Posted in: Comics, Vintage Paper | Tagged: binc, cgc

CGC Donates $10,000 to BINC to Help Comic Shops

Published Fri, 17 Apr 2020 17:00:46 -0500

Over the past week, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, or BINC, has become the charity that the comic book industry has rallied around to help comic book stores in need. The recent #Creators4Comics campaign has raised a substantial amount of money, after DC Comics Co-Publisher and CCO Jim Lee started auctioning off sketches in order to contribute funds for the foundation earlier in the month. DC Comics itself, among others, have donated significant amounts as well. Today, the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), a leading third-party grading service for comic books, magazines, and other collectibles, has announced a $10,000 donation to the BINC Foundation. CGC is a sponsor of Bleeding Cool.

CGC and BINC team up to help support comic shops. — CGC and BINC team up to help support comic shops, background photo by Alexandru Nika and Shutterstock.com.

"After numerous discussions on the best way to help out the comic book industry in this time, we decided on making a $10,000 donation to BINC, which helps Comic book shops in this time of crisis," says CGC Director of Operations Harshen Patel. "Additionally, we have offered to certify as authentic all of the pieces Jim Lee is auctioning off for charity for free to help his promotion as well and assist in raising money for Comic Book shops that are suffering right now."

Established in 1996, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to assisting booksellers in need. The fund provides assistance to booksellers and their employees who have a demonstrated financial need arising from severe hardship and/or emergency circumstances. BINC states that the support of The Forge Fund, DC Comics, Jim Lee, BOOM! Studios, Image, and now CGC have helped them support comic retailers through the COVID-19 public health crisis. The Forge Fund was started by comics publisher Lion Forge in October 2019 for the purpose of helping to provide comic book retailers and their employees a vital financial safety net.

"As the weeks go by and the number of requests for assistance increases, the generosity of those from the comic industry is humbling," adds Pamela French, Executive Director of the Bink Foundation. "We are grateful for this gift from CGC Comics; it brings hope to this uncertain situation. I cannot thank CGC Comics enough for their leadership. These funds will immediately go to work helping retailers in need. "

According to BINC, comic retailers requesting funds must apply during the application period from April 10, 2020, through April 27, 2020, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time). They further note that all checks, if awarded, are to be used for operating expenses, and that checks will be made payable directly to the comic retailer and not to individuals. For more information and application details, please see the BINC website.

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