Hello! Welcome to The Melba Foundation's VERY FIRST blog post. You are witnessing first hand an organization that is being built from the ground up. Thanks for reading and being part of our journey. 

I've been learning how to balance my life while including building this brand new non-profit from scratch. It's a large task, but I know that if I chip away at it little by little, over time within the next few years, this project that is so dear to my heart will blossom into exactly what I know my mom, MELBA would be so proud of. 

So far, I've been doing everything myself. I'll get little help here and there from my family but ultimately all the big tasks are completed by yours truly. Big tasks like filling out paperwork to become 501c3 approved, opening up non-profit bank accounts, starting social media accounts, designing flyers, logos, enrolling in paypal giving fund so we can become a visible charity on live streaming platforms like Twitch. Making phone calls with prospective sponsors that believe in what we do.  I'm hoping to find an awesome team to help me at some point but know I'll only find that as long as I continue doing my work. Patience Melissa, patience. 

MELBA became official according to the government Oct 5, 2022. They classified our charity as a 509a2 non profit even though we applied to be 501c3. So it looks like we will be waiting to become 501c3 approved for another year until we become more established and generate more financial support. 

In the mean time we will continue to do everything we can to make our presence known in the non-profit and music world by producing concerts and songwriter showcases like “Saving Classical Music” and “Fil-Am Fest.” 

In June of 2023 we produced our very first fundraiser at the Boston Court where we raised a total of $2620 from ticket sales! It was such a joyous event. Our talented performers Colleen Sharpe, Matthew Alcazar, Julie Clark, Rachel Grace and The Filipino American Symphony Junior Orchestra made the event such a memorable occasion. 

This concert was a wonderful way to showcase our incredible performers, build relationships with organizations like the Filipino American Symphony Junior Orchestra and announce our brand new existence in the non-profit world. 

Huge thank you to each and everyone of you that made our very first concert such a success. We are looking forward to many more! See you all soon