Founding the Academy of Sage Heroes

Ladies and Gentlemen... Welcome to the Academy of Sage Heroes.

We are here to change the world with honor.

We are a faith-based co-ed fraternal organization whose mission is to create a collaborative educational society that develops holistic moral excellence through immersive, transformative experiences within community.

Drawing from yesteryear’s wisdom, the Academy of Sage Heroes cultivates champions of personal and societal transformation, renewing honor and chivalry to build the moment entrusted to us into a more virtuous world.

While we do banquets, balls, soirees, and sword fights, we do not party – we create spaces for cultivating personal mastery. We grow people who happen to the world, instead of the world happening to them. Our lifestyle is built on Honor, Courtesy, and Etiquette. These are hard, like all good and important things. If you crave more of these in your life and community, come ally with the Academy. You can learn more about us, our activities, and our values here.

Since the spring of 2022 we have been building community and testing our methods for lasting transformation in Fargo, ND. Interest in our movement has spread across the States, with opportunities for founding new chapters in Oklahoma, Washington, Minnesota, and Missouri. We are tapping into a deep need, and people are responding.

The time has come for us to formally incorporate and apply for tax-exempt status so we can take things to the next level and live out our mission. We have determined that to stay true to our values and vision, we will not be using a standard 501(c)3, but a 501(c)10, which is specifically designed for our fraternal organization model. This will provide greater flexibility for our chapters to effect holistic change in their local communities, even when that requires political action in addition to educational facilitation. This means much of the standard wisdom for starting a nonprofit does not apply to us, and we aren't able to take advantage of cost-saving boilerplate procedures. But nothing we are doing is boilerplate anyway.

In order to stay true to that commitment, we need to raise seed money for lawyer fees, application fees, setting up our bookkeeping appropriately, and laying solid foundations for success. We do not believe in cutting corners.

The $19,500 listed as our goal is our minimum for getting operational as a nonprofit corporation. It covers:

Lawyer fees for:

Federal application fees

Bookkeeping setup fees

Professional branding

Insurance premiums

Anything we receive past our goal will go toward ongoing operational expenses such as:

Once we have secured our full nonprofit status, we will be looking for private donors and sponsors. We have several other revenue streams planned as well, in order to minimize dependence upon grants. If you are curious about our financial plans, long-term timeline, or other details, feel free to schedule a conversation with our founder, Jaymes O'Pheron.

We appreciate your interest and support!

In honor,

The Academy of Sage Heroes