. However, the day use fee will become $10, and the 10-punch card will become $50. See the website for other prices such as some lifetime memberships and pair memberships.
PLEASE NOTE, we do not police our doorway. We do not accost people to show their annual membership is valid or prove you punched your 10-punch card or that you paid a day use fee. We are on the honor system which we feel is consistent with our mission to spread cultural awareness and promote and teach Go. However, memberships and admission fees are important dollars for our public charity test and demonstrating member support. Please support us by paying attention and paying fees, purchasing 10-punch cards, or memberships.
RAFFLE. We will raffle a floor board. Tickets are $20. We have a goal to sell at least 100 tickets. The goban will be on display at SGC starting 03 OCT. We will draw the winning ticket by Thanksgiving. This goban (see Seattle Go Facebook page for pictures) is true kaya from Japan, which you can only get these days when they find an already fallen tree. It was passed down father to son, and when the son passed, a family friend donated it to Seattle Go Center. It has some Japanese writing on the bottom noting its history. It has some blemishes that add to its character, age, and history. It is the second highest quality of cut from the tree that produces straight lines on the top from the tree grain. It also has some grain patter from the very center of the tree that some prefer to the highest quality cut that is all straight grain. It should be used and have a good home, so please help SGC and buy some tickets.
Cheers,
Bill
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