Norwescon is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, which means your volunteer hours and any items you donate to the convention are tax deductible! (Please refer to IRS guidelines regarding charitable donations for more information.) We will happily provide a written receipt for donations valued at $250 or more. In addition, we are pleased to partner with several local charitable organizations in our mission to provide education and cultural awareness to our greater Pacific Northwest community.

Over the years, Norwescon has developed relationships with many charitable and educational organizations. Norwescon is proud to partner with these estimable members of the Northwest community:

You can donate to Norwescon either directly to us at the convention, or at any time during the year via PayPal (just click the button below this text) or by shopping through Amazon Smile!




Clarion West

Clarion West is an intensive six-week workshop for writers preparing for professional careers in science fiction and fantasy, held annually in Seattle, Washington, USA. The mission of Clarion West is to provide a high quality educational opportunity for writers of speculative fiction at the start of their careers. Norwescon provides an annual scholarship to Clarion West’s intensive six-week summer workshop for writers preparing for professional careers in science fiction and fantasy.

Recipients of the Norwescon Clarion West Scholarship

  • Catie Peterson (2019)
  • Rafeeat Aliyu (2018)
  • Emma Törzs (2017)
  • Lora Gray (2016)
  • Tegan Moore (2015*)
  • Evan J. Peterson (2015*)
  • Yang-Yang Wang (2014)
  • Kelly Sandoval (2013)
  • Cory Skerry (2012)
  • Jack Nicholls (2011)
  • Jack Graham (2010)

* The 2015 scholarship was split between both recipients.

The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)

MoPOP, a nonprofit museum, houses dynamic programs, cutting-edge technology, and interpretative-interactive exhibitions focused on American popular culture, including many devoted to the ideas and experiences of science fiction. MoPOP has three rotating exhibits that celebrate the worlds of science fiction and fantasy: “Infinite Worlds,” “Fantasy: Worlds of Myth & Magic,” and “Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film.” In addition to these permanent exhibits, EMP periodically hosts such exhibits as “AVATAR: The Exhibition,” “Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition,” and “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World.”

MoPOP Education Programs offers teaching aids to educators on a variety of subjects, as well as camps and workshops for youths. The museum also sponsors the Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival and Write Out of This World, a short story contest for youths.

MoPOP is housed in the futuristic building designed by Frank O. Gehry at the Seattle Center.

Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival

The Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival promotes and encourages an awareness, appreciation and understanding of the art of science fiction and fantasy cinema. Its mandate is to create a forum for creative artistry in science fiction and fantasy film and recognize the most outstanding short films produced.

Write Out of This World
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Short Story Contest

MoPOP’s Write Out of This World Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Story Contest is an educational program designed to encourage young writers and provide an outlet for their creative journey to other worlds and explore their wildest imaginations.

Seattle Public Libraries

In 2016, Norwescon partnered with the Seattle Public Libraries for a flash fiction writing contest! Jumping off from Octavia Butler’s observation that she “hid out in a big pink notebook” and made herself “a universe in it,” SPL invited people to enter “The Door to a Pink Universe” themselves. More details may be found at the SPL’s Door to a Pink Universe contest page.

Locus Awards

Norwescon is a proud sponsor of the Locus Awards Banquet. The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards presented by Locus: The Magazine of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Field, first presented in 1971. The award winners are selected from a poll of the magazine’s readers. Norwescon is proud to be part of this long standing tradition.

The awards are presented at an annual banquet, currently held in Seattle. The event draws many local and national fans and professionals. Hawaiian shirts are worn by all attendees, and those brave enough not to do so may find themselves being roasted. The Locus Awards welcomes all fans of the science fiction community.

Northwest Harvest

Northwest Harvest and their nearly 300 partner food banks across the state of Washington provide nutritious food to all who are in need. They strive to be the most efficient hunger response program in the state of Washington, with more than 93% of their budget going directly to food distribution.

Your donation of non-perishable food items to Norwescon will help Northwest Harvest fight hunger in Washington State. Norwescon also collects donations to Northwest Harvest during registration and writes them a check for the amount of the donation. Please consider supporting Northwest Harvest in this manner.

Charity Auction

The Norwescon Charity Auction is always held on Sunday morning of the convention, auctioning off original art, prints, and books from current and past guests of honor and pros, collectibles, toys, jewelry, games…all sorts of lovely stuff donated by our dealers and fellow fen! All proceeds are given to Northwest Harvest. Come and find a treasure to take home AND help others in need!

Donations

Moving? Downsizing? Or have your tastes simply changed over the years? If you are cleaning out your collectibles, please consider donating to Norwescon!

Our Charities Team gratefully accepts art, books, collectibles, toys, games and all things geeky! We auction them off Sunday at-con and all proceeds go to Northwest Harvest. Contact us at charities@norwescon.org for more info or to arrange a pickup.

Con or Bust

Norwescon regularly donates memberships to the 501(c)(3) fan group Con or Bust. This is a great group that helps new fans find fandom by focusing on minorities. This is part of our overall outreach to help new writers, new fans, and organizations that share some of our passions to help grow fandom. Con or Bust is part of the Carl Brandon Society, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the production of and audience for speculative fiction.

ASFA – Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists

ASFA is a non-profit educational association made up of artists, publishers, collectors, and others with an interest in the science fiction and fantasy genres,  providing support services for artists, publishers, fans, and literary science fiction and fantasy conventions (cons) around the globe.

ASFA also selects the recipients of the Chesley Awards,  established in 1985 by AFSA  to  distinguish individual works and achievements not otherwise recognized by the Hugo Awards or other literary and art awards, during a given year.