COVER.INFO would not exist without a lot of voluntary work. It is not only necessary to maintain the database and fill in new entries. There would be no database if we did not have the inevitable hardware or make the essential administrative and programming works.
The problem
Not only server hosting costs money. When we have no voluntary skillful programmer, we will have huge costs for the further development of COVER.INFO. Luckily we currently have Falko who had the time to develop the new COVER.INFO during the last months. But Falko will have other things to do very soon.COVER.INFO has to be kept state-of-the-art. Firstly this is important for making the website work on all modern browsers. Secondly this is necessary for IT-security reasons. As long as we have to fall back on external technical personnel, this will cause high costs.
Furthermore the website should not stay as it is now. New functions shall be developed to make it even more useful and easy to use.
The association
Thus on June 1, we founded a non registered association called COVER.INFO n. e. V. which is now operating the website COVER.INFO. Its benefit for the public has already been recognized by the local tax authority. Thus donations to the association can be set off against income and corporate tax liability in Germany. The association is authorized to issue donation receipts.This way, the association can collect tax-advantaged money to maintain COVER.INFO in order to altruistically serve the advancement of people education in popular music. More about the association and its statues can be found here.