Dear Members,

I hope you are as excited as I am about the energy and growth of the USIHC. We have so many new initiatives in the works. Our most recent project is an educational video library which will be available to all members on our website. These will be short videos targeted toward a specific topic or question. If you have any suggestions for topics you would like to see covered, please let me know.

Another issue on my mind is financial support for our youth riders, education programs and world championship team. With that in mind, the USIHC Board is investigating the possibility of establishing an affiliated 501 c-3 Foundation. This would allow members to make a tax-deductible contribution to USIHC educational activities and amateur competition.

The USIHC is currently a 501 c-4 organization, which gives us some tax advantages, but does not allow for tax-deductible contributions. Because we own and operate our registry, and offer financial assistance to clubs and barns which host clinics and shows, we are not eligible for 501c-3 status. An affiliated foundation would function independently, with a separate board, andoffer financial assistance to amateur programs such as youth camps and the USIHC World Championship team, both in the United States and abroad.

Should we decide to form a foundation, the USIHC would not change in governance. We would still have committees, regional clubs, the S2SS program, clinics, shows, assessments and educational events. We would still continue to support our membership, our affiliated clubs and our mission. The purpose of adding a foundation would be to promote and financially support educational programs and participation in amateur events.

We would love to hear your thoughts about this. Please feel free to email me or any board member.

Happy riding!

Virginia Lauridsen, president