Form C-100 — Georgia Charitable Solicitation Registration
Filing Guide — Rising with Melodies Inc.
Answers keyed to the actual Form C100 (Revised Nov 2022), Georgia Secretary of State — Securities and Charities Division. Verified against the real form, page by page.
Two things this guide cannot do for you:
(1) Notarization — both the Execution Page and the Control Persons page require a notary-witnessed signature. This must happen in person (or via an online notary service); no guide can substitute for it.
(2) Social Security Numbers and dates of birth for each control person — required on the Control Persons page. These are intentionally left blank below. Each person (Linder Lopez, Samuel Serban, Natalia Dolhova) should fill in their own SSN/DOB directly on the physical/PDF form — never send that information over email or chat.
Resolve before filing: Item 9 requires "a signed IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ dated within one year of filing." Your IRS determination letter only requires you to file Form 990-N (the e-Postcard) — a different, simpler form. It's unclear from the form itself whether 990-N satisfies this requirement for small organizations. Email charities@sos.ga.gov to confirm before submitting, since Rising with Melodies won't have a 990 or 990-EZ on file (only a 990-N, first due May 15, 2027).
| Filing Type & Fee |
|---|
| Filing Type | ☑ Initial Application |
| Fee | $35.00 — check payable to Georgia Secretary of State (or card, if filing online) |
| 1. Official Name |
|---|
| Official Name | Rising with Melodies Inc. |
| Address of Applicant | 5410 Breckinridge Lane, Cumming, GA 30040 |
| Mailing Address (if different) | N/A — same as above |
| 2–4. Contact & Records |
|---|
| 2. Other Names Used to Solicit | N/A |
| 3. Contact Person | Linder Lopez |
| Telephone | +1 (404) 915-7991 |
| Contact Person Email | risingwithmelodies@gmail.com |
| 4. Location of Books and Records | 5410 Breckinridge Lane, Cumming, GA 30040 |
| Signature Block (requires notary) |
|---|
| Name of Authorized Executive Officer | Linder Lopez |
| Title | President |
| Signature / Date / Notary | To be completed and notarized in person |
| 5. Status of Registration in Other Jurisdictions |
|---|
| All 50 states + DC | Leave entirely blank — not registered or pending in any other state |
| 6–8. Organization |
|---|
| 6. Fiscal Year Ends On | 12/31 (December 31) |
| Date of Formation | March 25, 2026 |
| Place of Filing | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division |
| 7. Applicant Is A | ☑ Corporation |
| 8. Foreign Corp Qualification Date | N/A — Georgia domestic corporation |
| 9. Required Financial Information |
|---|
| Contributions Received, Preceding Fiscal Year | Under $10,000 (2026, first partial year) |
| Applicable Tier | (c) Under $500,000 — financial statement required, need not be reviewed or certified |
| Also Required | Signed IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ within 1 year of filing — see alert above, confirm with SOS first |
| 10. General Purpose of the Charitable Organization |
|---|
| Rising with Melodies Inc. is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes: to empower displaced, orphaned, and vulnerable children and families through structured educational programs (music education and English language instruction), humanitarian aid, and trauma-informed teaching and mentorship, currently serving children in Trujillo, Peru. |
| 11–13. Solicitation Details |
|---|
| 11. Purpose for Which Funds Solicited Will Be Used | Funds are used to compensate music and language educators, purchase instructional materials and instruments, cover program operating costs in Trujillo, Peru, and support the organization's administrative operations. |
| 12a. Method(s) of Solicitation | Website (online donation platform, PayPal, Zelle, Zeffy), benefit concerts/events, email, social media |
| 12b. Period of Solicitation | Continuous / year-round |
| 13. Contract with Fundraising Counsel or Paid Solicitor? | No |
These are legal attestations about the applicant and its executive officers. Based on known organizational history there is no reason to expect a "Yes" on any of these — but this is Linder Lopez's (or the signing officer's) attestation to make, not something I can certify. Review each carefully before signing.
| Expected Answers (confirm before signing) |
|---|
| 14. Felony/misdemeanor convictions (a–f) | No |
| 15. Court injunctions/findings (a–b) | No |
| 16. Government agency findings (a–f) | No |
| 17. Pending proceedings | No |
| 18. Unsatisfied judgments/liens/bankruptcy | No |
| 19. Determined tax-exempt by a government agency? | Yes — attach IRS Determination Letter |
| 19. EIN | 42-1833918 |
| 20. Tax exemption ever denied/cancelled? | No |
Since all of 14–18 and 20 are expected "No," Page 6 (required only if any of Q14–18 is "Yes") is not needed.
| Affiliated Branches/Chapters Within Georgia |
|---|
| Branches/Chapters | None — leave blank |
| Other Officers, Directors, and Trustees |
|---|
| Name | Address | Title |
|---|
| Linder Lopez | 5410 Breckinridge Lane, Cumming, GA 30040 | President & Director |
| Samuel Serban | To confirm — his own address | Secretary & Director |
| Natalia Dolhova | To confirm — her own address | Treasurer & Director |
The form appears to want each individual's own address, not necessarily the org address — confirm with Samuel and Natalia before finalizing.
Do not send SSNs or dates of birth through email or chat. Each control person (anyone with power to direct management/policy — here, all three directors: Linder Lopez, Samuel Serban, Natalia Dolhova) needs their own copy of this page, filled in directly and privately, with:
- Name, Title, Address, City, State, Zip
- Date of Birth and Social Security Number (fill in privately, on the form itself)
- A ten-year employment history, most recent first
- Signature consenting to a criminal background check by the Secretary of State, notarized
This page must be duplicated (make additional copies) — one per control person, all three directors.
- IRS Determination Letter — legal/IRS Determination Letter - Rising with Melodies Inc.pdf
- Articles of Incorporation — legal/compani/RiWiMe-certificateOfIncorporation.pdf
- Bylaws — legal/BYLAWS OF RISING WITH MELODIES INC - FINAL DRAFT.pdf
- Board Meeting Minutes (officer/director confirmation) — legal/Board Meeting Minutes - Organizational Meeting - Rising with Melodies Inc.pdf
- Financial statement (unaudited is fine) — can use legal/Form 1023 - Financial Projections (3-Year) - Rising with Melodies Inc.pdf as a starting point, or actual receipts to date
- Signed IRS Form 990/990-EZ — not yet available; resolve with SOS per alert above
- Notarized Execution Page (Page 1)
- Notarized Control Persons page — one per director (3 total)
- Name-Based Criminal History Record Information Consent/Inquiry Form — one per director, if requested separately from the Control Persons page
After filing: Registration is valid for 24 months from the effective date. Set a reminder to renew ~90 days before expiration ($20 renewal fee). Also keep records of every contribution ≥ $25 (donor name, address, date, amount) for at least 3 years, per Georgia recordkeeping requirements [Acknowledgement (i) on Page 4 of the form].
Filing portal: georgiasos.seamlessdocs.com/sc/charitiesdivision
Source form: Form C100, Revised Nov 2022, Georgia Secretary of State — Securities and Charities Division
Prepared: July 2026 — verified against the actual form; confirm the 990/990-EZ question with charities@sos.ga.gov before submitting.
